Zócalo's Connecting California
Honky-tonk Blues in Bakersfield
The Bakersfield Sound was once the dominant force in American country music, but those days are long gone. Now Bakersfield serves as a cautionary tale for other regions of the state that could see their defining industries fade out if they are not treated with care.
By Joe Mathews • • 3m ListenHonky-tonks and country music once helped to define Bakersfield, with artists like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens leading the way. But eventually the bands moved on, and Bakersfield is now known more for oil drilling than it is for wailing telecasters. Zócalo Public Square columnist Joe Mathews says Bakersfield's changing identity is a lesson for other other parts of the state like Hollywood and Silicon Valley.