Tune Tuesday

Happy Heavenly Birthday to Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. who was born on this day in 1929. You probably know him as “Buck.”

I was introduced to Buck when I saw him on Hee Haw with Roy Clark.

They co-hosted the show together from 1969-1986! Had quite a run full of hillbilly humor and corny jokes.

Buck taught himself how to play guitar, horns, mandolin, and drums. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos and together they chocked up 21 number one hits. He is best known for his Bakersfield sound, named in honor of Bakersfield, California.

In 1963, Johnny Russell pitched his song “Act Naturally” to Buck. Buck really didn’t care for it at first. His guitarist and longtime collaborator Don Rich, however, enjoyed it and convinced Owens to record it with the Buckaroos. Laid down on February 12, 1963, it was released on March 11 and entered the charts of April 13. By June 15 the single began its first of four non-consecutive weeks at the No. 1 position, Owens’s first top hit.

The song made an impact on four guys from Liverpool known as The Beatles. They covered the song in 1965 and Ringo Starr handled the lead vocals.

23 years later, Ringo and Buck would get together and perform the song as a duet.

Owens was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He passed away in March of 2006.