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Jake Owen delivered his rendition of a Hank Williams Jr. classic — also recorded by Alan Jackson — during a recent episode of God’s Country.
The Florida-born country star paid tribute to the legend, who turns 77 next month, with a cover of “The Blues Man.” Williams Jr. wrote and released the ballad on his Habits Old and New studio album in 1980. Jackson, 67, famously paid tribute to Williams Jr. with his version of “The Blues Man,” which released in 1999. Owen will take part in the star-studded lineup of Jackson’s final show, “Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale,” as he retires from his decades-long touring career. Others in the lineup of the sold-out show include Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack and more.
God’s Country hosts Dan and Reid Isbell shared a clip of Owen’s rendition of “The Blues Man” on Instagram on Tuesday (April 28). The Isbell brothers said Owen “stopped by and covered it all,” on the latest episode of the podcast. the conversation included Owen’s experiences “growing up in Florida, chasing dreams in Nashville, and learning the hard way that success doesn’t fix everything. He also roasted Dan and it was awesome.”
Owen’s conversation with the Isbell brothers is “one of the most real conversations we’ve had yet,” the episode’s description reads. “From growing up on the water in Florida to chasing a golf career before music took over, Jake dives into the moments that shaped him — and the ones that nearly broke him. He opens up about moving to Nashville with no plan, building a career from the ground up, and what happens after you ‘make it’ and realize life doesn’t get easier. The guys get into everything from old-school country music and Alabama deep cuts to raising kids, hunting stories, and the importance of doing dangerous things carefully. Jake also talks about stepping away from the Nashville machine to create his latest project ‘Dreams to Dream’ on his own terms — no pressure, no rules, just real music. It’s funny, honest, a little chaotic — and at times, hits way deeper than you’d expect. This is Jake Owen like you’ve never seen him before.”
Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast in early January 2024. Some of the first guests to appear on the show include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.
“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”
The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.