I just finished reading two books about Buck Owens, one an "Autobiography" and the other a "Biography". I found the contrast between the two interesting.
I remember reading where Larry said he had talked to Mary Reeves about writing a book about Jim but doubted that it would have told the whole story since she wanted to protect his image and that's kind of how Buck's autobiography is.
I think both books give a well rounded view into the life and person of Buck Owens but if I could only recommend one book about him to someone who wanted to know what Buck Owens was like, I think the Biography painted a clearer picture of who he really was.
Re: Buck Owens Biographies
Posted by Larry Jordan on June 1, 2014, 11:51 pm, in reply to "Buck Owens Biographies " Edited by board administrator June 1, 2014, 11:54 pm
Jim Reeves detested Buck Owens and would turn off the radio whenever one of his songs came on. The reason is that Mr. Owens hired Jim to play a gig and then stiffed him for the money. Whenever he saw Reeves come in the front door, he ran out the back.
Maybe that's one of the ways Buck Owens became so wealthy. The Blue Boys confirmed that Jim couldn't stand the man.
Even in the early days when their paths crossed, there were unpleasant exchanges. On one occasion, they both played a very rough club where fights were known to break out. Jim had warned one of the female singers, Shirley Bates, to remain on the stage and not go out and mingle with the crowd. That was good advice, as it turned out.
Some man didn't like Buck's singing and told him to STOP. Of course Owens didn't, so the man leaped onto the stage and punched him out, leaving him bloodied. Whereupon Reeves, who witnessed the assault but had no real incentive to lend a hand to Buck even then, merely turned to Shirley and told her "see, I told you it was a rough crowd" (or words to that effect). I'm not sure if I have that story in my book or not.
Suffice it to say that Jim was a good judge of character and he did NOT like Buck. The irony is that Buck was later given the "Jim Reeves International Award." When I found out, I contacted the award committee, one of whose leaders sent me a mea culpa expressing consternation that this award named in honor of Jim had been bestowed on a man that Reeves couldn't stand.
Yeah Buck was a stingy man but you wouldn't know it from reading his autobiography but the biography book is full of associates and former band members talking about Buck's miserly ways, as Roy Clark, his former Hee Haw cast memeber said "If Buck don't have the first dollar he made he knows where it is"