Tuesday, 18 November, 2008 3:32 AM
Country star
Randy Owen signs copies of new album, book at Borders
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Randy
Owen stands with a copy of his new book, "Born Country".
TAYLOR,
Mich. -- It’s 6:55 p.m. and the former lead singer
of Alabama has just arrived at Borders in Taylor. Randy Owen is
here to autograph copies of his new album “One on One”
and his new book “Born Country”, both of which were
released on Election Day.
A day earlier,
Owen performed at the 2nd Annual Fox Stripped Live concert at the
Fillmore Theatre in Detroit. He was one of 10 artists that entertained
the crowd at the listener appreciation concert. Owen joined the
likes of Josh Turner, Billy Currington, Heidi Newfield and Darius
Rucker, just to name a few.
“It
was a fascinating show,” Owen said. “It was something
that hopefully the customers that were there understood what a significant
accomplishment it was for this area to get all those great writers
and singers and performers in this area. Of course, that incredible
venue is just like a legendary wonderful place that you’d
love to store in every city…as far as the acoustics.”
When asked
if there would be a reunion tour for Alabama in the future, the
former lead singer said, “No”.
Owen was
one of three judges on the 5th season of TV’s Nashville Star.
He joined Blake Shelton and Anastasia Brown.
“It
was unique working with Anastasia and Blake,” Owen recalls.
“They were very good friends. A lot of fun to be around. I
enjoyed it. It’s not really my bag doing that. You know, I
was looking more to probably to advise the kids rather than critique
them.”
Owen is
now a solo artist with a brand new single on the radio, “Like
I Never Broke Her Heart”.
“It
was a song by Shannon Lawson and a couple of his friends,”
he said. “It was the only song I’ve ever done or sung
where I’m the bad guy. So it was a really great song. It was
one you could not record.”
Randy Owen’s
new album is titled One on One and it was released on Nov.
4th.
“To
me, it’s like having children. They’re all favorites,”
says Owen of his new record. “They’re all equal. They
all have their own unique stories. Most of them I wrote or co-wrote.
That always makes it more personal. What I hope to accomplish with
the CD is…it’s almost been eight years since I’ve
actually went in the studio and recorded a new song for country
radio.”
“I’m
hoping if I get an opportunity to continue the work I do with St.
Jude and other charities that I’m involved with. In today’s
sound bite society if you don’t have something current, the
effectiveness of the message that you have for the public is pretty
diminished. My hope is we can get some singles played and when I
trade my work in that I do for my fellow man that I get an opportunity.”
Owen established
the St. Jude “Country Cares for Kids” radiothon in 1989.
It is one of the most-successful radio fundraisers in history.
“First
of all, we got started with the right frame of mind…that is
about ‘we’ and not ‘me’. It was about hoping
that day in 1989 when I asked the Country Radio Seminar that they
would get involved in some sort of nationwide hookup or effort.
That materialized after a couple years got more streamlined, some
of the really great men and women who know how to program radio
and special events, they got together and basically invented the
word ‘radiothon’. It’s been very successful. Some
of the children I first met now have families of their own. It’s
a great accomplishment for all of us. I believe Danny would be proud
of country music for what we’ve done.”
The songwriter
and former lead singer of Alabama also released a book titled “Born
Country” on the same day that his new album debuted.
“Basically,
it talks about my life and how growing up in rural, northeastern
Alabama and all the way through the life and the highlights and
lowlights to the tough times and happy times. It’s something
that will hopefully encourage the kids that are born in the country
and on the farms that they can take a lot of pride in what their
lives are about. They can accomplish a whole lot if they have the
opportunity. It’s cool to be who you really are.”
"I
like him for what he stands for, what he portrays," said Bonnie
Quiel of Taylor, Mich. "A very wholesome, unique, young man.
I got the book and the CD. I saw them before Alabama was known.
It was a morning show on TV. I was mesmerized by it. He has a wonderful
voice."
"I've
always liked Alabama," said Mary Quimby of Stryker, Ohio. "I've
seen him 11 times. It's a good book about him growing up. Never
got an autograph before. My first one. I like Randy Owen."
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
The
book signing began at 7 p.m. at the Borders location in Taylor,
Mich.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
A
sign indicates that Randy Owen will be autographing copies of his
new book.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Randy Owen released his new book, "Born Country", and
his new album, One on One, on the same day -- Nov. 4, 2008.
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