Owen Mays - News

Ma

3/12/2022

Folks, I'll get right to it; Owen's mother (Ginny/Ma) is in a bad way, and has been for a bit now. Sadly, she's lost a large amount of her hearing and is suffering from cataracts. This has made it nearly impossible for her to leave her home, and unable to log in/navigate FB/the internet.
The good news is she's been receiving treatment, and will be undergoing operations for each eye, and is hopeful she'll regain enough sight to be able to drive again.
So if you can, send prayers/good vibes/moral support. Hopefully, she'll be able to read the positive outpouring for her and Owen after her operations.
Even if she could post online, she would never ask what I'm going to. Her medical bills, while mostly covered by Medicare, still have co-pays and transportation costs totaling around $3,000.
I'm not asking for donations, but I am going to post an updated merch package deal. Due to increased shipping costs, and the financial circumstances she's facing, I've had to slightly raise the cost. $20 + shipping ($5.40-$6.15 for 1st Class, based on shirt size/weight). Will combine shipping. Still a good deal.
Message me on this FB for payment/pricing info.
Minus the shipping, EVERY SINGLE CENT will be given directly to Ma to help cover her medical costs.
Thank you kindly, Michael

Owen Mays Will Never Die

7/22/2018

A living library of the most classic of country music and on the cutting edge of what it takes to make the same while stuck in the often debilitating mire of modern life, The Legendary Owen Mays had a deep intelligence and a relish for the simple things in life. He lived large.

What he loved most was making music. He took it seriously. He studied it. He played it. He ate the food and drank the drinks his legends did, trying to get in their heads and understand their souls. Once, he lived on RC Cola and Moon Pies for a month because one of his songwriting heroes had done the same. His commitment was total once he discovered his calling as a songwriter. He learned from every person he could, each conversation in which he engaged adding to his worldview, every experience adding new terrain to his mental landscape. Once he found his talent for it, the craft of songwriting became his field of study.

Greatness doesn’t spring from an empty reservoir. It takes work and time, and Owen put both into his art. Spend any amount of time with him, and he’d share that knowledge with you, especially when it came to classic country music. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of it and was quick and eloquent when it came to bequeathing that knowledge to others. This story about Steve Earle could easily apply to Owen on a road trip: On an eight-hour drive with some music industry heavyweights, Earle took over the ride, during which Steve “played every song he’d ever liked, told us who wrote it and what year it was recorded—just minute details—and where they came from and what they were doing when they wrote the song. And then he’d talk about their influences and he’d go off at another tangent!”

That was the Owen you got on road trips or late night around a campfire. Long conversations punctuated with quick-witted observations and drawn-out explanations of the actions of his country music heroes—the motivations behind those actions—and the experiences behind those motivations. And in his own songwriting, he had the drive and the ability to take all of that and churn it into songs like “Keep The Jackals At Bay,” “Nobody Loves You When You’re Down,” and “I Hate The Sun For Shining.” They are deep, dark songs—sad bastard music at it’s best.

He was a big man in a lot of ways, having been The Mastodon during his wrestling days, but the true measure of his size was that heart. Once called “the beating heart of classic country music,” he was quick to use his size to stand up for the underdog. Yet, once you crossed him, you were out the door and he was not a good enemy to make. Usually quick with his tongue backed up by razor sharp wit, his physical strength was equally impressive. Once, in Chicago, an older married man was carrying on with an inebriated 20-something girl. Most weren’t sure what to do about it, both of them being adults. Owen never had a doubt. He told the guy to get out and when the not-too-smart fellow didn’t do so and actually came at Owen, he found himself gripped by the throat and held against the wall, his feet dangling off the ground. Far from a bully, Owen knew where his morals lay and wasn’t afraid to apply them to the real world, whether in song or by force. His convictions were well thought out, fully formed, and put into action whenever he felt it necessary. Nearly always, those convictions and attendant actions bore scrutiny into the future.

In an age when so many are afraid to stand up for what they believe, Owen did so effortlessly, with surety, and at times forcefully. He didn’t seek confrontation. He much preferred congenial conversation, good bourbon, slow-cooked BBQ, interesting friends, and a pretty woman. He wasn’t a slave to his wants and needs. He embraced those things to the fullest, but he also knew privation and hunger and disappointment. He never waved in the face of those things, situations most avoid at all costs. After he and another band he was touring with made it about halfway to California, they hit a rough patch and the other band headed home. Instead of quitting the tour, Owen finished the tour via Greyhound and hitchhiking. At one point, he ended up under a freeway overpass in Louisville, Kentucky, during a storm. Eventually, a devout fan found out about it and brought him in from the cold—literally—and he just kept on trucking. While most would rather be caught dead than make long distances on a Greyhound, Owen had already written and published “The Greyhound Song,” had a Greyhound tattoo, and finished the tour—having adventures all along the way.

That’s why he’s The Legendary One. He stood up to things that would have left most completely demoralized, and turned them into killer stories—and art. He inherited his musical talent and dogged persistence from his Welsh ancestors, then made the most of it. As a musician, his timing wasn’t always spot on and his band had to be on their toes at all times, but his songwriting was original and on point. He got more and more comfortable on stage over time, whether he was at a bar with a few people listening, or at a big venue on a big stage in Chicago, on the Wood Stage at Muddy Roots Music Festival in Tennessee, or hanging out in Hollywood with one of his biggest supporters, Shooter Jennings. And he was just getting started…

We lost a lot when we lost Owen. Country music lost out. His fans lost out. The people who to this day haven’t heard his music but will one of these days, they lost out, too. But, goddamn did he make use of every minute he was on this earth. He left a hole in our hearts, but his music is there to fill it up and help us keep going on…without the Legendary One here in physical form, but he’s always with us and will forever be a legend in our hearts, minds and souls. A friend said it best: “While we all stand around crying and missing Owen, he’s laughing at us from above with a great big smile, surrounded by all the country music greats he loved so much, making music with the angels."

