Getting his start right here locally at Pots, Jake Owen (swoon)- the lush-haired, country crooning beauty began performing on Friday nights for $75 and free beer, and let me tell you what I would give to be able to rewind time and witness that. Regardless of whether or not you’re a country music fan, it’s hard to deny the sense of pride and support that’s sure to ensue when one of our own makes it big. Let’s face it- I’m sure we’d all like to be “Campus Celebrities,” and honestly who’s saying that we can’t be? Stories like Jake Owen’s prove that sometimes the track that we’re headed towards doesn’t necessarily dictate the path that we end up taking. Sometimes all you really need is a guitar, some courage, and a great local bar to catapult you into superstardom.
Although very well known in the country community, performing wasn’t Owen’s first passion. Growing up in Vero Beach, Florida, Owen was involved with a variety of sports, but by the time he was 12 he had decided that professional golfing was in his future. After high school, Owen and his twin brother Jarrod moved to Tallahassee, where he became a walk-on member of the FSU golf team. On course to achieve his dreams of becoming a professional golfer, his plans were severely altered when he was involved in a wakeboarding accident. Having to undergo reconstructive surgery, his golf dreams were placed on the backburner indefinitely.
While in recovery, Owen borrowed a friend’s guitar (lucky for us) and taught himself how to play. Before long, he found himself performing at Potbelly’s, giving Florida State students a sneak peak of what great success was coming his way. Starting out with covers of other well-known songs, Owen transitioned into song writing in order to feel more connected with his music. The ever-popular song, “Eight Second Ride” was actually written while Owen was in Tallahassee and then performed at Pots.
Majoring in English and Political Science, Owen made a life changing decision and took a chance on his music career by moving from Tallahassee to Nashville in 2005, just nine credits shy of graduating. Within a year he was signed to a record label. From college student to singing sensation, Owen has toured with many popular country artists such as Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, and Tim McGraw. His talent and success caught the eyes of many, and before long he was awarded a Grammy. Fame hasn’t gotten to Owen’s head though, as he still remembers his start in Tallahassee. You can even find him rooting for the Noles on Twitter.
Jake Owen shares in his online bio, “For a long time, I tried not to really tell my story because I felt like everybody thought, ‘Look at this lucky kid.’ So I’ve always been a little hesitant to talk about that, even a little ashamed of it. Then I started thinking, this is my story. This is what I did so I should be proud, not ashamed. Yes, I feel like I was very, very fortunate, but I am also extremely grateful that everything happened the way it did. I truly believe that everything always works out the way it’s supposed to.”