Don Rich

The Buckeroos

(b.  5 August 1941, d. 17 July 1974)}

Often called the “right arm” of Buck Owens, Donald Eugene Ulrich, better known as Don Rich, was born August 15, 1941, in Olympia, Washington. He was only 3 when he started singing and playing guitar. He appeared on radio at age 5 and took up the violin at age 6. At 15, he was playing lead guitar with Tex Mitchell. A year later, he began playing part-time with Buck Owens.
Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident in California.  In a sense, it marked the end of Buck Owens’ vintage years as well,  “He was as much a part of the music as I was.”