Former Buckaroo Tom Brumley — whose keening steel guitar gave the Buck Owens classic “Together Again” its soul — died Tuesday in Texas of complications of a heart attack. He was 73.
Buckaroo Jim Shaw said Brumley’s death leaves drummer Willie Cantu as the sole remaining Buckaroo of the classic era, illustrated by the iconic image of happy-go-lucky guys in shiny suits.
“Many of us in the group had been there close to 40 years, so in terms of that, that was the era when they did the Carnegie Hall concert and several things that were very important in Buck’s career,” said Shaw, who joined the band two years after Brumley left.
Owens thought Brumley’s performance on “Together Again” was the best steel guitar recording ever made.
“Buck always enjoyed the way he played the steel and the way he kind of twined around Buck’s lyrics and didn’t get in the way and supported his vocal,” Shaw said. “He really thought Tom was great at that.”
The son of “I’ll Fly Away” gospel songwriter Albert E. Brumley, he grew up in a music-loving Missouri family, turning to the steel guitar as a youngster. At 14 he played bass in a band with his brothers.
His wife, Rolene, said his career really started around 1961 when, at 28, his brother Albert Brumley Jr. invited him to Capitol Records in Hollywood to record on a country album.
Owens and guitarist Don Rich were in the building and heard Tom’s performance.
“Buck told Don, ‘I’m gonna hire that guy,’ soon as he needed someone,” Rolene said.
Around 1962 Owens tracked down the musician, who’d moved to Texas and worked in construction with Rolene’s father. Owens offered him a job, but Brumley was hesitant after a discouraging stint in the Los Angeles club scene.
Rolene’s father talked him into it.
“‘Go on and try it and, you know, you might like it,'” Rolene recalled her father telling Brumley. “‘And if you don’t, you’ll be sorry you didn’t.'”
The couple moved to Bakersfield in 1963. Brumley worked with Owens for six years, but the couple stayed in town for 20 years.
Rolene saw her husband three months out of the year as Brumley traveled the world with Owens and played on his top hits of the time, including “I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail” and “Act Naturally”. Brumley received the Academy of County Music Award in 1966 for No. 1 Steel Guitarist, according to his publicist. Daughter Tracie said Brumley left the band because he was tired of the road. After the Buckaroos, he performed with Rick Nelson for 10 years, recording on the hit “Garden Party,” and later joined Chris Hillman’s The Desert Rose Band.
From 1989 until 2003 he starred in The Brumley Family Music Show in Branson, Mo., performing with his family.
He worked with a plethora of stars, including Rose Maddox, Chris Isaak, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Sara Evans, Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, Reba McEntire, Rod Stewart and Martina McBride.
Recently, he worked on creating a country music show at The San Antonio River Walk.
Tracie said her father thought his time with the Buckaroos was magical. He returned to Bakersfield around four years ago to perform at the Crystal Palace for Owens’ birthday.
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