OldiesButGoodies

Country

“Born October 1, 1929, she was not only the ex-wife of Buck Owens but also the remarkable woman who contributed to some of Merle Haggard’s most unforgettable hits.”

Bonnie Owens

Introduction:

Success in the entertainment industry takes hard work, creativity, and, more often than not, the stars aligning just right—and on October 1, 1929, the cosmos locked into place over the tiny city of Blanchard, Oklahoma, as the woman responsible for some of Merle Haggard’s most iconic hits was born (Bonnie Owens, born Bonnie Campbell, would meet Haggard 32 years later).

That introduction would set off a romantic and collaborative relationship that would produce some of country music’s most memorable songs. The former connection didn’t survive the 1970s, but the music they wrote certainly did.

“There wouldn’t have been no ‘Mama Tried’ or ‘Working Man Blues’ if it wouldn’t have been for her,” Haggard later recalled at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. “She took the words down at the right time. I think it was 68 or 69, we had six BMI Awards that year, and she took down the songs. Each one of them, she took down.”

Bonnie Owens | Latest News, Stories, and Commentary

Bonnie Owens Was a Star in Her Own Right

At fifteen years old, Bonnie Owens married her first husband, Buck Owens, and moved to Bakersfield, California. The couple both started respective music careers that would go on to outlive their marriage, which they ended in 1953. Bonnie enjoyed success as a country singer in the early 1960s with songs like “Don’t Take Advantage of Me” and “Why Don’t Daddy Live Here Anymore?” The Academy of Country Music even named her the Female Vocalist of the Year in 1965. Despite her star’s fast upward trajectory, she opted to take more of a backseat role as a collaborator, homemaker, and child caretaker after developing a romantic relationship with Haggard.

The early years of their marriage were incredibly prolific for Haggard in regard to songwriting, which Bonnie helped make happen with her companionship, assistance, and encouragement. She would jot down ideas and lyric snippets for Haggard to use later, ensuring that forgetful memory wasted no good ideas. “If I even indicated that I was going to write, she was there with a pad and a pen,” he said in 2012.

Merle Haggard | Latest News, Stories, and Commentary

Sometimes, Bonnie even came up with the song ideas. One of Haggard’s most iconic hits, “Today I Started Loving You Again”, came from a conversation he had with his then-wife about coming home from the road. Haggard said something about finally having time to pay attention to their relationship after all that time away, and Bonnie told him there was a song idea there. And indeed it was. Haggard’s version charted but not amazingly well, but it has become a country music standard nonetheless.

Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens divorced in 1978, but they maintained a great deal of respect and admiration for one another until her death in 2006.

Video:

https://youtu.be/loT_pYzi3Vw?si=y09BhUackHx0DfZQ

Related Post

Merle Haggard’s childhood was becoming increasingly chaotic when something entered his life that would eventually change everything: a guitar. His older brother Lowell gave him one when Merle was around 12. Merle began teaching himself, absorbing the records and styles of country heroes such as Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams. There were no expensive lessons preparing him for Nashville. There was simply a troubled California kid listening closely and learning how another man’s sadness could live inside a melody. Merle would still make plenty of mistakes. Music didn’t instantly rescue him from running away, juvenile detention or eventually prison. But the guitar remained. Years later, millions would recognize Merle’s voice within seconds. Perhaps that’s because he wasn’t merely learning how to sing songs as a boy. He was slowly learning how to tell the truth about his own life.

Merle Haggard rarely needed to invent heartbreak. He had known it since childhood. In 1946, when Merle was only nine years old, his father, James Haggard, died following a stroke. For a boy who deeply needed his father’s presence, the loss became a turning point. His mother, Flossie, worked to support the family. Merle, meanwhile, became increasingly restless. He skipped school, ran away, got into trouble, and began a long journey through juvenile institutions that eventually led somewhere far darker. Looking back at his life, it is difficult not to see that nine-year-old boy behind many of the adult Merle Haggard’s songs. People later called him a rebel, an outlaw and a survivor. But before any of those labels existed, there was simply a grieving boy who had lost his dad—and never seemed to completely outrun that loss.

THE RAREST BEE GEES MOMENT OF ALL — FOUR GIBB BROTHERS, ONE SONG, ONE STAGE… AND A MEMORY FILLED WITH BOTH JOY AND HEARTBREAK.

You Missed

Oldies Music

A MOVING MOMENT: Barry Gibb brings fans to tears with a rare stage appearance alongside his wife.

Oldies Music

“FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, CLIFF RICHARD HAD BEEN ONE OF BRITAIN’S MOST BELOVED STARS — THEN CAMERAS FILMED A POLICE SEARCH OF HIS HOME, BEGINNING A NIGHTMARE THAT WOULD END IN A COURTROOM…” On August 14, 2014, Cliff Richard’s life took an unexpected and deeply distressing turn. Police searched his Berkshire home as part of an investigation into an allegation of historical sexual abuse. The search was filmed from a helicopter and broadcast by the BBC, bringing intensely personal and damaging publicity to a singer whose career had spanned more than five decades. Cliff denied the allegation. For nearly two years, uncertainty surrounded his reputation and future. Yet he was never arrested or charged. In June 2016, prosecutors announced that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against him. But the story did not end there. Cliff challenged the BBC’s coverage, arguing that broadcasting the search had violated his privacy. In July 2018, the High Court ruled in his favor. For a man whose music had accompanied generations of British families, the experience marked one of the most painful public chapters of his life. It also raised difficult questions about privacy, journalism and the treatment of people under investigation. Cliff Richard had spent a lifetime performing before cameras. In 2014, cameras captured a moment he had never chosen to share.

Oldies Music

The story of Andy Gibb has gone untold for decades—now, his daughter has revealed a touching truth. It is a revelation that has deeply moved his fans.

Oldies Music

“RAIN HAD BROUGHT WIMBLEDON TO A STANDSTILL IN 1996 — BUT WHEN CLIFF RICHARD STOOD UP AND BEGAN SINGING, AN ORDINARY TENNIS DELAY TURNED INTO ONE OF THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS IN THE TOURNAMENT’S HISTORY…” On a rainy day at Wimbledon in 1996, thousands of tennis fans found themselves waiting for play to resume. The famous grass courts were wet, the matches were interrupted, and the crowd had little to do but wait. Then something extraordinary happened. Among the spectators was one of Britain’s most recognizable entertainers: Cliff Richard. Rather than simply watching the rain, Cliff began singing. There was no planned concert, no elaborate stage, and no orchestra waiting to accompany him. Yet the moment quickly turned into an impromptu musical performance. As Cliff entertained the crowd, several tennis stars, including Martina Navratilova, joined the occasion. The spectators who had arrived expecting world-class tennis suddenly found themselves enjoying an unexpected show. Songs associated with Cliff’s long career echoed around Centre Court, bringing laughter, applause, and a welcome distraction from the disappointing weather. What made the moment so memorable was its spontaneity. Cliff had spent decades performing in theaters, concert halls, and stadiums. But this time, one of his most famous appearances happened because a tennis match couldn’t continue. For a few unforgettable minutes, Wimbledon stopped being about tennis — and became a Cliff Richard concert instead.