Buck Owens and the Love That Grew Slowly — A Hidden Chapter of Faith, Music, and Connection
Buck Owens — one of country music’s most influential voices — lived a life filled with success, fame, and heartbreak. But behind the spotlight, there was a quiet, tender story few ever knew: his slow-burn romance with singer Victoria Hallman, who later took the stage name Jesse Rose McQueen. In her book Hollywood Lights, Nashville Nights, Hallman opens up about their emotional bond — one that unfolded gently and was guided, surprisingly, by faith and prayer.
A Slow and Gentle Beginning
In the spring of 1979, Hallman was invited to perform with Owens at the Orange Show in California. What began as a professional collaboration soon evolved into something deeper.
“It came very slowly, very gradually. It wasn’t like dating. We just went places together — he’d play music for me, we’d hug, and somehow, love just happened,” Hallman recalled.
The day after their first show together, Owens called her — and from then on, their connection grew through long days on the road and nights spent rehearsing, performing, and simply talking.
The Protector and the Watcher
Hallman described Owens as caring yet protective — sometimes even a bit possessive. If he couldn’t reach her in Hollywood, he’d call her mother in Alabama just to check on her.
When they were together, Owens preferred a quiet, simple life. The two would often stay in, watch television, and enjoy his favorite homemade dish: chicken-fried steak. On Owens’ 50th birthday, he gave her a gift that symbolized his affection — her stage name, “Jesse Rose McQueen,” inspired by one of his favorite country motifs.
“He told me, ‘You’re my Jesse Rose.’ It was his way of claiming me in a sweet, almost old-fashioned way,” Hallman wrote.
When Prayer Replaced Words
One of the most intimate revelations in Hallman’s story is how Owens often turned to her not for advice — but for prayer.
When his beloved dog, Cannon, was diagnosed with cancer, Owens called Hallman in distress. Instead of asking for comfort in words, he simply said:
“You have a special connection to God. Will you pray for me? Pray that I have the strength to face this.”
Hallman’s description paints a side of Owens the public rarely saw — vulnerable, spiritual, and searching for peace beyond fame. Their moments of shared prayer, she said, “felt more powerful than love songs.” It wasn’t about religion — it was about trust. Owens, the country rebel known for Act Naturally and Love’s Gonna Live Here, showed his deepest emotions not on stage, but in quiet moments of faith shared with the woman who stood by him.
A Goodbye Without Bitterness
Their relationship came to an end in March 1980. Hallman later married another man, Jim Halper — “a Clark Gable type with Paul Newman eyes,” as she described. Owens was disappointed but handled it with grace. He wished her happiness and insisted they remain friends. Years later, during the Hee Haw 25th Anniversary Show in Oklahoma, Hallman saw Owens one last time. She knocked on his motorhome door, and he greeted her with warmth and a soft kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye. That would be their final meeting. Buck Owens passed away in 2006, at age 76, after suffering a heart attack in his sleep. By then, he had already overcome years of illness, including cancer surgery in 1993 — yet he never stopped performing or creating music for his fans.
Conflicting Memories, But a Shared Legacy
When Hallman’s book was released, some close to Owens were surprised by her revelations. Jim Shaw, a longtime member of the Buckaroos band, said he was unaware of any romantic involvement between the two. He confirmed that Hallman did perform under the name Jesse Rose McQueen during 1979 but admitted that if there was something deeper, “they kept it very private.” Hallman herself doesn’t deny that her story may differ from what others remember — but she insists her memories are real. “It wasn’t glamorous,” she said, “it was real — simple, kind, and full of grace.” Even after her time on Hee Haw, Hallman struggled to be recognized beyond her image as the “sexy brunette singer.” Yet, she looks back on those years with gratitude: “It was hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Faith, Fame, and Human Fragility
This story reveals something profound about Buck Owens — that even a country legend, known for his humor, charisma, and energy, sought strength in prayer and companionship rather than fame or applause. The romance between Owens and Hallman wasn’t a dramatic Hollywood affair. It was quiet. It was slow. It was human. And perhaps that’s why it lingers — because it reminds us that even icons long for connection beyond the stage. Their love may not have lasted, but the tenderness that defined it remains a moving footnote in country music history — one where music, faith, and emotion intertwined in ways few ever saw.