Lindsey Belsky

Southwest Bakersfield and Taft Neighborhood Reporter

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Buck Owens' Crystal Palace closed about a year ago, and its future remains uncertain. Now, one offer on the table would mean tearing it down.

Country singer Scotty Crabtree started visiting the Palace in 1999. He says performing with its house band years later helped launch his career.

"Basically, my professional career started in 2007 through getting to perform with the house band at the Crystal Palace," Crabtree said.

Buck Owens opened the Crystal Palace in 1996, creating a home for the Bakersfield Sound. When Crabtree learned one offer could lead to demolition, he says he couldn't sit back and watch the Palace disappear. He started an online petition that has now gathered more than 200 signatures.

The Buck Owens Private Foundation confirms it has received several offers — including one still on the table that would tear the building down. In a written statement, foundation representative Jim Shaw said the hope is to find a buyer who will reopen and reimagine the venue.

"Since the listing and closing of the Crystal Palace last year we've had quite a bit of interest and several offers (including one still on the table that would be a tear-down!!). Our hope is that sooner rather than later the right person will step forward with a plan to reopen the venue in a manner that will bring our beautiful building back to life. Although in our perfect world the theme would remain Buck and the Bakersfield Sound, we accept that the new iteration might not resemble the version that we all remember. There are numerous ways that the venue could be reimagined, but what's important is that in it's next life it's still a wonderful asset for the Bakersfield community," Shaw said.

The City of Bakersfield calls the Palace a valuable community asset. The city says it cannot afford to buy the property outright, but the City Council has directed staff to explore incentives or partnerships that could help a private buyer.

Steven F. Adams, owner of Soundwave One Radio, is among those rallying to preserve the building.

"You can't just take a building down. It's not just a restaurant. It's not just a market. It's Buck Owens' Crystal Palace," Adams said.

Crabtree says he hopes the Palace survives — but remains focused on what endures regardless.

"I hope it stays, but God forbid, if it does not, the Bakersfield Sound will live on, and Buck Owens' music will live on," Crabtree said.

The foundation has not announced a timeline for a final decision. Crabtree hopes to at least have the Palace recognized as a landmark.
His petition is available on Change.org and he says you can contact him via email info@scottycrabtree.com for those that want to help.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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