What Made Jake Owen First Pick Up a Guitar?
It's hard to imagine Jake Owen without an instrument in his hand, but, ladies and gentlemen, there was a moment when he picked up a guitar for the very first time. This Taste of Country You Think You Know Country? video explores that "very first time" -- and it was more recent than you may think. Owen was a promising young golf player at Florida State University, with his sights set on going pro -- and no experience at all with the guitar -- when a wakeboarding accident halted his career aspirations.
"He was very focused on golf, and I don't know if it was because I loved golf so much that I pushed him," his father says.
So, Owen turned to another interest: music. He picked up the guitar, and soon, he discovered that it would provide him with lots of holes-in-one ... or, No. 1 songs, rather.
Even though college was the first time Owen strummed some strings, his parents recall an amusing childhood performance -- one that is just too adorable to forget. When the country star was in sixth grade, he, twin brother Jarrod and future tennis pro Mardy Fish would get up and sang Brooks & Dunn's "Boot-Scootin' Boogie" during lunch, belting out those lyrics in the lunchroom and foreshadowing Owen's future.
Fast forward to Owen in his early 20s: He left FSU with one semester left, signed a contract with RCA Records and officially changed his name from Josh to Jake.
"When he left FSU to purse his career, I had some reservations, as any parent would," his dad continues. "He was so focused to pursue this dream. I could not tell him no."
And it's a good thing he didn't, because country fans would feel a definite void. Check out the video above for more little-known facts about the "Beachin'" hitmaker's quick rise to the top ... with a few more accidents along the way.
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