NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Dwight Yoakam first met Buck Owens when he visited Owens' Bakersfield, Calif., radio station KUZZ before appearing at a local fair in 1987.

Now, Yoakam is paying tribute to his idol and longtime friend with "Dwight Sings Buck" (New West), out October 23.

"After his death," Yoakam said, "it was the clearest way I could express my love for him and acknowledge the depth of our friendship."

A year after they met, the two men scored a No. 1 airplay single with "Streets of Bakersfield." The duet marked Owens' first Billboard singles chart appearance in seven years and his first No. 1 since "Made in Japan" in 1972.

Through the years they developed a relationship that was "a combination of parent, sibling and peer," Yoakam said. And just before Owens' death, the pair had a long phone conversation during which the topic of their friendship came up.

"Somebody had asked (Buck) about me, and he said, 'People think we have dinner together every night.' And I said, 'I know, they act like we live across the street from each other,' and he said, 'We'll just always be linked, Dwight."'

Yoakam, who had been performing "Streets of Bakersfield" as an encore, began incorporating Owens' classics into his shows after he died. "It was something I thought we'd do for two or three weeks, but I couldn't bring myself to stop doing it and not have him on tour with me one last time."

'TOGETHER AGAIN'

When he and his band -- guitarist Eddie Perez, pedal steel player Josh Grange, bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Mitch Marine -- eventually came off the road, they went into the studio to capture the chemistry they had developed on Owens' material.

The recording process started with Owens' original arrangements as the template and developed from there. At times Yoakam, as on "Act Naturally" and "Crying Time," is clearly channeling his mentor, and at other times he's cutting a fresh path. A slowed-down version of "Close Up the Honky-Tonks," the album's first single, features congas, maracas and a Hammond B-3 organ.

Yoakam's soulful take on "Together Again," though different from the original, fits perfectly. "That song actually ambushed me," he said. "After the take, I walked in and listened, and I said, 'Maybe I needed to say something to him.' It felt personal.

"I realized that after his death we get to be together again every night onstage and together again on this album," he added, pausing to compose himself.

Yoakam was certainly not alone in his admiration for Owens. The Derailers, who were also heavily influenced by the Bakersfield star, released "Under the Influence of Buck" (Palo Duro) in July. "The genesis of the Derailers was built on Buck Owens & the Buckaroos and that '60s sound," bandleader Brian Hofeldt said. "It's always been a part of this band and it always will be."

The Austin-based band and Yoakam cover similar territory but each bring something unique from their musical palettes. The Derailers' version of "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass," for example, finds the band channeling the Monkees and Owens simultaneously.

The more the merrier, Yoakam said. "I hope a lot of people do Buck's songs. Buck was always thrilled when people covered his songs."

Reuters/Billboard