Buck Owens Bio: Height, Net Worth, Age, Hee Haw, Songs, Wife, Children, Parents, Awards

Alvis Edgar Owens Jr., also known as Buck Owens, was a pioneering American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and television personality who defined the raw, hard-edged Bakersfield Sound.

Through chart-topping hits with The Buckaroos and co-hosting the beloved Hee Haw, he brought honky-tonk energy to millions, influencing generations of artists and building a legendary entertainment empire from humble Dust Bowl roots.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Alvis Edgar Owens Jr.
• Stage Name: Buck Owens
• Born: August 12, 1929
• Age: 76 years old
• Died: March 25, 2006
• Birthplace: Sherman, Texas, United States
• Nationality: American
• Ethnicity: American
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Television Personality, Entrepreneur
• Height: Unknown
• Religion: Christianity
• Parents: Alvis Edgar Owens Sr. and Maicie Azel Ellington Owens
• Siblings: Melvin Owens, Dorothy Owens, Mary McKinney
• Spouse: Bonnie Campbell Owens (1948–1953, divorced), Phyllis Buford Owens (1956–divorced), Jennifer Smith Owens (1979–divorced), Jana Jae (brief marriage, annulled)
• Children: Buddy Alan Owens, Michael Lynn Owens, Johnny Dale Owens
• Relationship: Divorced
• Net Worth: $100 million USD

Early Life And Education

Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born on August 12, 1929, on a farm in Sherman, Texas. He was brought up by his parents Alvis Edgar Owens Sr. and Maicie Azel Ellington Owens, who were sharecroppers struggling through the Great Depression.

He grew up having three siblings: Melvin Owens, Dorothy Owens, and Mary McKinney. The family moved to Arizona in 1937 seeking better opportunities. He dropped out of school at age 13 to work in fields and began playing guitar and mandolin, drawing inspiration from family gospel music. His ethnicity is American. His religion is Christianity.

Career

Buck Owens started his professional music path in the late 1940s playing steel guitar with Mac’s Skillet Lickers in Arizona. After marrying Bonnie Campbell Owens in 1948, the family moved to Bakersfield, California in 1951, where he honed his craft at the Blackboard club. He signed with Capitol Records and formed The Buckaroos, pioneering the Bakersfield Sound with a raw, fiddle-and-pedal-steel driven style that contrasted Nashville’s polished productions.

From the early 1960s, he scored over 20 No. 1 country hits including “Act Naturally,” “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” “Together Again,” and “My Heart Skips a Beat.” His Carnegie Hall Concert album crossed over to pop success.

Owens co-hosted the long-running Hee Haw variety show (1969–1986) with Roy Clark, blending music and comedy. He built a business empire owning radio and TV stations, a nightclub called the Crystal Palace, and other ventures. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, he continued performing until the night before his death in 2006, leaving an indelible mark on country music through his entrepreneurial spirit and authentic sound.

Social Media

• Buck Owens does not have a social media account.

Personal Life

Buck Owens, 76 years old (at the time of his death), was married four times, with three ending in divorce and one annulled. He wed country singer Bonnie Campbell Owens in 1948 (divorced 1953), Phyllis Buford in 1956 (divorced), Jennifer Smith in 1979 (divorced), and briefly Jana Jae (annulled).

He had three sons: Buddy Alan Owens (a country artist who appeared on Hee Haw), Michael Lynn Owens, and Johnny Dale Owens. No other past relationships are prominently documented. He prioritized family and business in Bakersfield. His height is Unknown.

Net Worth

Buck Owens’s net worth is estimated at $100 million USD. His income primarily came from hit country music records and royalties, The Buckaroos tours, Hee Haw television work, ownership of radio and TV stations, the Crystal Palace nightclub, and other shrewd business investments in media and real estate.

Filmography

• Act Naturally (1963)
• I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail (1964)
• Together Again (1964)
• My Heart Skips a Beat (1964)
• Waitin’ in Your Welfare Line (1966)
• Buck Owens and His Buckaroos albums (39 studio albums total)
• Carnegie Hall Concert (1966)
• Hee Haw (co-host, 1969–1986)
• Streets of Bakersfield (with Dwight Yoakam, 1988)