Although he had several albums under his belt by the early ’60s, Buck Owens was still searching for that elusive chart-topper. He finally reached that milestone on this day (June 15) in 1963, when his single “Act Naturally” hit number one on the Hot Country Singles chart. Written by singer-songwriter Johnny Russell, the song launched Owens to superstardom and even inspired a certain famous foursome to explore their country side.
A Canceled Date Inspired This Buck Owens Hit
Russell was living in Fresno, California in the early ’60s. One night, some friends asked him to join them for a recording session in Los Angeles. Russell accepted the offer in spite of standing plans with his then-girlfriend.
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“When she asked me why I was going to L.A., I answered, ‘They are going to put me in the movies and make a big star out of me,’” Russell recalled. “We both laughed.”
Unable to shake that line loose from his brain, Russell got to work writing a love song based around his offhand comment. He came up with “Act Naturally”, a deceptively breezy tune about a man who requires zero acting skills to play the part of a jilted lover.
“I never called the girl again, but I had a song,” Russell remarked in a 2000 interview. (He died the following year from diabetes-related complications at age 61.)
Initially, Russell tried to teach the song to country-pop singer Dale Ward. When Ward couldn’t learn it, Russell toyed with the idea of recording “Act Naturally” himself. However, his producer shot down that idea, claiming that songs about the movies were non-starters on the charts.
Thus, “Act Naturally” sat un-recorded for two years. “No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get anyone interested in it,” Russell said.
At the time, Buck Owens was based in Bakersfield, California, working with a woman named Voni Morrison, who was also working with Russell. When Morrison heard “Act Naturally”, she thought it was a perfect fit for Owens. At first, the country singer didn’t like the song, but eventually agreed to record it.
“Act Naturally” marked the first of 19 number-one hits for Buck Owens in the 1960s alone.
Other Artists Have Covered “Act Naturally”
Both Kitty Wells and Loretta Lynn would later cover Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally”.
However, the most notable cover came in 1965 from none other than The Beatles, with drummer Ringo Starr taking on lead vocals.
In 1989—24 years later—Buck Owens and Ringo Starr teamed up to record a duet version of “Act Naturally”. The song earned a nod for the 1989 Country Music Association Vocal Event of the Year and a 1990 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. However, it lost both awards to “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” recorded by Hank Williams Sr. and Hank Williams Jr.
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