Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California -- on Buck Owens Blvd. -- recently unveiled larger-than-life bronze statues of ten country music and rockabilly stars: Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, Elvis Presley, George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., and Bob Willis. The Crystal Palace is where 75-year-old Buck and his pals still perform, as well as being a Planet Hollywood-style museum/restaurant. Bakersfield is "the country music capital of the West" and the Crystal Palace recently won the Nightclub of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music, even before Buck installed the statues.

Update: Buck Owen died in 2006. [06/05/2005]

February 10, 2012