I knew this man personally. He used to work for my father before going to work for Buck Owens. Not only was he a good musician, he was one of the nicest men you could ever meet. His death was a very sad day indeed.
It is sad that Don died in 1974, but here is something that is overlooked: He was the perfect example of what a sideman should be. He was the band's leader, a gifted songwriter, great vocalist, and had a grand music I.Q. I like him on the guitar, but he was awesome on the violin/fiddle. I agree with HonkyTonkMan, he should be in the Hall of Fame.
Yes, and it was his second instrument! He was first a fiddle player. I believe I read he won an award for the fiddle at like five years old. He is crazy good on both! My whole family loved this man and grieved his untimely death.
Don Rich was indeed one helluva guitar picking man. One of country music's best. I'm still trying to get his Buckaroo riffs on my Telecaster, but I always have to remind myself that I'm just a humble wannabe picker following in the fingersteps of the masters. Wish Don was still here.
Chip Lovitt that's the first song I try to play when I pick up a guitar. lol . never have mastered it. but after watching many CZcams videos, hardly anyone has .
I read he was only 32 when he died on his Harley motorcycle and Buck tried to talk him out of riding that day.When I was a little kid my parents watched Hee Haw with him standing right next to Buck playing a telecaster.He met Elvis,Loretta Lynn etc.My dad was a fiddle player and was a huge fan of his.Could it be said he was the king of the Bakersfield sound guitar 🎸.RIP Don.
It's hard to believe he was only 28 in that video. And Buck has said that his musical life ended the day Don died. He kept on, but he stopped having the love for it after Don died. :(
I'm just starting to learn more about Don Rich who was 50% responsible for Buck Owens' signature sound in his heyday. It is indeed a shame Mr. Rich died so young. Truly a marriage of sound rarely equalled in ANY musical genre. Thankfully, forums such as this will allow the under-appreciated greats like Mr. Rich to be enjoyed for years to come...
Donald Eugene Ulrich was born in Olympia, Washington on August 15, 1941. He was the adopted son of Bill and Anne Ulrich. On July 17, 1974, after finishing work at Owens' Bakersfield studio, Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident. Owens was devastated by the news, and for years did not talk about Rich's death. In a late 1990s interview, Owens said, "He was like a brother, a son, and a best friend.
Gotta love that Les Paul Pro! The low-z pickups produced a very clean and Tele-like tone. "Mr. Clean" was IMHO the most pure and simple greatest guitarist in all of country music.
I like the little nod to Jerry Reed's(The claw) in there during the break.Mr Rich was a legendary picker. Do you know what you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your dog back,your girl back and your pickup truck back!
Just heard this song tonight for the first time on Hee Haw on the Family Net channel. What a great song. And thanks for posting here just as I heard it only about one hour ago.
This man was truly a star in his own right. But he also seemed to have a humility about him that gave the impression he couldn’t have cared less? A rare talent and a wonderful individual.
don was taken to early in life and one can only imagine how many more albums he and buck and the buckaroos would have recorded together just like toy caldwell taken away to soon and too young .
The Les Paul Studio models have "stacked humbucker" pickups which produce a sound much like the single pole Fender p'ups. Listen to Les Paul on the Chester and Lester album (with Chet Atkins). Best sounding Les Pauls ever to me have the stacked HB's. Thanks for posting this, love Don Rich.
The guitar Don is using here is a Gibson "Les Paul Professional", which is a low impedance guitar, and gets the closest sound to a Telecaster. It is also a heavy guitar, weighing 13 pounds of solid dense mahoghany. It's electronically similar to the guitar Les Paul himself used.
Although he's not on the set, the pedal steel guitarist on that particular cut I believe is Jay Dee Maness. Thanks for posting Bill ! I have been a long standing aficionado of not only Buck Owens & Don Rich but all of Bucks sidemen throughout his career.
