Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, Startin' with Me, that year.
While recovering from his injuries, he borrowed a neighbor's guitar and began to teach himself how to play it. After seeing a guitarist perform at a campus bar, he asked the bar's owner if he could play a gig there. Eventually, he became a regular at the bar, and soon took up writing his own material as well.[4] He then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, making his first stop at a bank to open a savings account; after telling the bank teller that he was a singer and songwriter, the teller then asked if he had any recordings available.[5] He gave her a CD of his work, which she sent to the Warner/Chappell Music publishing company.
Career
Although Warner/Chappell did not sign him to a contract, Jake Owen eventually met the record producer and songwriter Jimmy Ritchey. They, along with songwriter Chuck Jones, wrote a song "Ghosts". which they had intended for Kenny Chesney. Chesney, ultimately, did not record "Ghosts", although it drew the attention of Sony BMG Nashville executives, who signed Owen to their RCA Nashville label in 2005.[3] Per their suggestion, Owen changed his first name to Jake, so as to avoid confusion with Josh Turner and Josh Gracin.[5]
2006–2010: Startin' with Me and Easy Does It
In early 2006, Jake Owen released his debut single, titled "Yee Haw". He describes the song (an up-tempo party anthem in which the narrator expresses his enjoyment with a cry of "yeehaw") as being written "to make people have a good time".[6] It peaked at No.16 on the BillboardHot Country Songs chart and served as the lead-off single on his debut album, Startin' with Me.[3]
Released on July 25, 2006, the album featured 11 tracks, all co-written by him and his producer. Among them were his own recording of "Ghosts" and a duet with Randy Owen (no relation) of Alabama entitled "You Can Thank Dixie".[7] After the album's release, Jake Owen was signed as an opening act for acts such as Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.[8]
The album's title track, a ballad in which the narrator expresses his desire to change everything in his life, was released as his second single. Spending more than thirty-five weeks on the Billboard country chart, "Startin' with Me" became his first top 10 hit, reaching a peak of No.6.[8] Also in 2007, he went on tour with Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn.[8] "Something About a Woman" was released in late 2007 as the third single. In September 2007, he and country quartet Little Big Town joined country duo Sugarland's tour.[9] During this tour, the three acts began performing "Life in a Northern Town" (a cover of British pop group The Dream Academy's hit single from 1985). A music video of their live performance was aired on CMT. In April 2008, a recording of this performance entered the Billboard country chart based on unsolicited airplay.
Jake Owen released his second studio album, Easy Does It, on February 24, 2009. The album debuted at No.2 on the BillboardTop Country Albums and No.13 on the Billboard 200. The lead-off single to the album, "Don't Think I Can't Love You" became his first top 5 country hit, reaching No.2 on the Hot Country Songs chart in April 2009. "Eight Second Ride", a song which was originally on Startin' with Me and newly recorded for Easy Does It, was the album's second single; it peaked at No.11 in January 2010. "Tell Me" was the album's third single, reaching number 35.
2011–2012: Barefoot Blue Jean Night and Endless Summer
Jake Owen released an extended play titled Endless Summer on September 25, 2012. It includes "Summer Jam", a collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, which charted within the top 40 of Hot Country Songs despite not being released as a single.
2013–2017: Days of Gold and American Love
The first single from Owen's fourth studio album, "Days of Gold", was released to country radio in August 2013. During Owen's June 2013 StageIt show, he confirmed that the album would also feature the new song "Ghost Town". The album, also titled Days of Gold, was released on December 3, 2013.[10] In May 2015, Owen released a new non-album single to country radio, titled "Real Life". The song peaked at number 17 on the Country Airplay chart. It was eventually pulled from country radio after receiving overwhelmingly poor response. He performed the single live at the 2015 CMT (U.S. TV channel) Award show.
On February 2, 2016, Owen announced via Facebook that a new single would be released to country radio on March 7, 2016,[11] titled "American Country Love Song".[12] It is the lead single from his fifth studio album American Love which was released on July 29, 2016.[13]
2017–2022: Label change and Greetings from... Jake
In November 2017, it was announced that Owen had left RCA in favor of Big Loud Records.[14] Owen released two singles for the label: "I Was Jack (You Were Diane)" and "Down to the Honkytonk". These were included on his first Big Loud album, Greetings from... Jake, which released on March 29, 2019.[15] The album charted at #8 on the Billboard Country album chart, reportedly selling 4,000 copies in the first week.[16] The album's third single, Homemade, was released on June 3, 2019, and reached no. 1 on the Country Airplay chart.[citation needed] Owen performed at the Medina County Fair on July 31, 2019.
Owen released his seventh studio album Loose Cannon on June 23, 2023.[20] He was a co-writer on the song "Good Time Getting There", recorded and released by Dallas Smith on his self-titled album in October 2023.[21]
Personal life
Owen married model Lacey Buchanan on May 7, 2012, in Vero Beach, Florida.[22] The couple became engaged on April 7, 2012, after Owen proposed to Buchanan onstage in front of a crowd in his hometown of Vero Beach at his annual charity event.[23] After proposing, he jokingly asked, "You're probably wondering where your ring is, right?" referring to the fact that he proposed without a ring, and his single "Don't Think I Can't Love You" which he had performed prior to proposing.[24] The couple had their first daughter on November 22, 2012, Thanksgiving Day.[25] The couple divorced in August 2015 after three years of marriage.[26] Owen and girlfriend Erica Hartlein welcomed a daughter on April 29, 2019.[27]
In 2010, Owen founded a nonprofit charity, which has raised over $3 million as of 2022.[28] Initially to offer financial support on a national level to children battling cancer, it now provides assistance to various youth organizations in Indian River County. The foundation holds an annual Jake Owen Foundation weekend where he performs to raise money for the foundation.[28]
Owen is a keen golfer, and, in November 2017, it was announced that he would be teeing up in the Nashville Golf Open on the Web.com Tour in May 2018.[29]
While speaking with Barstool Sports in an April 2, 2019, interview, Jake Owen described an encounter with Phil Mickelson at Jordan Spieth's wedding in November 2018, where Mickelson told Owen to go 'f---' himself.[30] The verbal altercation was initiated by Owen who voiced his disappointment with The Match: Tiger vs Phil head-to-head match play golf challenge, a pay-per-view event, on which he spent $29.99 and wanted a refund. As told by Owen, Mickelson pulled a wad of $100 bills from his pocket and responded, "Yeah, I won 90,000 of these yesterday. Take one and go f--- yourself."[31] The event purse was $9 million. Mickelson verified the truth of the story via Twitter.[30]
During gay pride month in June 2019, Owen released a video performing a cover of "Believe", a song made popular by Cher and one of the anthems used by LGBT community. It was in support of his close friends and coworkers who are gay. The post sparked backlash from fans who threatened to boycott his concerts and music. In response, Owen suggested to those fans that they come to his concert and he would be happy to give them a hug and stated "You need one."[32]
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