On this day (March 25) in 2006, Buck Owens died in his sleep at his Bakersfield, California, home. He was one of the most successful country artists of the 1960s and ’70s. Moreover, he left behind an immortal legacy as one of the shapers of the Bakersfield Sound. The West Coast country music scene influenced countless artists, including Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley, the Byrds, and many more.
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Owens was born in Texas. However, he and his family moved west during the Dust Bowl. First, they landed in Arizona. There, Owens began playing in bars and honky tonks in Phoenix and Mesa to help his family make ends meet. It also kept him out of the fields. During this time, he was playing anything that would please the dance hall crowds, including western swing, R&B, cowboy songs, and honky tonk…