Born 89 Years Ago Today in the Lone Star State, the Country Funnyman Who Helped Waylon Jennings Land His First Record Deals

Back in the 1960s, radio hosts were incredibly important in furthering the genre’s reach. And many DJs and hosts were also singers and songwriters themselves. Even fewer were comedians on top of it all. Rubel Don Bowman checked all those boxes.

Bowman was a country singer-songwriter, comedian, and radio host who worked for RCA Victor for a number of years. Not only did he enjoy success with his own musical work, but he also had a hand in furthering the career of at least one iconic country star. And Bowman was born on this very day, August 26, 1937. Let’s celebrate the legacy of one of Texas’ finest by looking back at his career, shall we?

The Legacy of Don Bowman

Rubel Don Bowman was born on August 26, 1937, in Lubbock, Texas. He was the original host of the radio program American Country Countdown and hosted the program from 1973 to 1978. He also occasionally filled in for Casey Kasem on American Top 40 in 1973. Bowman worked at a number of radio stations as well as RCA Victor.

Outside of his radio work, Bowman was an accomplished country singer-songwriter with a flair for comedy. He made it to the Top 40 with the novelty song “Chit Akins, Make Me A Star” in 1964, which peaked at No. 14 on the US country chart. He released a number of singles that charted in the 1960s and also appeared as a guest on the 1967 song “Chet’s Tune”, which reached No. 38 on the country charts. His debut 1964 album Our Man In Trouble, as well as the 1966 record Funny Way To Make An Album, reached No. 14 on the country charts through RCA Victor. Bowman also wrote and performed the song “Wildwood Weed”, which would become a Hot 100 hit for Jim Stafford in the early 1970s.

Outside of his own work, Bowman also contributed to country music history by helping one outlaw country icon score contracts. That icon was none other than Waylon Jennings. Bowman was a friend of Jennings and, in the early 1960s, took demos of Jennings to A&M Records founder Jerry Moss. In 1963, Jennings was able to score a contract with A&M and kickstarted his career.

Don Bowman passed away on June 5, 2013, following a brave battle with liver and pancreatic cancer. He was 75 years old. His contributions to country music will never be forgotten.

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The post Born 89 Years Ago Today in the Lone Star State, the Country Funnyman Who Helped Waylon Jennings Land His First Record Deals appeared first on American Songwriter.