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Introducing:
Shane Owens
By Gary Voorhies ©
2006 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.
 A
native of tiny Samson, Ala., the first musical influence for
Shane Owens was his grandmother, who played piano and sang to
him.
"I
dedicated my album to her," he said. "She passed away
a year before last. She was probably the biggest
inspiration to me. I know we got on her nerves, but she'd play
if we asked her to play. She'd play all night long."
He
started singing early on, and at 6 was part of the church choir.
An outgoing youngster, Owens was not shy about being in front of
a crowd and welcomed opportunities to sing at nursing homes and
charity events.
He
became an accomplished athlete. As the quarterback he broke his
passing arm during his senior year of high school football, but
still earned a spot as a walk-on at Jacksonville State
University. When he realized the injury would hamper his
football skills, he bought a guitar. He took some lessons and
joined Young Country, a band that won the Jimmy Dean Country
Showdown state competition in 1995 and 1997.
After
Young Country broke up, Owens joined Borderline, whose members
morphed into the house band at the club, Cowboys. The club owner
recognized Owens talent and encouraged him to go to Nashville,
where indie label Rust Records signed him.
Kevin
Wayne Waldrop, who co-wrote seven of the 10 songs on Let's
Get On With It with Owens, produced the album, which was
released on Aug. 23. Influenced by Country legends including
Earl Thomas Conley, Vern Gosdin, George Jones and Keith Whitley,
Owens made an album that honors his heroes. Owens and Waldrop
wrote the debut single, "Bottom of the Fifth."
IN
HIS OWN WORDS:
Who
is your musical hero? "Keith Whitley."
What
CD is on your stereo right now? "Mine!"
What
book is on your nightstand right now? "Crimson Nation:
The Shaping of the South's Most Dominant Football Team,
written by Eli Gold."
What
do you sing in the shower? "'I'll Fly Away,' written by
Albert E. Brumley. It was my Grandma's favorite song."
What
is your pet peeve? "I'm a neat freak. Everything must be
clean."
What
actor would portray you in a biopic about your life? "Luke
Perry."
What
moment in your life would you relive if you could? "My
first child being born."
What
song do you wish you had written? "'He Stopped Loving Her
Today,' written by Bobby Braddock and Claude Putnam and recorded
by George Jones."
What
word or phrase do you find yourself saying over and over again?
"Let's get on it!"
Do
you have a lucky charm? "A rusty old pocketknife that my
granddaddy gave me when I was 6."
Which
mode of transportation do you prefer - planes, trains or
automobiles? "Automobiles."
Who
is your dream duet partner? "Reba McEntire."
When
they look back on your life in 50 years, what do you hope people
say about you? "He was a very classy guy and a great
Country artist."
On
the Web: www.shaneowens.us
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