Happy Birthday Buck: A Texas Salute To Buck Owens

In this week's episode we're featuring the studio version of an event which became an Austin, Texas institution: "Happy Birthday Buck: A Texas Salute To Buck Owens" (2002). When a couple of accomplished Austin-area musicians in Casper Rawls and Tom Lewis started kicking around the idea to hold a Buck Owens birthday party, they didn't think anyone would show up. It was mostly just an excuse to pick on some Bakersfield Sound and have some fun. But on August 12, 1992 (Buck's 63rd birthday), the legendary Continental Club was a full house and the event was so popular that Buck Owens Birthday Bash became an annual event. Over 25 years, Buck's Birthday Bash attracted local musicians and legends alike, and this week's feature album commemorates ten years with a stack of names (some regular Birthday Bash attendees, some just admirers) covering Owens' hits, from the big ones to the lesser known gems - with contributions from David Ball, Rick Trevino, Rosie Flores, Jim Lauderdale, Libbi Bosworth, Jeff Hughes, Ray Benson and one very special guest who made Buck's 1995 Birthday Bash one for the history books!