A book I came across that really ties together the people, places, and times that gave rise to the roots of the Bakersfield Sound is titled “The Dust Bowl, The Bakersfield Sound, and Buck” by Kathryn Burke that came out in 2007. Kathryn was a highly motivated Bakersfield resident who started in her late 80′s and was able to convince Buck to let her interview him extensively about his past as part of a college class project. For not having a professional background in writing, the elderly Kathryn did quite a remarkable job.

Buck opened up to Kathryn on all kinds of subjects about his past except for his extra marital sexual dalliances, making this book the exact opposite of Eileen Sisk’s snarling “Smear All” biography. Buck did tell Kathryn that most of his troubles in life arose from “having too many girlfriends at one time”! (lol) From the stories of Buck’s childhood, to the real life stories of Okies in the labor camps, to tales of the storied Blackboard honky tonk, this book covers a lot of ground and is a loving tribute to the life, times and music of Buck Owens. I highly recommend it to any one who loves the music of the original “Bakersfield Sound” era of the 1950′s and 60′s.

The book was only released as a paperback on a shoestring budget, but thankfully can be found on eBay for a whopping total of $ 10, which includes shipping! Just do an eBay search for “Buck Owens Biography” and pick the friendly one with the black and white cover with a flattering head shot photo of a young Buck. If Kathryn Burke is still alive, she’d be in her mid 90′s by now! Crikey!