SIXTIES country star Buck Owens, who died a couple of weeks ago, was an influence and a hero of an artist who is shortly to perform at The Sage in Gateshead.

Dwight Yoakum and Owens' Streets Of Bakersfield was a Number One stateside and may be featured in his repertoire when he plays Hall One on Tyneside on Sunday, July 23.

Yoakum's music proved to be even too country for the Grand Ole Opry in the Seventies so he relocated to Los Angeles and played in various outfits including Los Lobos. It seemed that success was only a step away when he released a self-financed record that was heard by moguls from Warner/Reprise and a couple of year later hit the big time with his debut offering Guitars, Cadillacs etc which gave him five chart hits. Slower phrased classics like Lefty Frizzell's Always Late made this genre of music more acceptable to a younger audience. Further albums followed, with the best track to date being I Ain't That Lonely Yet from his 1993 album entitled This Time.

An acting career followed and a certain notoriety after he was romantically linked with Sharon Stone.

Tickets are available from the Sage Box Office on 0191-4434661 and don't forget as mentioned in a past column Emmy Lou Harris appears on Monday July 31.