Bonnie Owens
| Bonnie Owens | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bonnie Campbell |
| Born |
October 1, 1929 Blanchard, Oklahoma, United States |
| Died | April 24, 2006 (aged 76) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1963–1971 |
| Labels | Tally Capitol |
| Associated acts |
Buck Owens Merle Haggard, The Strangers |
Bonnie Owens (October 1, 1929 – April 24, 2006), born Bonnie Campbell, was an American country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard.
Bonnie Campbell was born in Blanchard, Oklahoma. She met Buck Owens when she was only 15. They played in a band in Mesa, Arizona, married in 1948, and moved to Bakersfield, California by 1951. They later divorced, but the move to Bakersfield jump-started both their music careers.
Bonnie Owens's first recording was A Dear John Letter, a duet with Fuzzy Owen on Mar-Vel Records (#MV-102) about 1950. Side B contains the song “Wonderful World”. (It was not a remake of the 1953 Jean Shepard/Ferlin Husky version as some believe, as theirs predated Shepard/Husky by three years.)
Owens recorded on numerous labels during the 1950s and early 1960s including Merle Haggard’s and Fuzzy Owen's own Tally label, all of which were singles. Her first album titled Don’t Take Advantage Of Me came in 1965 on Capitol Records # ST-2403.
Owens had hits on the country charts in the early 1960s with the songs Why Don't Daddy Live Here Anymore? and Don't Take Advantage Of Me. In 1965 Haggard and Owens recorded the song Just Between the Two of Us, a duet and probably Owens's best known hit. It is also the title song to their 1966 duet album on Capitol Records (#ST-2453).
Bonnie Owens was named “Female Vocalist Of The Year” in 1965 by the Academy of Country Music. She and Haggard married that same year. From that point on, Bonnie dedicated her time to Haggard’s children and his career, touring with Merle’s band The Strangers as a backup vocalist. During the early stages of their careers, Bonnie was the headliner and Merle the up-and-comer.
Owens and Haggard divorced in 1978; after a brief hiatus, she continued touring with him.
In 2006, Owens died in a hospital, less than a month after her first husband Buck Owens died. She was 76 years old.
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Wikipedia