I'm a roadgeek and I love to talk about roads, blog about roads, and especially drive the roads myself.

Last night, after I finished my last blog, I had come up with a roadtrip idea that would combine both my love of roads with my love of good music... and dedicate it to the memory of the legendary Buck Owens (1929-2006).

With his band, The Buckaroos, and his "Chief Buckaroo" Don Rich (1941-1974) , he was the architect of the "Bakersfield Sound" of country music that came from the honky tonks of Bakersfield, California.

When Don Rich died in a motorcycle accident, Owens was never the same and he focused more on "Hee Haw" as a result. However, in the late 1980s, Dwight Yoakam, who was influenced by Owens's pre-Hee Haw music, helped give him a much-needed "shot in the arm". As a result, the world began to realize the true Buck Owens.

Admittedly, I never thought about Owens's music much until recent years, especially after his death in 2006. When I started to really listen to his music, especially his Don Rich collaborations, I really discovered that ol' Buck really was a true musical treasure. In part, I have to thank Dwight Yoakam and his "Gospel of Buck" for helping me discover this for myself.

And now, here's the basic sketch of what I call the "Buck Owens Memorial Roadtrip".

- Head up I-75 and I-24 to Nashville and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, which includes Owens.

- Take I-40 from Nashville to Memphis, in honor of Buck's rendition of the Chuck Berry song "Memphis, Tennessee".
(Of Course, I gotta see Elvis while I'm there. After all, it wouldn't be Memphis without Elvis.)

- Take I-40 and I-30 to Texarkana, Texas.

- From Texarkana, take US 82 to Buck Owens's birthplace of Sherman, Texas. (BTW, US 82 through Sherman is the "Buck Owens Freeway", so I have to drive it.)

- Drive to Bakersfield, California, to Buck Owens Boulevard, and to Owens's final resting place. While I'm in the Bakersfield area, I also want to visit Don Rich's grave.

The end result would not only to walk in the footsteps of Buck Owens, but also to "clinch" a lot of Interstates and counties between Tennessee and California, with Kern County, California, being the last "clinch". In other words, my love of music and roads all rolled up into one nice package.

And now, here's a classic clip of Buck Owens and Don Rich from back in the day...



Buck and Don, thanks for the music and I hope y'all are enjoying your eternal jam session in heaven, and thanks to you, my readers, for reading and for all your support. Good night and have a great weekend!

 

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