Profile Image: Gary Buck

Gary Buck

Country from Sault Ste Marie Ontario
↓ View Profile
Bio
Events (2)
Photos (2)
Videos (1)
Roster (0)
Articles (1)
Get In Touch
Submit info on this profile to admins

About

Gary Buck

InstrumentLevel
Guitar
Vocals
Born: March 21, 1940 – Thessalon, ONTARIO
Died: October 14, 2003 – Didsbury, Alberta



Gary Buck was a leader on the Canadian country music scene as a “builder”, as well as a recording artist, songwriter and producer. His talents in all of these fields have been largely responsible for laying the groundwork and development of the Canadian country music industry. Gary Buck began his own music and recording career while based out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and would soon become recognized for his work at the international level.

As a recording artist, Gary Buck released albums on the Canatal, Tower, Sparton, Capitol, RCA Camden and his own Broadland Records labels. He charted more than 25 singles on the Canadian Country Hit Charts, including ten Top 10 hits and four #1 hit singles; as well as entries on the Billboard and CashBox Charts in the USA. His 1963 debut U.S. single “Happy To Be Unhappy” became a Top 10 hit in the U.S. and Canada. He was only the third Canadian to earn a Billboard chart hit, preceded by Hank Snow and Myrna Lorrie.

While based out of Kitchener, Ontario, in the 1970’s, Gary Buck hosted his own TV series on CKCO-TV and was regularly featured as a special guest on country radio and TV shows across Canada, in Nashville, and while touring in Australia and New Zealand.

As a record producer, Gary Buck handled sessions for countless Canadian recording artists, including such hit-makers as Tommy Hunter, Family Brown, Dick Damron, Dallas Harms, The Mercey Brothers, Joyce Smith, Ian Tyson, Orval Prophet, Wayne Rostad, etc; and produced Nashville sessions for such stars as Gene Watson, Johnny Duncan, Billie Jo Spears and George Hamilton IV.

As a songwriter, Gary Buck’s compositions were recorded by such notables as Tommy Hunter, Bobby Curtola, Orval Prophet, The Mercey Brothers, and by Nashville Hall Of Famer Webb Pierce. As a music publisher, while heading up Capitol Records’ publishing arm Beechwood Music, Gary Buck played a key role in the recordings of the Anne Murray classic Snowbird, written by Gene MacLellan; George Hamilton IV’s hit Countryfied penned by Dick Damron and used as the theme for George Hamilton IV’s TV series produced in Canada; as well as pitching the Dallas Harms song Paper Rosie which became a major hit for Nashville’s Gene Watson.

As an industry builder, Gary Buck served five terms as an International Director for the Country Music Association (CMA) in Nashville, and was a founding Director of The Academy Of Country Music, the fore-runner to the current Canadian Country Music Association.

Gary Buck headed-up his own Record Label and Production Company, Broadland Records and its subsidiary Grand Slam Records; the labels being home to many of Canada’s top recording artists.

In the mid-1980’s, Gary Buck founded the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame, with its accompanying museum of Canadian country music artifacts being housed initially in Kitchener, Ontario, before relocating to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and then a permanent home in Calgary, Alberta. The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Association would later amalgamate into one formal entity. Many of the country music artifacts accumulated by Gary Buck while presiding over the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame are now part of the Canada Music Centre located in Calgary.

Gary Buck was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001. He was posthumously inducted into the Northern Ontario Country Music Association’s Hall Of Fame in 2004.

(bio by Larry Delaney)
~ https://cmaontario.ca/ontarios-country-music-pioneers-gary-buck/

Awards


Newcomer of the Year, Cashbox Magazine (1963)

Top Male Singer, Big Country Awards (1975)

Top Producer, Big Country Awards (1975)

Inductee, Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2001)

Further Reading


Jack Batten, “Gary Buck: The Country Singer is All Business,” Globe and Mail, (29 April 1972).

Cliff Lorimer, “Gary Buck ... The Legend Keeps Growing!!” Country Music News, vol. 9 (February 1989).

Larry Delaney, “The Gary Buck Story,” Country Music News (September 2001).
Retired / Inactive
Get In Touch
Submit info on this profile to admins

Community Events

Musician Past Posters

Welcome to your Arts Directory

We are an open, community-owned platform to help artists and arts organizations reach their audiences and each other.

Calendar

Upcoming Events Posters (Upcoming)

Artists

Bands + Ensembles Musicians All Artists

Resources

Organizations + Resources Venues

Media

Event Photos Poster Archive

About

About Contact
Featured event

Kobo Town, The Capital Collective, La Real del Sonido, Rude City Riot

→ View Profile
Get involved and submit your listing

Search the Directory / Archive

List an Event in the Calendar

List a Physical Single Date or Recurring Event

For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.

List an Online Livestream Event

For online / livestream events. This will allow you to include a livestream url and have it featured in our livestream listings.

Submit a Profile to the Directory

List a Music Band / Ensemble

(Band / Choir / Orchestra etc.)

List an Individual Musician

(Guitarist, Singer, DJ etc)

List a Music Resource

Venues, Event Promoters, Support Services etc.

News + Media

Log In to Your Account

Forgot Your Password?

Create a New Account