Country legend Buck Owens died of heart failure at his home in Bakersfield, California yesterday. He was 76.

The Together Again star, who sold more than 16 million albums and had 15 consecutive US country number one singles, passed away in his sleep.

Born in Texas, Owens moved to Bakersfield in 1951 and had his first top 10 hit in 1960 with Under Your Spell Again.

Keyboardist Jim Shaw, who played in Owen's band The Buckaroos, says, "He was one of the true innovators. I think the reason he was so well known and respected by a younger generation of country musicians was because he was an innovator and rebel. He did it his own way, an outside gunslinger type who used his own band and made music in Hollywood rather than Nashville. That free spirit made him important to a lot of people."

Owens also co-hosted US TV show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1986.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)