Bakersfield sound branches of country music ken burns. Just bought this book bakersfield sound because of its history and i was there and i lived it. As part of a mural in the lobby of reading cinema, at valley plaza mall. It is the county seat and largest city of kern county. The town, known mainly for agriculture and oil production, was the destination for many dust bowl migrants and others from oklahoma, texas, arkansas, and other parts of the south. A full night of events, doors open at 6pm for a book signing then the first annual boxcar festival talent contest. Universally recognized as the country music capital of the west coast and nashville west, bakersfield is the birthplace for what would become known worldwide as the bakersfield sound. In a region best known for its agriculture, oil, and railroads, successful musicians such as buck owens, merle haggard, ferlin husky, jean shepard, red simpson, bonnie owens, and dallas.
The bakersfield sound is a genre of country music developed in the mid to late 1950s in and around bakersfield, california. Feb 12, 2018 lawton jiles is a charter member of the bakersfield country music museum who led buck owens band in 1961 and 1962. Universally recognized as the country music capital of the west coast and nashville west, bakersfield is the birthplace for what would become known worldwide as. Local artists also depict it in paintings and other art mediums. Get the guaranteed best price on biographies like the country music hall of fame the bakersfield sound book series softcover written by country music hall of fame at musicians friend. The bakersfield sign also known as the bakersfield neon arch is one of the most recognizable landmarks in bakersfield, california. The book remembers household names like buck owens and merle haggard as well as lesser known names that influenced american music. Bakersfields hippodrome theatre is the first movie house in bakersfield to screen a motion picture with sound. The bakersfield sound became one of the most popular and arguably the most influential country genres of the 60s, setting the stage for countryrock and outlaw, as well as reviving the.
The bakersfield sound 1940 74 new sealed 2019 10 cd. California 37251 1952 bakersfield earthquake 37241 westward migration and the bakersfield sound. The bakersfield sound buck owens, merle haggard, the. The bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid to late 1950s in and around bakersfield, california. This is a very rare live recording of bill performing on the stage of the infamous blackboard nightclub in bakersfield with his friends don rich guitar player. Review of the bakersfield sound 9781491772966 foreword. Country music bakersfield sound branches of country.
Price traces the sounds roots from the dust bowl and world war ii migrations through the heyday of owens, haggard, and hee haw, and into the twentyfirst century. The citys musical legacy is now being documented in a box set called, the bakersfield sound. Join robert price, author of the bakersfield soundnew edition, here at the bakersfield music hall of fame. Book and record tells story of iconic bakersfield sound youtube. Its location has been the site of many generations of native americans, as it is where the first settlers found remains of the native americans in 1851.
The city gained fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the bakersfield sound, an electric guitardriven subgenre of country music that commercially dominated the. The bakersfield sound buck owens, merle haggard, the crystal palace. New 2019 10cd boxset with 220page hardcover book, 299 tracks telling the story of nashville west. The town, known mainly for agriculture and oil production, was the destination for many dust bowl migrants and others from oklahoma, texas, arkansas, and parts of the midwest.
Why is the bakersfield sound one of the best boxed sets of. Rolene brumley just bought this book bakersfield sound. On pages 68 and 70 there are two pictures that are named tom brumley. Haslam states that the bakersfield sound grew out of several different styles of music and that performers picked and chose the styles they liked to create their own brand. Mar 01, 2018 impressively researched background on everything that led to the bakersfield sound and made it what it was. The bakersfield sound doesnt cover recording processes or studio techniques, but for. Including a larger number of previously unreleased studio and live recordings, radio recordings and demos. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music, by the editor of the bakersfield californian, robert e. Bomar, profiles on each artist, and a trackbytrack commentary that puts the sprawling 10disc collection in context to illuminate the story of how a country. The late merle haggard, left, views an exhibit on the bakersfield sound at the country music hall of fame and museum in nashville, tenn.
Kern county is known around the globe for the way it revolutionized american music. The sub genre of country music described as a mix of twangy guitars. Bomar, profiles on each artist, and a trackbytrack commentary that puts the sprawling 10 cd collection in context to illuminate the story of how a country. Various history the bakersfield sound country music. Price, is an entertaining piece of music history, essential for those of us who are fans of outlaw country and its greatest san joaquin valley musicians, merle haggard and the late buck owens. Book and record tells story of iconic bakersfield sound. I wanted to find out more about the lesser known characters of that era,and this book doesnt disappoint. The bakersfield sound was developed at honkytonk bars such as the blackboard, and on local television stations in bakersfield and throughout california in the 1950s and 1960s. Reporter robert price and musician jim shaw talk about the origins of the bakersfield sound, and how it tells the story of the dust bowl and postworld war ii migration to california. Impressively researched background on everything that led to the bakersfield sound and made it what it was.
