Buck Owens, born in Sherman, Texas, in 1929, became a leading figure in country music by helping to create and popularise the Bakersfield Sound during the 1960s. With his band the Buckaroos, he achieved a succession of country hits and influenced later artists including Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam and Brad Paisley. His career also brought country music to a broader television audience through programmes such as Hee Haw.

Owens grew up in poverty, moved west with his family during the Dust Bowl era and taught himself several instruments after receiving a mandolin at 13. He settled in Bakersfield in 1950, worked as a guitarist and Capitol Records session musician, and formed a key partnership with guitarist Don Rich. “Act Naturally” became his first No. 1 in 1963, while “Love’s Gonna Live Here” spent 16 weeks at the top; Owens ultimately scored 21 No. 1 hits, though Rich’s death in a motorcycle accident in 1974 was a major personal and professional loss.