Buck Owens

Buck Owens, along with Merle Haggard, was the leader of the Bakersfield sound, a twangy, rock-influenced interpretation of hardcore honky tonk that emerged in the '60s. Owens was the first bona fide country star to emerge from Bakersfield, scoring 15 consecutive number one hits between 1963 and 1967 and providing an edgy alternative to the string-laden Nashville country-pop prevalent at the time. Several generations of musicians -- from Gram Parsons in the late '60s to Dwight Yoakam in the '80s -- were influenced by his music, which became one of the blueprints for modern country. Omnivore Recordings' three-volume series The Complete Capitol Singles thoroughly covers Owens' essential recordings from his most fertile period, 1966's The Carnegie Hall Concert (aka Live at Carnegie Hall) captures him and his band at the peak of their abilities on-stage, and 2021's Together Again collects the best of his duets with protégée Susan Raye.