The accompanying 220page book includes hundreds of photos, a foreword by foo fighters guitarist chris shiflett, indepth analysis by grammynominated bakersfield sound historian scott b. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music, is available now. Bakersfield, city, seat 1875 of kern county, southcentral california, u. Bakersfield was an agricultural trade centre for the. Bakersfields population is around 380,000, making it the 53rdmost populous city in the united states of america and the 9thmost populous city in. Book contains great nuggets of historical insight to help fans of buck owens, merle haggard, and their musical descendants appreciate the various influences that for a time made bakersfield into a creative center of outlaw honky tonk music, from the transplants of middle america to the. The birth of the bakersfield sound travels through a time when people came together to play and enjoy music, and ended up with a new revelation of sound. Former oildale resident and retired sonoma state university professor gerald haslams book workin man blues indicates one such theory. The sign can be seen from state route 99 golden state freeway and is just past the freeway offramp. Its detailed biographies of every artist, will take hours to devour fully, and its worth every second. The city covers about 151 sq mi 390 km 2 near the southern end of the san joaquin valley and the central valley region. You will read,and learn about bill woods,jelly sanders,lewis talley,fuzzy owen,cliff crofford,ken nelson,and many others from a man.
The book is the culmination of prices research into the history and musical impact of the bakersfield soundthe country music style that originated in bakersfield, california. Fuzzy owen and lewis talley jointly owned a record label called. Texas tyler, patsy cline, porter wagoner, janie frickie, norma jean, carl belew, and others, as well as a number of cuts by european artists. Book contains great nuggets of historical insight to help fans of buck owens, merle haggard, and their musical descendants appreciate the various influences that. Country roots on a budget collection indicates that bakersfield music was, by comparison, rawer, twangier and rocked more than just a little. Bakersfield is a charter city in kern county, california, united states. History of the bakersfield sound the official bakersfield.
Book contains great nuggets of historical insight to help fans of buck owens, merle. The birth of the bakersfield sound book depository. Price is an indepth portrait of a musical era and its legacy. Oct 09, 2019 the bakersfield sound aims to tell the full story of how the city came to be the magnetic heart and soul for a new wave of contemporary country western music. The bakersfield sound was a reaction to the early 50s and 60s sweetening of country music epitomized by the nashville sound. The aesthetic known as the bakersfield sound transformed country music. Produced by scott bomar and bear family founder richard weize, the bakersfield sound is a crowning achievement in the labels decorated history. This debut nonfiction work traces the history, development, and legacy of the californian countrymusic subgenre known as the bakersfield sound. Across 10 cds and a 224page hardcover book included in the set, you will get a great snapshot of not only the music but the people and personalities behind the songs. Bakersfield sound exhibit book country music hall of fame.
Bakersfield has its own music hall of fame, and its musical history is even reflected in the motto on the towns website. It has been used in local tv and newspaper ads, company and government websites, and some book covers. Oct 16, 2019 book and record tells story of iconic bakersfield sound. Bakersfield was the first genre of country music to be significantly influenced by rock and roll, and as a result, the first to rely heavily on electric instrumentation and a defined backbeat. History of the bakersfield sound visit bakersfield. Few music books capture the cultural and historical context along with the sound of the music itself as well as the bakersfield sound. For those of you who are fans of the bakersfield sound, heres your chance to own a piece of history by the man who started it all, bill woods the godfather of the bakersfield sound. The book is the culmination of prices research into the history and musical impact of the bakersfield soundthe country music style that.
Country music hall of fame the bakersfield sound book. The book doesnt unravel as a story about any single performer its really a collection of published articles and papers presented as a historical reference guide that slowly builds a case for bakersfields importance in american music history. It is located over sillect avenue, where the street intersects with buck owens boulevard, to the northwest of downtown bakersfield. Join robert price, author of the bakersfield sound new edition, here at the bakersfield music hall of fame. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music. Winner of best history in the category of best historical research in recorded country or folk music in the 2019 association for recorded sound collections awards for excellence. Using telecaster guitars, the singers developed a clean, ringing sound that stood in direct opposition to the produced, stringladen nashville sound. Bakersfield is also home to the buena vista museum of natural history, which has a collection of miocene era marine fossils collected from the region as well as other displays. In the 1950s and 60s bakersfield became an unlikely birthplace for a new sound the bakersfield sound. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music by robert e. The accompanying 224 page book includes hundreds of photos, a foreword by foo fighters guitarist chris shiflett, in depth analysis by grammynominated bakersfield sound historian scott b. Written by the experts at the country music hall of fame, the bakersfield sound describes with rich words and classic photos how the deep roots of the bakersfield sound are so much more than just a reaction to the poporiented nashville sound.
The compelling story of how a country music cottage industry transformed bakersfield into the country music capital of the west, sometimes called nashville west, a serious challenge to nashvilles commercial country dominance. He is a singersongwriter who has had songs recorded by t. Price, the executive editor of the bakersfield californian newspaper, weaves a savvy blend of personal anecdotes and broader historical narrative in this work. Prices new book the bakersfield sound, he recounts how a generation of displaced okies altered musical history. History of bakersfield, california bakersfield, california, located on the kern river, is geographically near to the southern end of the san joaquin river at the base of the san joaquin valley. Tonite in bakersfield the bakersfield sound merry christmas. Nov 12, 2019 the late merle haggard, left, views an exhibit on the bakersfield sound at the country music hall of fame and museum in nashville, tenn. The bakersfield sound the bakersfield sound, robert e. Find the best bakersfield sound albums on allmusic. Bakersfield was an agricultural trade centre for the mines of the sierra nevada and the owens valley in the 1870s. As the nashville sound was taking off, two thousand miles to the west, in californias san joaquin valley, a different kind of country music unafraid of its rough edges was coming out of.