End Of An Era: Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace In Bakersfield, California Announces Closure

The famous Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA, opened by the late legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist, Buck Owens, will soon close its doors after nearly three decades.

The Owens family took to social media to share the disheartening news with fans and in doing so expressed their pride in the venue’s special legacy.

“We are extremely proud of the legacy of the Crystal Palace…For over 28 years we brought the best of local and national entertainment to Bakerfield, served great food, and hosted thousands of special occasions for thousands of special people and families. Although Buck left us in 2006, we continued to maintain the excellence that he expected, striving to carry out his dream.”

According to the family, a “challenging business climate,” paired with their desire to step back from management, led to the difficult decision. They shared their hope that a new owner will take over so that the beloved venue can live on. Until its final day, the establishment plans to honor as many existing commitments as possible.

“Now, a challenging business climate plus the wishes of the Owens family members to step back from the responsibilities of management require finally shutting the doors. It is our hope that new owners will step forward to utilize this beautiful venue. Meanwhile we will do our best to fulfill scheduled commitments we’ve made in the coming months.”

The statement closed with gratitude for the Bakersfield community as well as Buck’s fans all over the world for their years of support.

“We know Buck would want us to thank the people of Bakersfield and fans from around the world for all of the support over the past years. We will miss you all.”

News of the closure sparked an outpouring of emotion from fans, many of whom shared cherished memories of the venue and expressed their hope that it will continue to be preserved under new ownership. Some urged the city to step in and keep the Crystal Palace alive, suggesting it should be declared as a landmark.

“The city needs to purchase this and keep it going . This is a landmark and Buck made Bakersfield what it is today.”

“Always had fun there and always looked forward to going there. Thank you Buck and Family”

“So disappointed. I was there for the Dive bar concert featuring Garth Brooks in 2019. It was my 1st time flying from Alabama to Bakersfield and had a wonderful time there. I remembered the staff was so friendly and made us felt so welcomed.”

“Bummer! My parents took me there a few times to see Buck perform in the 90’s. I always hoped to play there someday.”

“This is sad:-( I’ve seen many concerts with friends there and always enjoyed it. I actually got to meet Blake Shelton there when right after Austin came out. Good memories”

Crystal Palace opened in October of October 1996 and quickly became an esteemed country music venue in the West Coast. With this establishment, which served as a nightclub, restaurant and museum, Owen’s dreams of booking well established acts and rising stars came true.

Owens himself even played there many times. Alongside his band, the Buckaroos, the popular act would take the stage Friday and Saturday nights in a more laid-back fashion that resembled his early in his career when he took requests from the audience simply enjoyed the act of performing.

The “My Heart Skips a Beat” singer made his mark on the venue until his very last day. It was only fitting that Crystal Palace would be the last place he ever performed in his career.

On Friday, March 24, 2006, despite feeling unwell, a couple of excited fans gave him the energy to deliver his typical 90-minute set. He returned home to his ranch that evening and died in his sleep in the early morning of March 25.

His family and Foundation have continued to honor Buck Owens’ legacy by managing the Crystal Palace in a way that reflects how they believe he would have wanted. The influence of his image and career has never faded, thanks to their efforts.

When asked several years before his passing how he hoped to be remembered, Buck humbly said, “I think I’m gonna be remembered the same way that people remember me today. There’s gonna be those that liked me and those that didn’t like me. I’d like just to be remembered as a guy that came along and did his music, did his best and showed up on time, clean and ready to do the job, wrote a few songs, and had a hell of a time.”

The exact timing of the closure has yet to be shared, but a few upcoming events are still on scheduled on the official website, including Buck Owens’ weekend birthday celebration on August 8 and 9.