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Jake Owen
Guest Artist
When plans for a career as a professional golfer were derailed by a shoulder injury, country singer/songwriter Jake Owen picked up a guitar and never looked back. Off the Florida State golf team and depressed, he borrowed a neighbor's guitar and passed time teaching himself to play by listening to childhood favorites like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Vern Gosdin, and Keith Whitley.
Ambitious but inexperienced, with good looks and a smooth baritone, Owen could next be found playing country covers in campus bars for free beer and a few bucks. Growing tired of covers, he began penning his own songs that were met with positive response. This motivated him to follow his new dream of becoming a singer and move to Nashville.
He constantly wrote songs in his Bellevue apartment, and after a chance lunch meeting, producer Jimmy Ritchey befriended the young musician. Eventually, his friendship with Ritchey led to a meeting with Sony/BMG Nashville and resulted in a record contract, with his album basically finished. His debut, Startin' with Me, appeared in summer 2006 and included the Top 10 single of the same title. He claimed his first industry accolade in 2008 when the Academy of Country Music named him Top New Male Vocalist. In February 2009, Owen released Easy Does It, with "Don't Think I Can't Love You" released as the project's debut single. And in August 2011, Owen released his third studio album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night featuring hit title track, plus "Alone With You," "The One That Got Away," and more.
Latest CD
Barefoot Blue Jean Night