Jake Owen Biography

Jake Owen, singer

Birthdate: August 28, 1981

Birthplace: Vero Beach, Florida

Sign: Virgo

Country singer Jake Owen has toured as an opening act for Brad Paisley, Little Big Town and Sugarland and finished up a successful 2008 by being nominated for a Grammy for his part in the collaboration of the song "Life In A Northern Town" with Sugarland and Little Big Town.

Owen began his career in 2005 when he signed with RCA Records Nashville and released his debut album Startin' with Me. His debut album produced three singles "Yee Haw," "Startin' with Me" and "Something About a Woman," all of which reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. A fourth single, "Don't Think I Can't Love You," was released in 2008 as the first from his upcoming album Easy Does It, which will be released in 2009.

Jake Owen and his fraternal twin brother Jarrod Moore were born in Vero Beach, Florida on August 28, 1981.

Jake's birth name is Joshua, but producers in Nashville suggested he change his first name to Jake to avoid confusion with country singers Josh Turner and Josh Gracin.

Owen hoped to pursue a career as a professional golfer, winning his first golf tournament at age fifteen. After graduating high school, both Owen brothers attended Florida State University where Owen served as a walk-on member of the university's golf team. However, a waterskiing accident left him unable to continue playing the sport.

While recovering from his injuries, Owen borrowed a neighbor's guitar and began to teach himself how to play. After seeing a guitarist performing at a campus bar, Owen asked the bar owner if he could play a gig there. Eventually, Owen became a regular at the bar and soon started writing his own material.

Owen decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue his country music career and his first stop in town was at a bank to open a savings account. After telling the bank teller that he was a singer and songwriter, the teller asked him if he had any recordings available and Owen gave her a CD of his songs. The teller gave the recording to Warner/Chappell Music publishing company and they called Owen.

Warner/Chappell didn't sign Owen to a contract, but he eventually met record producer and songwriter Jimmy Ritchey. Along with songwriter Chuck Jones they wrote a song entitled "Ghosts," which they planned for Kenny Chesney to record. Although Chesney didn't record the song, the song drew the attention of Sony BMG Nashville executives who signed Owen to their RCA Records label.

In early 2006, Owen released his debut single "Yee Haw." The song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and served as the lead-off single to his debut album, Startin' with Me.

The album was released in 2006 and featured eleven tracks, all co-written by Owen and his producer. Owen's own recording of "Ghosts," as well as a duet with Randy Owen the former lead singer of the band Alabama called "You Can Thank Dixie," made it onto the album. After the album's release, Owen toured as an opening act for Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

His second album Easy Does It will be released on February 24, 2009.