Music
Press
No Regrets: The Bay Area music scene has always contained many unsung heroes, fabulous musicians and performers who work the local club circuit, with very little national attention. One of these great groups is Buddy Owen and His Band Of Angels. Based for the last 25 years in the hills of Marin County, Owen has been a fixture in concert halls across Northern California. A native of Florida, Owen went to high school and performed in an early band with Cecil Conner, who, under his adopted name Gram Parsons, went on to revolutionize country-rock as a member of the Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers.
Owen, who was a regional Golden Gloves champion, abandoned his pugilistic future to try his hand in rock 'n' roll, moving to New York in 1966 and signing on as the original vocalist with the Vanilla Fudge. When the gig with the group fell through, Owen packed his bags and moved to San Francisco, which was in full bloom during the Summer of Love. Performing with various groups in the Haight Ashbury, Owen got a big break when Jimi Hendrix played the Fillmore and Owen got the opportunity to jam with both Hendrix and blues great Albert King. After relocating to Hawaii, Owen got to jam with Hendrix several more times. A major record contract, however, always eluded him.
Since returning to Marin in the 1980s, Owen has plied his musical trade in clubs and halls around his home in Nicasio, California with only local success. One of the keys to Owen's longevity on the scene is his knack for assembling quality bands. His current edition of the Band Of Angels includes his daughter, Mundai, on vocals, former Bruce Springsteen E Street Band drummer Ernest "Boom" Carter, and Caribbean All Star and Harvey Mandel bassist Bobby Scott (a/k/a "Squid Vicious"). Buddy Owen's new self-titled release on Hobie Records more than amply demonstrates his considerable musical prowess on such tunes as "Soft Summer Wind," "No Regrets," "Undercover" and a nod to Hendrix, "Hey Joe." - Relix Magazine
Discography
1965 The Spades, single, "I'm Alright, & I Won't Want You Anymore", 1982 Buddy Owen Band, "Buddy Owen The Original", got airplay on about 150 stations coast to coast, 1987 Buddy Owen Band, single, "Red Sunglasses", again with nationwide airplay, (#10 in Denver)
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Bio
Although I was born in New York City, I grew up in Florida. And contrary to popular belief Florida is part of the south. I grew up with the sounds of Southern Gospel and New York City Doo Wop, Hank Williams and Ave' Maria's.
MY classmates in the small tourist and agricultural town of Winter Haven Florida, included Gram Parsons, (Flying Burrito Bros.), Jimmy Stafford, Kent LaVoie',(aka Lobo),The Bellamy Bros., Les Dudek, (solo Midnight Rider),etc.
I grew up in the swamps and on the beaches of Florida. At night I would listen to John R and Big Hue Baby, on WLAC Radio Nashville Tenn. Here I heard Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, Son House,Tampa Red, on and on. I was hooked. I had to be part of that. I had to git me sum.
Around the age of 13 I started going down to the "blues" clubs and sing.
During High School I formed a band with some schoolmates called The Spades, who became very popular in the Southeast. (see Dizzy Rambler.com for more on the Spades) The Spades opened shows for Rufus Thomas , Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The Zombies, Searchers, etc.
We shared venues such as The Ocean Pier Casino & the Martinique in Daytona Beach and the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami as well as poolside at the hotels along the beaches of Florida with The Allman Joys,(a teenage Allman Bros Band).
After this I went to New York and The Village and became part of that scene working the coffee houses and clubs of New York.
I jammed around with people who were to become bands such as Blood Sweat and Tears, Blues Project .I left this to move to San Francisco and Haight Ashbury and the rich stew of music that was bubbling there.
During these magical times I played and recorded around the San Francisco Bay Area.
During the 70's I toured the country pretty much nonstop . Sometimes living on the East Coast, sometime the West, and for a while in Aspen Colorado.
On May 30 1970, I played Carnegie Hall with my band OZ along with The Youngloods and Tim Hardin.
In the early Eighties I lived in Austin where my good friend Chesley Millikin was managing Stevie Ray Vaughan, where Igot to play one of Clifton Chenier's last shows with him before his death.
I released my first solo album from there and struck out on a supporting tour.The band included, Jimmy Carl Black on drums, (from The Mothers Of Invention), and Reno Mussata ,(Kinky Friedman), in a double drumming configuration.
Most of the rest of the 80's and 90's I lived in Marin County California, where I continue to live today.
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