Hey Bill, I also enjoy listening to some great playing on the Buck's Carnegie Hall album. I had the pleasure of hearing Buck at the Rainbow Room, Empire State Building in the early 1970's.
oh... well i know it's not fast, screaming music, but to me it's wonderful music and i'm thankful to have it because without OLD country music, i would hate all music and i would have no talents and no life
I got the craziest crush on Don Rich! He was so cute and loved his singing It broke my heart to hear of his motorcycle crash and death at 36 I wouldnt go anywhere near one of those things!
@jerichothedrifter60 Supposedly, Buck and the boys would get Fender gear every so often, but were supposed to return the old gear (including the trademark silver Telecasters). Fender stopped giving them gear, so Buck and the boys signed with Gibson
Still looking up the backstory, but at some point I heard Buck had a falling out with Fender so he went and got a Gibson endorsement. Note the bass player has an EB-3.
@TheBeaugraham come on man! This was the begining to what todays greats started on. Yeah he was not amazingly perfect, however most of his rythem and simple leads are played by almost every lead country guitarist. He was the first real chicken picker!! He would be proud to see what he did for the ones who loved his creation. God Bless this Man!
The personality is large here, Folks. Artist was 20 years before my time, however, it is very recognizable that this guy had a ton of fun with what he did.
Not often that you see someone playing a Les Paul Professional. I think that was one of the models where you had to either use the low impedance amp that Gibson also offered, or use a special converter box to convert the low impedance signal to high impedance (which is what most guitars and amplifiers use).
His endorsement deal was stopped when Buck Owens didn't give the telecaster's back. So when it stopped he bought a Gibson Les Paul he went on using telecaster's though and still preferred them.
You raise a good point i think it was a few years ago. I ended up on a thread on Amazon called (Why is country music hated so much) so obviously i gave some facts as to why Country Music is hated. Someone blasted me back and told me to check out this guy name Don Rich. I ended up here to see this guy. If someone had said check out Toy Caldwell from The Marshall Tucker Band i would be impressed. However this music makes me laugh that is never a good sign.
yes and the reason behind him playing gibson is fender would supply their guitars for promo some reason fender wanted back the silver sparkleys teleys so that fender could reissue new ones and buck didnt want to give them back so fender quit suppling them with guitars true story, cant remember were i read that at i think marty stuart has don rich tele given to him by buck iam 54year old mexican american born in bakerfield don and buck made bakersfield well known around the world two gaint people
![Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash • “Jackson” • 1968 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0JbD4orwn4E/mqdefault.jpg)
I knew this man personally. He used to work for my father before going to work for Buck Owens. Not only was he a good musician, he was one of the nicest men you could ever meet. His death was a very sad day indeed.
I am 60 years old and I remember it well because my mom was so upset. She loved him. We all did, but especially her.
Steve, where did Don work for your Dad? Was that in Olympia or area?
Your dad and Don both worked for my dad
I remember riding with Dad to pick you-all up and drop-in you off at work before he took me to school.
@@evalehde3869 I'm 66 but I never knew that there was a Bakersfield sound. Like Marty Stuart said that there was a Connie Smith sound.????
@@phillipholt6005 to my recollection, the one one who sounded like Connie Smith, was Connie Smith.
It is an injustice that the wonderful Don Rich is not in the country hall of fame
He certainly belongs in the Hall of FAME!!!
It is sad that Don died in 1974, but here is something that is overlooked: He was the perfect example of what a sideman should be. He was the band's leader, a gifted songwriter, great vocalist, and had a grand music I.Q.
I like him on the guitar, but he was awesome on the violin/fiddle. I agree with HonkyTonkMan, he should be in the Hall of Fame.
When Don died, Buck lost the man who made it extra special.
What!!!??? He's NOT in the country music HOF??? Damn! their probably saving room for Ga. Fla. Line!!! Man please!!!
Hall of Fame. Now.
@@folkestonehorror2723 We need him there!
Yes he should have been he was awesome 👍
Don Rich was the greatest C&W guitarist that ever lived. There, I said it.
Along with Chet Atkins, Albert Lee, Roy Nichols, and Jerry Reed.
