It is my hope that through this web site you will come to know and love BW's music as much as I and many others have.
My experience with B.W. "BuckWheat" Stevenson came from a late night encounter with a PBS TV program called Austin City Limits. According to PBS TV listings for the late 70's the show I saw BW on was recorded on January 14, 1976 and included the songs; Temper, Temper; Kokomo; Cold, Cold Winter; Hold On; On My Own and Train Song. Now I've had the impression that I didn't see this Austin City Limits show until 1977 or so. Might have been a repeat. Then it's been over 25 years.
While I was mostly a folk and pop rock music lover, BW's cross over country style kept me from turning the channel. Intrigued I actually bought his current album We Be Sailin' that next weekend. During the desperate last year or so of my first marriage I found BW's songs on that album hitting home. I had taped the vinyl album to save the vinyl and so I could play it in my car. That tape was a good friend for the next year or two as I agreed to disagree with the first wife and made my break into bachelorhood.
For the next eight years of bachelorhood I would occasionally play the tape and re-record as necessary. In all of the dating and a couple of live-ins I never did find someone that thought as highly of BW's music as I did. However I never looked for more of his music or have a further interest in his career either. This was a shame because in the early eighties BW did come out to southern California for a while.
24 years after I first heard BW on PBS I decided to find and record off to CDR's all of Buck's released music. I set myself a goal of getting the best BW vinyl's I could find to make the CDRs from so I could listen to BW without dragging the 20 pound turntable out of the closet. Searching the local used vinyl stores and eBay I've been able to find most of what Buck released finding some still sealed. Even a few tidbits from recordings of live performances.
I recorded all of the vinyl to the computer, cleaned up the snaps and crackles and transcribed the computer files to CDR's. This preserves the vinyl and makes listening a pleasure rather than a chore. I found that RCA had released what they condidered the Very Best Of BW CD but it was just the My Maria album with 16 more songs from the other RCA albums. I think RCA should have used the vinyl Best Of selections and built upon it to fill out the CD.
How did you find B.W. "BuckWheat" Stevenson? Radio? A friend? Singing at a Bar? We would all like to know and share your moment of discovery and continuing love of BW. Please send them to us. These will be added to this site's Fan's Memories page. Don't forget a personal photo! Jpeg file at least 300 x 300 pixels.
Hugh, Aspiring Webmaster and BW fan!