Artists

Jake Owen is one of the stalwart figures of bro-county, the cheerful good-time music that dominated mainstream country radio during much of the 2010s. Owen emerged before this phenomenon, having his first success in the latter half of the 2000s with such straight-ahead contemporary country songs as "Yee Haw" and "Don't Think I Can't Love You." Owen found his groove in 2011 with Barefoot Blue Jean Night, an album where he brightened his sound, accentuated melody, and ramped up his rhythms, a shift in style and attitude that gave him four successive number one Billboard Country Airplay hits: "Barefoot Blue Jean Night, "Alone with You," "The One That Got Away," and "Anywhere with You." The top of the charts became familiar territory for Owen, a place he remained even after the bro-country era faded, racking up three Billboard Country Airplay number ones at the end of the 2010s with "I Was Jack (You Were Diane)," "Homemade," and "Made for You." A native of Vero Beach, Florida, Owen and his fraternal twin Jarrod grew up in the Florida sun playing sports like baseball and football before Jake turned to golf and Jarrod to tennis. They continued their respective sports as students at Florida State University, until a water-skiing accident resulted in reconstructive surgery for Jake. Off the golf team and struggling with depression, he borrowed a neighbor's guitar and passed the time teaching himself to play by listening to childhood favorites like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Vern Gosdin, and Keith Whitley.