Saturday, April 01, 2006

Alvis Edgar Owens Jr

The country music star known as Buck Owens died last week, at the age of 76.

Now many Products of the Seventies will be wondering why they should remember a country hayseed. Buck Owens was HUGE, and any POTS should recognize this.

First, as co-host of the hit show "Hee-Haw" he was one of the most recognized TV celebrities of our age. Everyone claimed not to watch Hee-Haw, but we all did. That's OK, you can admit it now. If you think you never watched, that's just your chemically induced memory loss kicking in.

Next, he was an important force in music. Not just country music, but rock & roll and popular music. He influenced countless of musicians of that era, and had a hit with the song "Act Naturally", that the Beatles also recorded.
"We played rhumbas and tangos and sambas, and we played Bob Wills music, lots of Bob Wills music," he said, referring to the bandleader who was the king of Western swing.

"And lots of rock 'n' roll," he added.

Owens started recording in the mid-1950s, but gained little success until 1963 with "Act Naturally," his first No. 1 single.


There's a giant doing cartwheels a statue wearin' high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola list'ning to Buck Owens.
Doo doo doo Lookin' out my back door.