Buck loved music and co-hosted a radio show in 1945…. In the later 1940s, he was aged about 20 and
took a job as a truck driver in California. His first wife was country singer Bonnie
Owens, who later married Merle Haggard.
He decided to settle In Bakersfield, where many southerners who had moved
out west had chosen to live. He became a session musician working for various county
artistes, in Hollywood…
Buck veered between country music and the up and coming rock and roll
of the 1950s. He met Don Rich in 1958... and Rich became a close friend and his
partner in musicianship. Ian the early 60s Don became the leader of Buck’s support band, the Buckaroos… and he persuaded Buck
to record the song “Act Naturally” which was one of his biggest hits. In 1965 they
had another huge hit with “Tiger by the Tail”…
Ringo Starr of the Beatles took a liking to Act Naturally and rerecorded
it making the song even more popular in the UK.
In the later 1960s Buck’s career took off, with Don Rich working with
him. They did a tour of Japan and played
at the White House for Lyndon Johnson, and Buck became a host of the country
music and comedy show Hee Haw…
In 1974, Don Rich was tragically killed in a motorbike accident. Buck had been trying to persuade him to give
up riding motor cycles but he had failed to do so. He continued to work after his good friends’ death
but he never felt the same joy in his music again…
Buck was a shrewd businessman and in the 1970s he bought up several radio
stations. He did less recording and spent more time managing his business
interests.
His health began to decline in the 1990 and 2000s…
In March 2006, he had a meal at his own restaurant but did not feel very
well and began to consider cancelling his
show that evening. But he met some fans
who told him they had driven a long way to see him, so he decided to perform.
He took the stage that night and died in his sleep afterwards of a
heart attack…
No comments:
Post a Comment