Country music guitarist Don Rich to receive the 2025 Legacy Award
Annual award from the Centralia College Foundation honors life of influence.
The Centralia College Foundation has selected Don Rich (born Donald Eugene Urich)
for its 2025 Legacy Award. The award honors his dedication, commitment, and contribution
to music, specifically the country music revival of the 1960s-70s.
Rich will be formally recognized at a special event in the upcoming year. Details will be announced by the Foundation later.
Rich was raised in Olympia/Tumwater and taught fiddle by his parents at age 3. He eventually added the guitar and played in local music contests, in school, and in bars. At age 16, in 1957, he opened for Elvis Presley in Tacoma.
In 1958, he enrolled in Centralia College with the goal of training to become a music
teacher. However, fame came calling before he graduated. By 1958, Rich’s band was
playing in Tacoma when he caught the attention of country music superstar Buck Owens.
He joined Owens at local gigs and played fiddle with him on a weekly television show,
BAR-K Jamboree on KTNT-TV 13 in Tacoma.
After finishing fall quarter in 1960 at Centralia College, Rich headed south to join Buck Owens in Bakersfield, Calif., and become a full-time member of his band, The Buckaroos. They were collaborators and performers for almost 15 years, achieving incredible commercial and critical success. In addition to playing guitar and fiddle, and singing, Rich co-wrote several songs, including “Before You Go” and “Think of Me,” both of which hit #1 on the charts, and performed on such hits as “Under Your Spell Again,” “Tiger by the Tail,” and “Act Naturally.”
Rich also became a part of the Buck Owens television projects. In 1966, he performed
on “The Buck Owens Ranch Show” until CBS launched “Hee Haw” in 1969. The show went
into syndication in 1971 and remained a weekly series until 1992. The Buckaroos served
as the house band. Rich served as the musical director for the show.
Rich was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 17, 1974, after leaving Owen’s Bakersfield ranch. He was just 32 years old.
“Don Rich was such an exceptional talent,” said Joe Dolezal, Centralia College Foundation board and Legacy committee member. “It’s an honor to recognize him with the 2025 Legacy Award. He accomplished so much, and was a lasting influence on country music locally, regionally, and nationally.”