Images(13)

Gary Buck Stage Outfit

Not currently on exhibit

Artifact TypeEnsemble

Manufacturer Harvey Krantz

Manufacturer Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors

Date20th Century

These cowboy boots and flashy two-piece suit were owned by Canadian country music legend Gary Buck (1940–2003). A singer, songwriter, and record producer with an impressive 45-year career in the music business—Buck founded the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989. The suit seen here was created by American designer Harvey Krantz. Aside from Buck, Krantz has crafted clothing for a variety of snazzily dressed artists, including The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Hank Snow and Liberace.

Donated by Deb Buck

Suit made by Nudie's Rodeo Tailors Cowboy Boots made by Harvey Krantz

Cultural SignificanceAlthough there are a number of musical styles that can be said to correspond with a particular fashion aesthetic, perhaps none is more iconic than that of the Country and Western genres. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, numerous stars of the country western scene, such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, looked to niche tailors to produce customized suits that would set them apart and establish a certain stage presence. The suits were often brightly coloured and elaborately adorned with tassels, sequins, imitation jewels and rhinestones, and intricate embroidery. They also typically consisted of a complete ensemble that included corresponding boots and hat. Arguably the most notable of such tailors was the Ukrainian immigrant Nuta Kotlyarenko (1902 – 1984) who became better known as Nudie Cohn of Hollywood, California. Nudie produced some of the most expensive custom garments, catering both to country superstars as well as high-profile performers in other popular genres, including Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley. Other well-known tailors included Rodeo Ben, Turk of Van Nuys, California, Manuel of Nashville, Tennessee, and Rockmount Ranch Wear of Denver, Colorado.Users/PerformersGary Ralph Buck was born 21 March 1940 in Thessalon, Ontario. Buck is regarded as having been one of the most prolific and accomplished personalities in Canadian country music, having worked throughout his nearly half-century career as a singer, songwriter, record producer, and recording executive, founding his own hugely successful recording and publishing label that worked with both Canadian and American artists. Professionally, he has been associated with the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee, for which he served five terms as international director and the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA, formerly known as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment), which he co-founded with Hank Smith. Perhaps his greatest contribution in this respect, however, is the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, which he founded and was inducted into both in artist and builder categories in 2001. He was raised in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, having played guitar and bass as a child. He established his early singing career on CKCY radio with The Country Caravan, headed by Ray Kovisto, while also pursuing a semi-pro baseball practice. His first professional recordings were released by Toronto’s Canatal outfit in 1959, with his first international hit, “Happy to be Unhappy”, emerging on the American Petal label in 1963; a Top 40 hit, “The Wheel Song”, was released shortly thereafter. At the time, he was only the third Canadian to register on the Billboard Magazine country charts, after Hank Snow and Myrna Lorrie. In the mid 1960s, Buck relocated to Kitchener, Ontario, heading his own show, The Gary Buck Show, on CKCO television, which ran from 1967 through to 1969. Starting in the late 1960s, Buck also began performing sporadically at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry. As a producer, Buck worked with artists such as Dallas Harms, Gene Watson, Al Cherny, Tommy Hunter, and the Mercey Brothers, and was highly sought after throughout the 1970s. In 1970, Buck began working as the general manager of Capitol Records’ publishing subsidiary, Beechwood Music. Within only a year of holding this position, he helped organize the recording of numerous successful covers, including Anne Murray’s version of Gene MacLellan’s “Snowbird”. In the same year, he began his first two-year term as the international director of the Country Music Association in Nashville. In 1971, Buck left Capitol Records and founded his own publishing and recording company, Broadlands Music. This company saw various shifts in control throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, until being renewed as Broadlands International Records in 1990, based in Nashville. Buck continued to work as a record producer throughout the remainder of his life. The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame were founded in 1976 and 1989, respectively, though the latter began inducting individuals as early as 1984. While initially having been established in Kitchener, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame was relocated to Calgary in 1999, where it was based on the Stampede Grounds until 2009. Among his notable accolades are the Newcomer of the Year award from Cashbox magazine in 1963, Top Male Singer from the Big Country Awards in 1975, and Top Producer from the Big Country Awards in 1975. Buck died of cancer in Didsbury, Alberta on 14 October 2003.

Collection

Object numberEnsemble-Gary Buck