Richie Owens Releases Book and Accompanying Album

Owepar Entertainment has released a new book and accompanying album by Richie Owens about his Appalachian roots. The album pairs book chapters with original songs across 20 tracks, which sequence spoken introductions with the corresponding songs.

The album was recorded by Owens at Fireside Studios, which Owepar established in 1973. Owens performed vocals and acoustic guitar, accompanied by Bob Ocker, Joe Sharp, Paul Hollowell, Andrea Young, and Eric Leckrone. Audio engineering and mastering were handled by John Constable, with songwriting shared among Owens, Ocker, and Albert Styles.

Louis Owens, Richie Owens's father, was an early influence on his niece Dolly Parton and founded the publishing company Owepar Music in 1967 with Bill Owens and Dolly Parton. Richie Owens produced multiple albums for Parton, including Hungry Again, Precious Memories, and Smoky Mountain DNA. Owens also founded his own recording studio called The Refuge, founded the record label Neo Records, and worked with The Georgia Satellites, Social Distortion, Richard Lloyd, The Kentucky Headhunters, Michael Stipe, and Vince Gill.