Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Phillip Bury |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California , United States |
| Products | Rockabilly music |
Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys was a rockabilly group originating from San Francisco, California, in the United States.
History
Hailing initially from Omaha, Nebraska, Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys became part of the San Francisco Bay Area music landscape during the mid-1980s. The frontman and guitarist, Phillip Bury (born 1954), who adopted the stage name "Buck Naked," was known for his distinctive attire on stage—consisting solely of cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, his guitar, and a strategically positioned toilet plunger. The ensemble featured Buck's sibling Stephen Bury, performing as "Hector Naked," alongside David Wees, known as "Stinky LePew." Despite the band's suggestive title, Buck Naked was the only member to perform in near nudity.
The group maintained a strong connection with the band Primus, who paid homage to Bury through various visual elements in their music videos—such as a painting in "Mr. Krinkle" and a bass drum head in "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver." Additionally, Primus acknowledged him in the credits of their 1993 release Pork Soda.
In 1991, they made an appearance on the Joan Rivers Show during a feature highlighting "the most outrageous bands in the world."
The band's career was tragically cut short in November 1992 when Phillip Bury was shot and killed while walking his dog in San Francisco's Panhandle park by a taxi driver named Michael Kagan. Kagan, who had been feeding pigeons in that area for many years, claimed self-defense after alleging that Bury attacked him with a bicycle lock. Witness statements indicated that Kagan had previously threatened dogs that chased pigeons as well as their owners. The California Supreme Court upheld Kagan’s manslaughter conviction, resulting in a 16-year prison sentence—the maximum penalty permitted.
Discography
- Teenage Pussy From Outer Space (EP)
- Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys (1993)