Jay Owens (musician)
Jay Owens | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Isaac Jerome Owens |
| Born | September 6, 1947 Lake City, Florida, United States |
| Died | November 26, 2005 (aged 58) Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Electric blues, soul blues[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–2005 |
| Labels | Atlantic, EastWest |
Jay Owens (September 6, 1947 – November 26, 2005)[2] was a blind African-American electric blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[1]
Life and career[edit]
Isaac Jerome Owens was born in Lake City, Florida, United States.[1] His mother was a minister in a local church, where Owens first learned to sing. He learned to appreciate blues from an uncle of his.[3] Having obtained his first guitar, Owens was playing music professionally by the time he left high school.[4]
Owens played alongside his friend, Johnny Kay, in the 1970s and 1980s, leading a succession of bands playing in the Tampa Bay and St. Petersberg area of Florida.[1] In such a role he supported many other musicians such as O. V. Wright, Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Aaron Neville and Little Milton.[4]
Mike Vernon produced Owens' debut solo album, The Blues Soul of Jay Owens, which was released on Atlantic Records in 1993, and featured Pete Wingfield playing keyboards[5] It won Living Blues magazine's 'Best Blues Album' and 'Best Debut Album' awards.[3] In 1995, EastWest issued Movin' On, which included contributions as before from Vernon and Wingfield, while Dave Bronze played bass guitar on the collection.[6]
He was also a prolific songwriter, and his songs have been recorded by Jim Leverton ("Only Human"),[7] James Booker ("1-2-3" and "One Hell of a Nerve"),[8][9] and K. T. Oslin ("Come On-A My House").[10]
In 1997, Owens moved to Orlando, Florida after spending twenty years in New York City.[4]
Owens died at his home in Orlando, at the age of 58, from complications of diabetes in November 2005.[4]
Discography[edit]
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Blues Soul of Jay Owens | Atlantic |
| 1995 | Movin' On | EastWest |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Jason Ankeny. "Jay Owens | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Jay Owens". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ a b "Google Groups". Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ a b c d "Southpinellas: Blues guitarist Jay Owens dies at 58". Sptimes.com. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "The Blues Soul of Jay Owens – Jay Owens | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Movin' On – Jay Owens | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Jo-Ann Greene (2006-11-13). "End of the Pier Show – Jim Leverton | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "United, Our Thing Will Stand – James Booker | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. 2004-10-26. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Al Campbell. "A Taste Of Honey: Live In New Orleans 1977 – James Booker | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Maria Konicki Dinoia (2001-03-06). "Live Close By, Visit Often – K.T. Oslin | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Jay Owens | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1947 births
- 2005 deaths
- American blues singers
- 20th-century African-American male singers
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Electric blues musicians
- Soul-blues musicians
- Songwriters from Florida
- People from Lake City, Florida
- Blind musicians
- Deaths from diabetes in the United States
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male singers
- African-American songwriters
- African-American guitarists
- 21st-century African-American people
- American male songwriters
- American blind people
- American musicians with disabilities
- 20th-century American songwriters