Don’t forget Mr. Burton
Yes, and it was his second instrument! He was first a fiddle player. I believe I read he won an award for the fiddle at like five years old. He is crazy good on both! My whole family loved this man and grieved his untimely death.
Lol ' no he wasn't.
@@anthonymichaelhalloates2902 and James Burton
I don't think anybody ever had more fun playing and singing than Don Rich. One of the greatest of them all.
I've never heard him singing solo only back up
Don rich and Jerry reed are the musicians from that age of country that had the most fun on stage I think. Definitely looked it
Still listening to and loving your music in 2023 Don.
Always count on Don Rich to have a big smile whatever song he was playing..great song!
Greatest sideman in music history. Should be in Hall of Fame!
Don Rich was one of the best guitar pickin men ever . for sure.
And smiling
He had his own sound that you knew it was him when you heard it.
Don Rich would have been 80 years old today. Happy Birthday and Rest in Peace, Master of the Telecaster.
Don Rich was indeed one helluva guitar picking man. One of country music's best. I'm still trying to get his Buckaroo riffs on my Telecaster, but I always have to remind myself that I'm just a humble wannabe picker following in the fingersteps of the masters. Wish Don was still here.
Chip Lovitt that's the first song I try to play when I pick up a guitar. lol . never have mastered it. but after watching many CZcams videos, hardly anyone has .
Don could have been huge on his own..but he did not want that he loved working with buck! I love em both!
I read he was only 32 when he died on his Harley motorcycle and Buck tried to talk him out of riding that day.When I was a little kid my parents watched Hee Haw with him standing right next to Buck playing a telecaster.He met Elvis,Loretta Lynn etc.My dad was a fiddle player and was a huge fan of his.Could it be said he was the king of the Bakersfield sound guitar 🎸.RIP Don.
Such joy in performing the music! RIP Don.
What a great human being. Certainly a blessing to know people such as Don Rich.
It's hard to believe he was only 28 in that video. And Buck has said that his musical life ended the day Don died. He kept on, but he stopped having the love for it after Don died. :(
wow, that IS crazy. Defiantly seems older than 28
I'm just starting to learn more about Don Rich who was 50% responsible for Buck Owens' signature sound in his heyday. It is indeed a shame Mr. Rich died so young. Truly a marriage of sound rarely equalled in ANY musical genre. Thankfully, forums such as this will allow the under-appreciated greats like Mr. Rich to be enjoyed for years to come...
I enjoy listening to him play and sing equally as much as Buck!
We need to push for his induction into the Hall of Fame! I certainly would love to help.
Donald Eugene Ulrich was born in Olympia, Washington on August 15, 1941. He was the adopted son of Bill and Anne Ulrich. On July 17, 1974, after finishing work at Owens' Bakersfield studio, Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident. Owens was devastated by the news, and for years did not talk about Rich's death. In a late 1990s interview, Owens said, "He was like a brother, a son, and a best friend.
I love that acoustic solo on that electric guitar 😂
Don is killer for sure, but props to that killer bass line and tone. Man!!
He was one of greats, no doubt about it.
DON. RICH is the benchmark for a lead guitarist, there will never be another. RIP
Didn't know his voice could get so low. I'm so used to him doing the high harmonies with Buck. Quite the range!
The Day of the motorcycle crash, Buck died too. Not literally but in his heart.
Don is greatly missed.
Thank you for the upload.
Gotta love that Les Paul Pro! The low-z pickups produced a very clean and Tele-like tone. "Mr. Clean" was IMHO the most pure and simple greatest guitarist in all of country music.
man these old country Pickers were musicians of astounding proportions!!
Hahaha! Happy, giggly and entertaining! Don Rich was awesome!!
he always had a smile on his face
That's why they called him Smilin' Don Rich. One of the greatest sidemen in history.
Hear some Jerry Reed on that breakdown 😎 LOVE DON R.I.P.
The very best that country music has ever been graced with...The Master of the Telecaster.
I like the little nod to Jerry Reed's(The claw) in there during the break.Mr Rich was a legendary picker.
Do you know what you get when you play a country song backwards?
