The Pope of Bakersfield

I was watching Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood today and found out Buck Owens passed away early Saturday morning.

Buck was a huge star here in the San Joaquin Valley. We were just as exited as everybody else about those four long-haired guys from England but Buck and his Buckaroos were OUR band. Many people think only of beaches and Hollywood when they think of California but most of the actual geography of the state is rural and agribusiness is every bit as important to the economy as movies and microchips. John Steinbeck might have put the valley on the nation's conscience but Buck Owens put it on everybody's TV.

Our family loved Hee Haw but Buck was a huge international star long before that show aired. I'm sure he will be remembered for his role in defining a tough, stripped down Honky Tonk style now called "The Bakersfield Sound".

I was in Bakersfield Friday night with my wife. We'd driven down from Clovis to pick up some speakers from the Best Buy out on Rosedale HWY and stopped into Buck's Crystal Palace for some dinner. We split a massive Buck Burger and some Cryin' Time Onion Rings. Buck was scheduled to play later that night but (I hesitate to say this) my wife hates country music and...Best Buy closes at 10:00.

I know.

After we picked up our speakers we drove back by Buck's Palace and stopped at a red light by the famous Bakersfield sign and the 99 onramp. Jet says to me "Jeez they even named a street after him". I told her it's a wonder they don't name the whole town after him. I started telling her the history of the sign but the light turned green and we were headed back north. I said maybe we could come back down on a Saturday and see Buck, he plays almost every Friday and Saturday night maybe bring our daughter. A little history would do her good.

Buck played his last gig Friday night and cut the show short because he wasn't feeling well. He drove himself home and passed on apparently in his sleep. He was 76.

Vaya con Dios Buck. May your new telecaster sparkle brighter than those streets of gold.