Died On This Date (September 11, 2012) Homer Joy / Wrote “Streets Of Bakersfield”
themusicsover Homer Joy
April 12, 1945 – September 11, 2012
Homer Joy was a country singer and songwriter who is best remembered for penning “Streets of Bakersfield” for Buck Owens. The song, which he wrote in a motel in the Bakersfield-adjacent town of Oildale, California in 1973, ultimately became Owens’ final #1 country hit in 1988. Although Owens played the song live as far back as 1972 and put it on two of his own albums, it wasn’t until Dwight Yoakam invited him to duet with him in ’88 that it became the iconic ode to the Central California city that it is. The tune, in fact, is listed as one of the greatest 100 country songs of the 20th century and consistently appears on best country duets lists. It was back in 1972 that Joy first went to work for Owens’ publishing company, Black Book Music, and in just two years, recordings of his songs by others sold more than 3 million copies. Joy soon made a bit of a name for himself as a performer as well. Signed to Capitol Records in 1974, Joy had a fairly big country hit with “John Law.” He was also a popular concert draw at honky-tonks and rodeos for many years. After the success of “Streets Of Bakersfield,” Joy built his own studio where he produced countless records by other artists. According to his website, recordings of songs he wrote have sold more than 20 million copies. Homer Joy was 67 when he passed away on September 11, 2012.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin for the assist.
Duane Jarvis was one of those great talents that should have been more famous than they were. Although Jarvis was born in Oregon, both Los Angeles and Nashville like to claim him as their own as well. Much more than a superb singer and songwriter, Jarvis was also a master of the guitar, mandolin and bass. Over the years he has worked with the Divinyls, Rosie Flores, Dave Alvin, John Prine, Victoria Williams, Dwight Yoakam, M. Ward, and Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits. Duane Jarvis died of cancer on April 1, 2009.
Buck Owens was a country music legend who, over the course of a forty-five year career almost single-handedly popularized what became known as the “Bakersfield sound.” Drawing on traditional honky-tonk, the “Bakersfield sound” is best described as a more twangy and electrified rock ‘n roll version of country. It was the antithesis of the popular “countrypolitan” of the era. In all, Owens released nearly 40 studio albums along with 9 live albums, from which came 21 #1 singles. His most celebrated are “Act Naturally” and “I’ve Got the Tiger By the Tail.” Throughout the years, his songs have been covered by the likes of the Beatles (with Ringo Starr on lead vocals), Dwight Yoakam, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Rivers and Cake. Owens was also a popular sight on television for many years. Besides being the host for the popular variety program Hee Haw for nearly twenty years, he was a regular guest on many other television programs during the ’70s and ’80s. Owens also owned several radio stations along with the Crystal Palace, his popular nightclub/restaurant/museum in Bakersfield, California, where he made regular appearances literally up until his death. On March 25, 2006, 76-year-old Buck Owens died in his sleep just hours after one such performance. It is believed that he suffered a heart attack.
Gram Parsons was a highly influential singer-songwriter who helped launch what would later be called country rock and then alt-country or Americana. Parsons began playing the guitar as a teenager to escape a less than ideal home life. The first group he played with, the Shilohs, were a folk band in the tradition of the Kingston Trio. When the band broke up, he and other Boston area folk musicians formed the International Submarine Band with whom he began to develop a sound the borrowed the best from country, folk and rock. They enjoyed moderate success, primarily getting airplay on the up-and-coming progressive radio stations. In 1968, Parsons was asked to join the Byrds as a replacement for David Crosby and Michael Clarke. He started on keyboards but soon switched to guitar, helping guide the group down a more country rock path. Parsons left the Byrds in the summer of 1968. He joined back up with the Byrds’ Chris Hillman soon after to form the Flying Burrito Brothers whose debut, The Gilded Palace of Sin would be a direct influence on the likes of the Eagles, Dwight Yoakam and later, Wilco and Ryan Adams. By the early ’70s, Parsons was working as a solo artist while recording and performing with good friend, Emmylou Harris. It was during this period that Parsons’ inner demons were taking control in the form of substance abuse. He was also spending more and more time in an area he had become fond of, Joshua Tree National Monument in the desert outside of Los Angeles. He liked to go there and take LSD while searching for UFOs. It was during one of these trips that Gram Parsons apparently overdosed on morphine and alcohol and died at the age of 26.
