Jake Owen

Joshua Ryan Owen was born on August 28, 1981, in Winter Haven, Florida. He and his fraternal twin brother, Jarrod, participated in various sports. Owen initially pursued a career in professional golf, winning his first tournament at the age of 15. After graduating from Vero Beach High School, he attended Florida State University. A wakeboarding accident resulted in reconstructive surgery, which prevented him from continuing his golf career. During his recovery, Owen began teaching himself to play guitar. He started performing at a local campus bar and soon began writing his own music. This led him to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in music.

In Nashville, Owen’s early work caught the attention of Warner/Chappell Music, and he eventually met record producer and songwriter Jimmy Ritchey. Collaborating with Ritchey and Chuck Jones, they wrote the song “Ghosts,” which drew interest from Sony BMG Nashville executives. Owen signed with RCA Nashville in 2005. At their suggestion, he adopted the stage name Jake Owen to avoid confusion with other artists. His debut single, “Yee Haw,” was released in early 2006, followed by his debut album, “Startin’ with Me,” on July 25, 2006. The album featured 11 tracks, all co-written by Owen and his producer. He then toured as an opening act for established artists like Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

Owen’s career saw significant progression with his second single, the title track “Startin’ with Me,” which became his first top 10 hit on the Billboard country chart, reaching No. 6. He continued to tour, joining Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn in 2007, and later Sugarland and Little Big Town. His second studio album, “Easy Does It,” released on February 24, 2009, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The lead single, “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” reached No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart. In September 2011, Owen achieved his first number-one hit with the title track to his third studio album, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.” Subsequent singles from this album, “Alone with You,” “The One That Got Away,” and “Anywhere with You,” also reached number one on the Country Airplay chart. His fourth studio album, “Days of Gold,” released on December 3, 2013, produced the number-one single “Beachin'” in 2014. In 2017, Owen transitioned to Big Loud Records, releasing his album “Greetings from… Jake” in 2019, which featured the No. 1 hit “Homemade.” His seventh studio album, “Loose Cannon,” was released on June 23, 2023.