You get your dog back,your girl back and your pickup truck back!
Do you sober up and get out of jail?
Don Rich was awesome!!!
Great work by that bass player as well.
Don was a good ole country boy. One heck of a great performer!
One of my biggest guitar inspirations ever! And I Loved his little guitar nod to the great Jerry Reed at the end of his solo!
Just heard this song tonight for the first time on Hee Haw on the Family Net channel. What a great song. And thanks for posting here just as I heard it only about one hour ago.
This man was truly a star in his own right. But he also seemed to have a humility about him that gave the impression he couldn’t have cared less? A rare talent and a wonderful individual.
When I have to trot out a country guitar solo, my trump card is, 'What would Don Rich play?' That has gotten me out of a lot of tight spots.
don was taken to early in life and one can only imagine how many more albums he and buck and the buckaroos would have recorded together just like toy caldwell taken away to soon and too young .
Don Rich was the greatest!
Love Don Rich!
Real tough country! Love this one.
Real country right there...
Super talent.
The Les Paul Studio models have "stacked humbucker" pickups which produce a sound much like the single pole Fender p'ups. Listen to Les Paul on the Chester and Lester album (with Chet Atkins). Best sounding Les Pauls ever to me have the stacked HB's.
Thanks for posting this, love Don Rich.
That's a Les Paul, Jr.
I think hes Great! He doesn't look right without a Telecaster
+tom lester I was just thinking the same thing.
Might not look right but the Gibson sounds better lol
NO FUCKIN WAY JOSE , THE TELECASTER BLOWS THAT PIECE OF SHIT OUTA THE UNIVERSE !!!!!!!!!
everyone looks lame without a sexy tele.The telecaster: the real working mans guitars
NOBODY DOES ME INCLUDED !!!!!!!
Don could have been a star. But just wanted to play n sing with Buck
God i miss Don and Buck but now they are pickin and grinnin in the sky...
Ah the buckaroos, how could anyone forget that schtick?? Loved watchin 'em as a kid, DOn Rich is the man on telecaster
The guitar Don is using here is a Gibson "Les Paul Professional", which is a low impedance guitar, and gets the closest sound to a Telecaster. It is also a heavy guitar, weighing 13 pounds of solid dense mahoghany. It's electronically similar to the guitar Les Paul himself used.
Although he's not on the set, the pedal steel guitarist on that particular cut I believe is Jay Dee Maness.
Thanks for posting Bill !
I have been a long standing aficionado of not only Buck Owens & Don Rich but all of Bucks sidemen throughout his career.
Joe Camusci Me too, Joe!
Hey Bill, I also enjoy listening to some great playing on the Buck's Carnegie Hall album. I had the pleasure of hearing Buck at the Rainbow Room, Empire State Building in the early 1970's.
I noticed the pickups don't look like typical Humbuckers...
@@markroberts1301 They're a special single coil. The guitar is a Les Paul Professional.
@jonny1yz The 50s and the 60s was the best time for country music in my opinion.
Ahhh the good ol' 70's. Where vocals were live, but the music wasn't.
Kind of like the Super Bowl
+drskezzer yeah at one point in his guitar fill, it suddenly turned into an acoustic !
drskezzer has
?? Crazy?
"Woman stealing." all he had to do was smile and the ladies lined up for miles.
Darn right!!
oh... well i know it's not fast, screaming music, but to me it's wonderful music and i'm thankful to have it because without OLD country music, i would hate all music and i would have no talents and no life
Great guitarrist
the best of country
Anyone else notice that Don looked a lot older than he was?
I was about to say, he was around 29 here. It's crazy he looks 40
Don Rich is 29 years old in this video but looks 45. Bummer he's gone.
Yeah, he was just a year older than Harrison Ford, who hadn't even done American Graffiti or Star Wars yet. Genes!!
Same thoughts! 45-ish! And hate it too.
@@MatthewPlatz.....It's the receding hairline.
Frankly, he looks older than Buck and Buck was nearly 15 years older than Don.
