Bakersfield is the 11th largest city in California and has a population in the 2009 census of 333,719 within the city limits, plus the entire metropolitan area is 800, 458. Bakersfield is the 57th largest cith in the United States of America. The city’s enonomy relies on agriculture, petroleum extraction and refining. Manufacturing is also a big industry in Bakersfield and Kern County. Bakersfield has deep roots in music and some of the deepest were planted in country music.
The Bakersfield Sound was developed in Bakersfield bars, dance halls, honky tonks and nightclubs. Bill Woods was the bandleader at the Blackboard in Bakersfield when he hired a young lead guitatist by the name of Buck Owens. Buck played in the band at the Blackboard for almost a decade. Buck Owens would play nights at the club and a lot of days make the drive to Los Angeles to the world famous Capitol records in Hollywood. Owens was a sought after lead guitar player who played on hundreds of sessions at the Studios where the Beatles, Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard and so many others recorded their classic hits. Buck Owens went from session guitarist to becoming the worlds most popular country artist during the 1960’s
Buck was the Capitol artist of the decade with Millions of records sold, plus sold-out shows all around the world. Some of the famous venue’s Buck Owens and the Buckaroos (with the amazing Don Rich) played in their amazing career were : The White House (for president Lyndon Johnson), Houston Astrodome (first act to play there), Concert with the Air-force band and choir, Carnegie Hall in New York City (sold-out show with a live album recorded ..which is regarded as the greatest live album in country music history), Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Fillmore West in San Francisco, London Palladium, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House in Australia(live album recorded there), Entensive tours of Japan, the British Isles, New Zealand, Hawaii, The Phillipines, Holland, Denmark, Ireland, France, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Knotts Berry Farm, the Worlds Fair, Harrahs, Sands, International, Nuggett, Frontier and every other major Las Vegas casino in the day. Bimbos 360, the Palamino, the Roxy, Sams place and Lucky Spot are some of the clubs that Buck played that were cool in their day.
Big in Vegas is a song that Buck would close a lot of his shows with. Buck recorded a live album with Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra in the 90’s that was a lot of fun for him, it was after his comeback and a bout with throat Cancer that this show came to fruition, and it was a sold-out fantastic show. The CD is sold at the Buck Owens Crystal Palace with proceeeds going to the Bakersfield Symphony Foundation. The Bakersfield Sound was famous for loud fender telecaster guitars, pedal steel guitar, heavy drum beat and intense vocals. Buck Owens was the most famous along with Merle Haggard for making this sound popular for now decades and it will live on forever with the music of these two country music Hall of Fame members. Don Rich, Bill Woods, Red Simpson, Billy Mize, Gene Moles, Oscar Whittington, Tommy Collins, Wynn Stewart, David Frizzell, Roy Nichols, Bonnie Owens, Susan Raye, Rose Maddox, Ferlin Huskey, Joe and Rose Lee Maphis, Dallas Frazier, Barbara Mandrell, Cousin Herb Henson, Fuzzy Owen, Lewis Talley, Jelly Sanders and the list could go on….there are so many more.
Some of the current day are : Buck Owens son “Buddy Alan Owens, Buddy plays a couple times a month at the now legendary Buck Owens Crystal Palace Steakhouse and Concet hall. Buddy Owens plays with the remaining members of the Iconic Buckaroos….the Buckaroos have Jim Shaw on piano and keyboards, Terry Christofferson on lead guitar, acoustic and steel guitars, Doyle Curtsinger on Bass guitar and vocals, David Wulfekuehler on drums and the only female Buckaroo in history ” Kim McAbee”. Monty Byrom of Big House fame plays with the Buckaroos on the weekends Buddy Owens is at home in Phoenix, Arizona. Buddy has lived over in the Phoenix area for years taking care of his late fathers Real Estate and Broadcasting empire , along with his brother Michael Owens. Another son of the late Buck Owens is John Owens, John fronts a band by the name of BUCK-SHOT and plays country the Bakersfield Sound way, just like his late Father.
Some of the notable Athletes, Musicians, Bands and Celebrities who were born in Bakersfield or call it their home are : Jonathan Davis, Korn, Brian “Head’ Welch, Adema, Rick Mears, Roger Mears, Casey Mears, Kevin Harvick, Dario Resta, Hank Pfister, Dennis Ralston , Amy Adams, Noah Berry, Robert Beltran, Riot, Brandon Cruz, Ric Drasin, Gabriel Inglesias, Dalene Curtis, Lawrence Tibbett, Michael Lochwood, Brian Hooks, Charles Napier, Jerry Quarry, Mike Quarry, Bobby Quarry, Johnny Callison, Billy Cowan, George Culver, Lonnie Shelton, Freddie Boyd, Chris Childs, L.J. Shelton, Stephen Neal, Frank Gifford, Louie Wright, Jeff Siemon, Brent McClanahan, David Carr, Brock Marion, J.R. Henderson (J.R. Sakuragi) Michael Stewart, Robert Swift, Don Glover, Ken Ruettgers, Joey Porter, Corey hall and the list goes on.
Bakersfield High School has a long history of sports excellence. More wins, section and state titles than any School in California history. Bakersfield Junior College (BC) has 16, 000 students . California State University Bakersfield has just under 8,000 at it’s beautiful campus in the Southwest part of Bakersfield. Golf is a big sport in Bakersfield with many great players and champions through the years in Pro and Amateur events. The first event of the Ben Hogan tour was held at the Bakersfield Country Club. Now that has become the Nationwide tour and it has produced numerous players who have gone on to stardom on the PGA tour. Bakersfield has four private Golf country clubs, in addition to Bakersfield CC, there is Seven Oaks, Stockdale and Rio Bravo Country Clubs. These courses are all championship layouts and have held many PGA and large amateur events over the years.
Bakersfield saw a boom in the 90’s and well into the 2000’s with the California Real Estate boom. Realtors are seeing signs of a recovery in the housing and Real Estate market in Bakersfield and Kern County. Cities like Delano, McFarland, Wasco, Shafter, Arvin, Tehachapi and Frazier Park have been hit hard by the housing crisis. But like in the past Bakersfield has a history of being the leader in breaking out of these so-called slumps that Southern California and the entire San Joaquin Valley and State have been hit with. Bakersfield is a remarkable place to live and raise a family, people are hard working and innovative in this great city of Oil, Agriculture and the great Hustory of Country music that was touched on. If you have never ” walked the streets of Bakersfield” like is mentioned in the Classic recording of Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam, then you need to make the trip and take in some of it’s rich history. Go to the Buck Owens Crystal Palace, eat a meal at one of the Legendary Basque, Chinese, Japanese or Italian Restaurants. Grab some dessert at the famous Dewar’s Candy and Ice Cream Shop. Take a ride down the Kern River on the mighty Whitewater. Tour the vast farming landscape in Bakersfield and surrounding areas of Kern County, which incude Table Grapes at Giumarra Vineyards, Sun World, Sunview vineyards, Almonds, Blue Diamond Almonds, Cotton, Carrots at Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms, Potatoes, Oranges and many other of the crops from this bread-basket of California. Visit some of Bakersfield’s many museums or Antique shops. Drive out to C.A.L.M. …the California outdoor living museum. Take in a Professional sporting event with the Bakersfield Jam, Blaze or Condors, which are the Basketball, Baseball and Hockey Pro teams in this great sports city. Well, there is a tiny bit of history and a short list of activties for your trip to the City that Buck Owens loved to call home. See you in Bakersfield!
