There's a giant doing cartwheels, a statue wearin' high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola
listening to Buck Owens.
Doo, doo, doo, Lookin' out my back door.
--"Lookin' Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Country singer and former Hee Haw host, Buck Owens died this past weekend at age 76. while he was no Johnny Cash or Jimmie Rodgers or the Carter Family, Owens was a country great, and played country music the way it was intended to be played, not the soulless pop-country crap that is being peddled today.
i must admit that i am only slightly familiar with Owens' work. but as you can see from the CCR lyrics above, he was highly influential. of course, i've heard Ringo Starr on Help! singing Owens' "Act Naturally," but those in the indie rock community might be familiar with Rose Melberg's version of "Loose Talk" which she credited to being inspired by "the Buck Owens" version in the liner notes of her record Portola.
losing Owens is just closing of another chapter in the book on the rich history of country music. having become a fan of older country music in recent years, it's sad to lose someone who embodied what the true soul of country music is all about.
No comments:
Post a Comment