Bakersfield, Buck, Merle and Me — Life Lessons for a Young DJ [PHOTOS]

In 2005 I accepted a job in Bakersfield, Calif., at KBKO-FM. I was hired to compete directly against country legend Buck Owens' KUZZ-FM, which has been a country radio music staple since Buck bought the station in 1966.

I was coming from The Bull in Yakima, having done well in the ratings and I was looking to make my mark in a big city. I thought I was going to take the city by storm, but in the end I realized that there was much more to Bakersfield than just radio ... it had this incredible country music legacy that included Owens and Merle Haggard. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in for a musical education I'd never forget.

I wasn't a fan of Merle or Buck growing up. I knew of them, but at that time (the 1980s), I preferred Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Eddie Rabbit and Ronnie Milsap. I was young and rejected anything and everything that wasn't my own musical tastes. If my parents liked it, I wasn't going to like it.

I arrived in Bakersfield in the fall of 2005 and had my first of many dinners at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace. It's a landmark Bakersfield music hall that hosts multiple country performers every year and the place where Garth Brooks proposed to Trisha Yearwood. The entrance of the Crystal Palace has several bronze statues of country music's greats -- including Buck, Garth and Merle. I remember being intimidated at first, but by the time I walked out I was saying to myself, "I can beat this guy."

I was in Bakersfield for 24 months and over those months something changed within me. I discovered that Merle Haggard was from Oildale (the real poor side of Bakersfield) and as I got to know people in Bakersfield I realized how important Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were to the people who live there. I started to research and respect "The Bakersfield Sound," and I met several colorful caretakers of that legacy.

I befriended musicians and performers who played nightly with Buck and Merle and came to realize that I was among the greats and wasn't even aware of it. I found myself listening to the music and walking the streets of Bakersfield, noticing the places in which these songs were written. I started taking pride as a resident of Bakersfield in the music. My attitude and respect were changing because of the music. You get a whole different perspective when you dig beneath the surface of the songs and explore the locations that inspired the music.

I did get to see Buck perform before he passed, but I never saw Merle perform live. Merle was scheduled to play at Watershed this summer, and I was excited to finally see the show.

Merle Haggard's music will stand the test of time because he lived those songs. As one of the original country outlaws, he blazed a trail for contemporary artists like Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Toby Keith and now, Chris Stapleton. All of those performers -- and anyone else who wants to call themselves outlaws -- owe him a tip of the hat.

I'll miss the great troubadour, but in his passing, the music and messages still ring true today. I'm glad that I came to appreciate the musical legacy that Merle Haggard has left behind.