Don Rich Should Be in The Country Music Hall Of Fame

The Country Music Association awards are on television this evening.  I've come to appreciate the CMA award show more and more the past few years primarily because the music is so good, the award recipients are (usually) so happy and kind, and the tapestry of patriotism and thankfulness woven into their performances and speeches.

Part of the CMA show is announcing each year's inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  Some names are from long ago, and I never heard their music.  Others are more contemporary, at least in the sense that they performed during my lifetime.  And others weren't performers; they were producers, radio station people, song writers, and so forth.  All are deserving of induction into the Hall of Fame.

One thing bothers me, though.  Don Rich should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame and isn't.  And barring some kind of miracle, he probably never will be.

Who's Don Rich?  That's the great Buck Owens in the video, isn't it?

Yep.  That's Buck Owens in a video of Buck Owens and The Buckaroos performing at Carnegie Hall in 1966.  That show was recorded live, converted to vinyl records, and is considered by many to be one of the finest live country music records of all time.

Don Rich is the harmony singer and guitar player in the blue suit. Don Rich was the reason Buck Owens sounded like Buck Owens.

Don Rich was a very talented musician and singer.  He opened for Elvis Presley at concerts in 1957; he was only 16 years old at the time and still a high school student. He met Buck Owens in 1958, then joined Owens in 1960 after completing one year of college.  Rich had planned to be a music teacher.

Don Rich played on every Buck Owens record and in every Buck Owens concert from 1960 until the date of his death in a motorcycle accident in 1974.  He helped form Owens' backup band, the Buckaroos, wrote and scored Owens' songs, and developed the "Bakersfield sound" that made Buck Owens and The Buckaroos music distinct and different from other country western music.

Ringo Starr was a fan.  He collected all of Buck Owens records and recorded Act Naturally on the Beatles Help! album.  Ringo wanted the Beatles to record an album of Buck Owens songs; Lennon and McCartney thought otherwise.  Act Naturally found its way onto the Beatles' <I>Help!</I> album.

 Buck Owens stopped performing the day Don Rich died.  Owens was heartbroken at his friend's death, and couldn't talk about it for years afterward.

Owens lobbied hard, year after year, for Don Rich to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  He once interrupted his own live performance on an awards show to plead with the CMA to induct his friend into the Hall of Fame.  Rich has not yet been inducted.  He should be.

Ten years after Buck Owens stopped performing, Dwight Yoakam knocked on Owens door in Bakersfield.  Yoakam was in Bakersfield playing a concert and wanted to convince Buck to sing one song with him.  Owens reluctantly said yes and they performed Streets of Bakersfield.  A few months later they performed in Austin, here:  Turn your speakers up.

Here's one last song.  Love's Gonna Live Here recorded in 1966, Buck Owens and Don Rich.  Look at how young and listen to how good they were.

Don Rich should be in the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Damn shame that he isn't.