The folk music of his native Canada, especially of the maritime provinces, made a strong impression on Owen at an early age. He loved the jaunty rhythms and lively tunes of Newfoundlander songs such as, "I's the bye that builds the boat" and, "The Kelligrew's Soiree," but also the beautiful, haunting melodies of ballads such as, "She's like the swallow."

Owen began singing and playing multiple instruments before he was 10. By the age of 12 he had recorded two long-playing albums of folksongs and popular songs of folksingers like Burl Ives, Will Millar of the Irish Rovers and Tom Paxton. Later formal studies led Owen to a career in music education and church music. He currently resides in San Antonio, TX with his wife and two-year-old daughter, and his five-year-old son to whom his first CD is dedicated. 

On An Elephant Never Forgets, Owen sings and plays banjo, guitar, tin whistle and xylophone. He is joined by jazz musicians Barry Brake and Darren Kuper of the Jazz Protagonists, upright bass player Brandon Rivas and brass musician extraordinaire Ron Wilkins. On fiddle is Grammy-winning Texas fiddler Bobby Flores. Guitarists Robin Howell, Florin Sanchez and 12-year-old Jonathan Fox on dobro are joined by harpist Nancy McHugh and singer Kami Huyse.

Much silliness in the studio prevailed as Darren provided the voice for the little ant on, "The Ants." Barry dubbed in the dock foreman's voice on, "Tugboat Ted" and Ron provided the sound of the foghorn through a technique called 'throat singing.'  (Ask him about it.) The sounds of talking fish on, "At the Codfish Ball" were provided by talking fish. Owen's mother Anne Duggan contributed three original songs to the CD including, "If I had a horse" and, "Ladybug."

In the fall of 2006, Owen and his production company OLDmusic received two awards for An Elephant Never Forgets, a gold award from National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) and a silver honor award from Parents' Choice Foundation. Previous winners of these awards include Raffi, Fred Penner, Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes and Tom Chapin.

In November of '07 the Childen's Music Web, a parent-child resource sponsored by Pickleberry Pie, Inc., designated, "The Elephant Song" as 'best song for babies and toddlers' and, "The Ants" as 'best song for preschoolers.' The songs were judged by children in families, preschools and daycare centers worldwide. Pickleberry Pie is a charity dedicated to the healing power of music and personal contact to improve the lives of seriously ill children and teens.  

Artist Management: Foley Entertainment, Inc.

Promotions: Mixed Media Promotions

Photo ©2006 Marks Moore Photography