March 27, 2006 — Condolences to the family, friends and fans of country legend Buck Owens, 76, who died Saturday morning at his home, according to family spokesperson Jim Shaw, who spoke to Greg Risling from the Associated Press. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
Buck was best known for his hits including "Love's Gonna Live Here," "Act Naturally," "Together Again" and "I've Got a Tiger By the Tail," and his 1988 No. 1 duet with Dwight Yoakam, "Streets of Bakersfield." He's also etched in the minds of country fans forever for co-hosting the popular television variety show, Hee Haw. Throughout his career he had a string of more than 20 No. 1 records, most released during the mid-'60s to mid-'70s. He was also one of the first country artists to play New York City's Carnegie Hall.
"I think the reason he was so well known and respected by a younger generation of country musicians was because he was an innovator and rebel," said Shaw, who played keyboards in Owens' band, the Buckaroos. "He did it out of the Nashville establishment. He had a raw edge."
Buck's mixture of honky-tonk and traditional country music came to be known as the "Bakersfield Sound," named for the California town Buck called home.
"I'd like to be remembered as a guy that came along and did his music, did his best and showed up on time, clean and ready to do the job, wrote a few songs and had a hell of a time," he said in 1992.
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