He regained his ability to sing and performed at his 80th birthday party in 2009. Mize was also the great uncle of rising country artist logan mize. Book and record tells story of iconic bakersfield sound youtube. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound home facebook. Jul 14, 2015 you would say billy mize is part of the bakersfield sound, and literally he was, but he wasnt playing that buck owensstyle music. Book and record tells story of iconic bakersfield sound. The sub genre of country music described as a mix of twangy guitars. When people around the country think of bakersfield they will probably think of its association with country music. Bomar, randy poe, robert price, and dwight yoakam the. His father purchased it at an auction in bakersfield. Saunders traces the life story of billy mize, from his triumphs through his tragedies. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing pbiff. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound loving tribute. Billy mize s story is a spectacular tale about unthinkable personal tragedy amidst a country music revolution that changed the world.
With willie nelson, merle haggard, ray price, billy mize. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. No one in the audience knows billy has the ability to sing again. New 2019 10cd boxset with 220page hardcover book, 299 tracks telling the story of nashville west. More precisely buck owens and merle haggard may come to mind as just occurred while i was talking to a client in new mexico this week. However, the bakersfield sound is much more than owens and haggard. Retired educator and trombonist randy fendrick is just such a historian, and his book, the other music of bakersfield, tells us the story of bakersfields centuryplus love of all kinds of. To learn more about the documentary, please go to remember to like our. Billy mize with bill woods and his orange blossom playboys pusan.
Archival footage, firsthand accounts, and expert opinions round out a story of high highs and low lows. The bakersfield sound was a reaction to the early 60s sweetening of country epitomized by the nashville sound. Mize was a steel guitarist, bandleader, vocalist, songwriter and tv show host. Wynn stewart, buck owens, merle haggard and dwight yoakam. To celebrate heres a billy mize original someday when it. Billy mize, second from left, along with fellow bakersfield sound pioneers oscar. Billy mize is heard on 1949s got a chance with you and roy nichols influential guitar playing on 1950s baby blues. The documentary billy mize and the bakersfield sound proved what a great guy the titular performer was and that the sound forged in bakersfield barrooms decades ago is still vital and relevant. The same could be said of the film itself, a fairly traditional biopic with zest provided by its central character. Merle haggard, billy mize, bobby durham with matching pompadours in the 1960s. The trio were among a generation of talented musicians. From these earliest days of the bakersfield scene, the upbeat tempos of swing and boogie drove many of the original songs, with twangy steel, guitar and fiddle prominently featured throughout. Mar 19, 2015 billy mize s contributions to country music shaped the industry.
A critically acclaimed documentary chronicling the life of mize and his impact on the country music industry was released in 2015. Universally recognized as the country music capital of the west coast and nashville west, bakersfield is the birthplace for what would become known worldwide as the bakersfield sound. By jeff nickell, assistant director kern county museum. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music, is available now. Weve partnered with, a webplatform that enables individuals, groups, and organizations to set up personalized screenings of billy mize and the bakersfield sound in theaters and community venues across the country. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound trailer youtube. These families brought the musical styles of oklahoma, colorado, texas and kansas with them. Soninlaw of bakersfield sound legend billy mize will help. The bakersfield sound is a genre of country music developed in the mid to late 1950s in and around bakersfield, california. The california town of bakersfield is rich with music and oil, and both are still pumping. Performers such as cousin herb henson, bill woods, billy mize, oscar whittington, eugene moles, jelly sanders, johnny cuevelo, and a host of others crafted their trades within the smokefilled honky tonks in and around. Bakersfield was the first genre of country music to be significantly influenced by rock and roll, and as a result, the first to rely heavily on electric instrumentation and a defined backbeat. I am 37 years old and i have always liked buck owens, dwight yoakam, and merle haggard.
Of course, there are many theories on how the bakersfield sound developed. Find the best bakersfield sound albums on allmusic. Billy mize s contributions to country music shaped the industry. Who will buy the wine billy mize decca records, 1956 written by billy mize billy mize was one of the earliest pioneers of the bakersfield sound, alongside bill woods and herb henson. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound does not yet have u. Mize helped stars like buck owens and merle haggard. William robert mize april 29, 1929 october 29, 2017 was an american steel guitarist, band. Oct 29, 2017 the remaining members of the bakersfield sound including merle haggard will celebrate mizes 80th birthday party during a tribute concert. These dark thoughts occurred to me while reading a smart new book about a different california placebakersfieldand its identity as a. If youre interested in knowing more about that sound, look no further than the bakersfield sound, buck owens, merle haggard and california country, an informative, wellillustrated and affectionate guide to some wonderful music and the musicians that made it.
Billy mize is a great bio on his life an music during the bakersfield sound days, he recently passed away, he was freinds with merle haggard, buck owens, wynn stewart, an many others were on his tv show in early 50s an 60s i loved it great video. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the album will be donated by yoakam and new west records to the buck owens american music foundation a charity devoted to the preservation of the bakersfield sound and the buck owens legacy. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music, back in the 1990s he wrote a. Through billy we can see the impact bakersfield made on our culture. The film billy mize and the bakersfield sound explores a singersongwriter in california who did more than almost any other to challenge nashvilles dominance of the country music scene. Billy taught himself to play and the rest was history. This was the birth of the bakersfield sound, and one of its founding members was billy mize. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound official trailer on vimeo. The result firmly defines the bakersfield sound as a gritty, visceral style of music about personal struggle, as opposed to the more formulaic and melodically elegant material produced by the mainstream nashvillebased music industry. In search of the bakersfield sound, the country music born here in the 50s and 60s. Billy mize got his first steel guitar at the age of 15. Mize moved to bakersfield, california and formed his own band playing local gigs and. Bakersfield sound 1940 1974 these 10 cds will keep your ears busy picking out old and new favorites, and the accompanying book. Until today i didnt really know what they had in common.