From what I understand, Buck found teenage Don Ulrich playing violin in Tacoma. Great mentor and student!👏👏🤠❤
DIED WAY 2 YOUNG , WHAT A TALENT DON HAD !!
Amazing picker and a kind soul. Tragic death. Buck Owens is great.
I got the craziest crush on Don Rich!
He was so cute and loved his singing It broke my heart to hear of his motorcycle crash and death at 36 I wouldnt go anywhere near one
of those things!
@jerichothedrifter60 Supposedly, Buck and the boys would get Fender gear every so often, but were supposed to return the old gear (including the trademark silver Telecasters). Fender stopped giving them gear, so Buck and the boys signed with Gibson
I have that same guitar in my basement 69 les paul professional
Absolutely agree...
wow ...fascinating info! his style was pure telecaster for sure
Love
Cool!
Vocal sung over a studio instrumental track. Unless the piano, the pedal and the classical guitar is offstage. I still love it!
One of the few times you saw Don playing something other than a Telecaster.
Fender pulled their support from Buck and Don, so, they switched to Gibson.
@@MonteD1 they were supposed to return the instruments but they didn’t.
@@bubbasouth69 ah. That's right. I couldn't remember the rest of the story.
Press show more, and your journey will begin!
he was great. what’s amazing is he was only 28 here, but looks about 45:)
FIRST TIME I EVER SAW DON WITHOUT A TELE !!
Can't believe he was only 29 here!!
Still looking up the backstory, but at some point I heard Buck had a falling out with Fender so he went and got a Gibson endorsement. Note the bass player has an EB-3.
This guy could've been a very big deal. He and Gram Parsons.
Nice Les Paul, Don Mr Rich
Hard to believe Don is 28 yrs old here !
@TheBeaugraham come on man! This was the begining to what todays greats started on. Yeah he was not amazingly perfect, however most of his rythem and simple leads are played by almost every lead country guitarist. He was the first real chicken picker!! He would be proud to see what he did for the ones who loved his creation. God Bless this Man!
The personality is large here, Folks. Artist was 20 years before my time, however, it is very recognizable that this guy had a ton of fun with what he did.
As a musician, I aspire to be like Don.
Without any of his signature pickin'.
shit. so good.
I think this is from later. Don is playing a Les Paul Recording model, which was not introduced until 1973
oh, I'm sorry! And thats really neat! I am going through a really hard time right now, and i dunno why, but it just helps me a lot.
😊❤
Not often that you see someone playing a Les Paul Professional. I think that was one of the models where you had to either use the low impedance amp that Gibson also offered, or use a special converter box to convert the low impedance signal to high impedance (which is what most guitars and amplifiers use).
i have the same gibson les paul professional
Manon Richer You don't see those around very often.
@gramhound86 King of what making and recording bunk music i cant get over this its so true there is just no accounting for taste.
This is the first time I've ever seen Don play a LP. I was thinking that he only played a Tele.
Peerless just peerless
amen
His endorsement deal was stopped when Buck Owens didn't give the telecaster's back. So when it stopped he bought a Gibson Les Paul he went on using telecaster's though and still preferred them.
Granny loved this rubbish with a passion and I think she loved Don too
R I P to both 😥😭😫
👍🤘👍
You raise a good point i think it was a few years ago. I ended up on a thread on Amazon called (Why is country music hated so much) so obviously i gave some facts as to why Country Music is hated. Someone blasted me back and told me to check out this guy name Don Rich. I ended up here to see this guy. If someone had said check out Toy Caldwell from The Marshall Tucker Band i would be impressed. However this music makes me laugh that is never a good sign.
@morrisminor695 Don could have gone on his own if he wanted to, he was a real good friend when i grew up
yes and the reason behind him playing gibson is fender would supply their guitars for promo some reason fender wanted back the silver sparkleys teleys so that fender could reissue new ones and buck didnt want to give them back so fender quit suppling them with guitars true story, cant remember were i read that at i think marty stuart has don rich tele given to him by buck iam 54year old mexican american born in bakerfield don and buck made bakersfield well known around the world two gaint people