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THE NEWS THAT DON RICH WAS KILLED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT,
SHATTERED THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE ON THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 17,
1974. HE WAS ON HIS WAY HOME TO SEE HIS WIFE AND KIDS. HIS
MOTORCYCLE STRUCK
A HIGHWAY DIVIDER. HE WAS ONLY 32 YEARS-OLD.
DON RICH WAS THE SOLO FIDDLER FOR BUCK OWENS. HE WAS ALSO A
LEAD GUITARIST. HE WAS THE VOICE THAT PERFECTED HARMONY FOR
EVERY SONG THAT BUCK OWENS SANG. THEIR FAVORITE DUO WAS
"TOGETHER AGAIN."
BUCK OWENS SAID HE DEPENDED ON DON RICH IN THE STUDIO AND OFF
STAGE. "HIS DEATH LEFT A HUGE VOID IN MY LIFE, IN MY MUSIC AND
IN MY SOUL. I WAS IN DEEP SHOCK FOR A LONG TIME. I WAS
DEPRESSED, CONFUSED AND I WAS HURT. I DON'T THINK I EVER QUITE
RECOVERED FROM LOSING
MY DEAR FRIEND."
FOR MANY YEARS, BUCK OWENS LAID LIFE AND MUSIC ASIDE. THEN IN
1982, HE HEARD A NEW SINGER. HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN HE HEARD THE
VOICE. "HE SOUNDED LIKE ME!" OWENS SAID. IT WAS DWIGHT YOAKAM.
THAT FALL, OWENS AND YOAKAM DID A CBS TV SPECIAL. COUNTRY
MUSIC FANS LOVED THEM BOTH, AND WERE GLAD TO SEE BUCK OWENS
BACK ON STAGE AGAIN.
OWENS AND YOAKAM RECORDED BUCK'S 1972 #1 HIT:
"THE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD." IT ROSE TO #1 AGAIN!
WHEN BUCK OWENS RE-DID "TOGETHER AGAIN", HE CHOSE TO SING IT
ALONE. "I NEEDED TO DO IT THIS WAY. SOMEDAY, DON RICH AND I
WILL BE "TOGETHER AGAIN."
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