One of the established facts, no matter whom you talk to, is that the bakersfield sound was created in the honky tonks. See more of billy mize and the bakersfield sound on facebook. The bakersfield sound 1940 74 new sealed 2019 10 cd. This is billy mize and the bakersfield sound official trailer by william j saunders on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. When billy was 3yearsold, his father, earnest forth, skipped town leaving billy and his mother to suffer the dust bowl depression of kansas. Billy mize, a major contributor to the bakersfield sound, died saturday at the age of 88.
Mar 06, 2015 billy mize s contributions to country music shaped the industry. Billy mize is heard on 1949s got a chance with you and. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound is now available on dvd at. Country music capital of the west 19401974 on discogs. Vince gill and paul franklin break down the bakersfield sound last year, country superstar vince gill left his record label, mca, after more than 20 years. Enjoy a rich lineup of tv shows and movies included with your prime membership. True to mize, it creates something quite electric amidst humble origins. In 2001, he was honored by the pioneers of western swing organization.
All critics 1 fresh 1 a fairly traditional biopic with zest provided by its central character. Winner of best history in the category of best historical research in recorded country or folk music in the 2019 association for recorded sound collections awards for excellence. Origin of country bakersfield, ca origin of country. The records he made with his band, the strangers, sported lean, twangy arrangements that aligned him with the bakersfield sound popularized by singers like stewart and buck owens. Among the many interesting artists are one of the unsung heroes of bakersfield, billy mize, who was portrayed in william j. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american. He was the subject of the critically praised 2014 documentary film billy mize and the bakersfield sound. That bakersfield sound email rockabilly hall of fame. Billy mize, center, with merle haggard, left, and bobby durham in the early 1960s, is the focus of the loving documentary billy mize and the bakersfield sound. Bakersfield music was, by comparison, rawer, twangier and rocked more than just a little. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound shows that what billy mize might not have fully achieved in notoriety as a solo music act, he left a legacy in his influence. Jun 14, 2014 billy mize and the bakersfield sound adopts this path, charting the rise of a unique style in the mid50s southern california country scene, but more importantly it highlights one of the.
People say theres a literal meaning of the bakersfield sound, they know it when they hear it. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound april 6, 2016 after looking through all our footage with merle and billy ive found a few clips that never made it into the documentary. First printed in the spring 2002 issue of the historic kern published by the kern county historical society. Our documentary concludes with billy mize standing in front of his loved ones and singing for the first time in over 20 years. The bakersfield californian has an excellent online feature on the bakersfield sound. Check out this never before seen video of buck owens covering billy mize s who will buy the wine. Bakersfield sound is a genre of country music from the 1950s and named after its origin in bakersfield, california.
However, there are so many other stories and sounds to be found in bakersfield in the period between 1940 and 1974 that the box covers. This entry was posted in new releases and tagged 80th birthday, bakersfield, billy mize, billy mize and the bakersfield sound, cinema, country music, dave alvin, divorcee. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Saunders is the soninlaw of bakersfield sound legend billy mize and the father of joe saunders, the man behind the acclaimed 2014 documentary, billy mize and the bakersfield sound. Buy billy mize and the bakersfield sound microsoft store. Make sure you watch the end when billy joins buck on stage. This fusion gave birth to an exciting, rawedged style of country music known for its piercing guitar and honest, downtoearth lyrics. His charm and golden voice are legendary among the insiders. Its a wonderful account on many levelson top of being a touching tribute to billy mize, it explores the rich history of the bakersfield sound and honors the people who made the music great.
In the 1950s and 60s bakersfield became an unlikely birthplace for a new sound the bakersfield sound. He sang very smooth, more like the nashville country that was more popular in his time. While this documentary follows billy s mize s personal story, it also defines and explains the bakersfield sound. A performer on the brink of fame, his is a spectacular tale about. Vince gill and paul franklin break down the bakersfield sound. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Robert price, editor of the bakersfield californian and author of the upcoming book the bakersfield sound. Bryce duffy dance hall days ethels old corral cafe, where a band tunes up the bakersfield sound every sunday. The bakersfield sound buck owens, merle haggard, the. Billy mize was instrumental in defining the bakersfield sound, the exhilarating, innovative movement that forever changed country music. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound merle haggard.
This film isnt just about a music movement its about legacy and the institution of family. Including a larger number of previously unreleased studio and live recordings, radio recordings and demos. As robert price states in the preface of his longawaited book, the bakersfield sound. Using telecaster guitars, the singers developed a clean, ringing sound that stood in direct opposition to the produced, stringladen nashville sound. Close up the honky tonks will be released as the albums first single. Billy mize and the bakersfield sound special features include billy mize performing make it rain exclusive billy mize. Bakersfield sound star eugene moles son sent us some priceless video of billy mize, eugene moles, george french, oscar whittington and other bakersfield legends at a live show on the bed of a pick up like the good ole days. How a generation of displaced okies revolutionized american music. When billy was 3yearsold, his father, earnest forth, skipped town leaving billy.
A performer on the brink of fame, his is a spectacular tale about identity and sacrifice amidst a country music revolution. I didnt know it but ive always been a fan of that bakersfield sound even. Bakersfield sound exhibit book country music hall of fame. The bakersfield sound became one of the most popular and arguably the most influential country genres of the 60s, setting the stage for countryrock and outlaw, as well as reviving the.
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