Song:Act Naturally
Album:21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection
Buck Owens is probably best known as one of the hosts of the long running TV show Hee Haw. But he was a major influence as one of the originators of what is known as the Bakersfield sound in country music. Act Naturally is one of his better known songs because The Beatles covered it. He was born Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. Aug. 12, 1929 in Sherman, TX. and his family moved to Mesa, AZ in 1935. While driving truck through California, he liked Bakersfield. So he and his wife moved there in 1950. Owens played guitar on sessions for Capitol Records through the 50s. Owens broke through as a solo artist in 1959 when Under Your Spell Again reached #4 on the country singles charts. At that time, a lot of country artists were going in a pop direction. But Owens liked the honky tonk style so he went in the opposite. Act Naturally was his first #1 country hit in 1963. The song was written by veteran songwriter Johnny Russell. The story goes that he thought the song would be perfect for Owens. So he gave a demo to his friend Voni Morrison. Owens didn't like it at first but his guitarist Don Rich did and it became one of Owens' most memorable songs. And it even became more memorable when The Beatles covered it in 1965 with Ringo Starr singing lead. The two recorded a duet version in 1989. Buck Owend continued to be very popular in the country market especially when he started hosting the TV show Hee Haw. Even when his records stopped selling, he was still a live draw. He had a career renaissance when Dwight Yoakam credited Owens as a major influence. This continued until his death on Mar. 25, 2006 at age 76. This Rhino comp is a good intro to his music. Here's Buck Owens performing Act Naturally on Hee Haw 1969.
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