b. Vero Beach, Florida, USA. This country singer-songwriter chanced onto a music career when his ambition to become a professional golfer was curtailed by serious injury. Owen had grown up around music as his father Randy Owen is the singer for country megastars Alabama, and he turned to the guitar during his convalescence. He had soon graduated to performing live and writing his own songs. Relocating to the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee, Owen enjoyed a surprisingly smooth ride to a major label recording contract with BMG Nashville, helped in no small part by his smooth vocals, good looks and slick take on neo-traditionalist country. His polished style was epitomised by ‘Yee Haw’, a jaunty slice of traditional country that became a notable hit on the Billboard country chart and also sneaked into the pop charts during the summer of 2006. His debut album, Startin’ With Me, which followed the single into the charts, was an enjoyable enough collection of songs although hardly groundbreaking.
