Bucking the trend
Ryan Cook and his band excited to pay tribute to the late Buck Owens during Nov. 23 concert in Summerside
There's a new sound in Ryan Cook's concerts these days.
That's because the awardwinning country and western and roots singer, who is also a former P.E.I. resident, has been channelling the late Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound onstage.
“I became compelled by his story after reading a biography about his life,” says Cook, who will perform a tribute to Owens during his concert at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Cook and his band, Sunny Acres, will play selections from Owens’ songbook, including “Act Naturally”, “Tiger by the Tail”, Under Your Spell Again and “Above and Beyond”.
“The show will start out with a few of my songs. Then we’ll do 10 Buck Owen songs. When we come out again, we’ll do my songs followed by 10 more of his songs, including some of his covers,” says Cook, noting that “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” have been added to the program.
The concert is a must-see for country music lovers, says Kate Gracey-Stewart, who is a fan of Cook and Owens.
“Ryan plays an authentic tribute to Buck Owens – one of the greatest and most influential artists in country music.” She’s seen the show twice. “Each time, it (gives you) a feeling about being transported to a happy time and place. It takes you on a nostalgic journey filled with humour, charm and great storytelling.”
Cook’s fascination with the country music legend’s journey started when he listened to a podcast last year. He had known
a bit about Owens, like he did about other country singers of the same era, including Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. But the webcast piqued his interest.
“He was a really interesting character,” says Cook.
Born in 1929 as Alvis Edgar Owens Jr., Owens was an American musician, singer, songwriter and band leader, who eventually become front man for Buck Owens and the Buckaroos.
“I hadn’t taken a lot of time with his music – until I sat down and examined it.”
Cook quickly learned that the band’s signature style was based on infectious choruses, a twangy electric guitar, an insistent rhythm supplied by a drum track placed forward in the mix and high two-part harmonies featuring Owens and his guitarist, Don Rich.
Cook also discovered that there were two different movements of country music happening in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. One was in California; the other was in
Nashville.
“Being from Bakersfield, California, Owens was pretty much an outsider to the whole Nashville scene.”
But the late country singer knew how to buck the trend.
Described as “avant-garde” and “ahead of his time”, Owens built his business empire by buying up radio stations and catalogues of music. He also performed in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.
“At the time, it would have been difficult for him, without the help of the Country Music Awards or the Country Music Association, to be successful on radio.”
But Owens was successful. “He had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country charts, although he never received a single award from the Country Music Association. That’s something I find very interesting.”