So be sad, it’s part of life. Listen to Owen’s music, it IS life. And just keep on riding your own kinda Greyhound and never stop, never give up, and keep spreading the word because Mr. Owen Mays would do the same for you.

Written by Jody Robbins

2 years

7/22/2017

Two years.

It doesn't sound that long, when you say "two" out loud. What's two years worth? For my son, born the day after Owen passed, it's a lifetime. Maybe it's like the old adage, the one that goes "how heavy is a glass of water"? It's something that doesn't sound so big when you say it out loud, until you've lived it.

Owen lived life big. He would pack more in two years than many would in two lifetimes. He taught me so much about expanding my horizons and tastes. I had my first sushi with Owen (white tuna on rice). I drink Blue Moon beer (I don't normally care to drink at all). He taught me to live a little, which was a lot for me.

Maybe it will never be "ok", but maybe one day, when we're not looking, the happy memories will outweigh the sadness of not being able to create new ones with those we love. Maybe when we live our lives a little bigger, we make more space. Space to fill with the good things in life, and maybe they'll outnumber the sad things.

Maybe that's the whole point.

1 Year

7/22/2016

I was up at 4:30 this morning because my son Artie was. It's his first birthday tomorrow. This day last year, I was getting the phone call that Owen had passed away early that morning. We all got a phone call, a text, maybe saw a tweet or Facebook post. There's no good way to receive that kind of news, but we did.

Word spread fast and hit hard. It did so, because of the impact Owen had made on so many lives. It felt like a defining piece of ourselves was taken away. Whether you were a friend, family, or a fan.

We're the fortunate ones to have known Owen in our lifetime. I hope there's more than a few 'Owens' in my son's lifetime. A best friend, an artist, and an inspiration. Someone to laugh until you cry with, and cry until you laugh with.

I often find myself thinking 'Owen's missing this or that', but he really isn't. I'm missing him. He's enriched my life more than I can express. I'm thankful to have the stories, the music, and even the heartbreak. It reminds me of how lucky and thankful I am, and how important it is to carry on. We're charged with sharing our memories with those that haven't experienced them.

Here at the Smith household, we keep a picture of Owen up on our wall with our other family members. Ourselves, Artie's cousins, and his big sister (who passed away two and a half years ago). My son will grow up knowing that Owen was a part of our family. My son will want to know who Owen was. My son will want to know why his middle name is also Owen.

My son will meet many people who will be all too glad to tell him.

They're heeeeeeeere

7/2/2016

Everything's here, packed, and ready to ship! You can now go over to the store and grab a T-Shirt/Merch pack.
However, these are very limited (only 100) so you better hustle!
$15 gets you one t-shirt, two stickers, 2 buttons, a guitar pick, and shipping is included!
Shirt sizes range from Small to 4XL, so everyone can look good!
Thank you all for the support!

The shirt off our backs...

6/8/2016

For those wondering "Hey, when and where can I grab this legendary T-shirt?!" and "Are Owen's albums still up somewhere?":

1) We're waiting for one more item (buttons) to arrive, and then we'll have everything posted at owenmays.com. We'll be sure to provide a direct link to the store (which is slightly under wraps right now).

Not only will the shirts (available in Small to 4XL) be for sale, but you'll also be able to get a shirt/merch combo pack. We're still working out the logistics for a solo merch pack, but that will come.

2) Music is still available at http://owenmays.bandcamp.com So get you some of that.

Thank you all again for your support, shares, and stories. Everything we're doing goes directly to preserving the music and memory of Owen, so it will always be here when you (or someone new) needs it. We also have other projects and merch we'd like to release, and this all goes towards that as well.

Again, we can't thank you enough for the support, so we'll just keep working our butts off.

Radio Interview on WORT 89.9

4/20/2016

Scott Gordon (Tone Madison) has done a segment about Owen Mays for 89.9 WORT, scheduled to air during their program In Our Backyard on Thursday, April 21, from 6-7 pm. A podcast will be available on the following Friday at the Tone Madison website linked below.

We thank Scott again for his time, and hope you all tune in!

Online store, new layout, and Maybest!

4/16/2016

As you can see, we've been keeping busy.

Along with the updated look and layout of this site, we've also re-launched Maybest Records as a platform for past releases. Along with all of Owen Mays' albums, you can also get other releases from the Maybest catalog! Speaking of which, we'll be looking at future releases as well, so stay tuned.

You can visit Maybest Records with the link below.

We're also going to be merging Owen's Facebook accounts. Make no mistake, we love our 80 Proof Boys and Last Calls, we're just making communication more manageable.

And we're not done yet. We're working on even more projects, a few that will be really special. We'll be able to update more on those as we approach them.

Again, thank you all for helping to keep this place going. There's more to come.

Articles, store, and layout updates

4/4/2016

Like we said, we're moving right along here at the old dot com:

Linked to several articles and interviews. You can hover over the Writings page to view them.
We've added a Video section where we'll periodically rotate the stock.
The jukebox has been reworked in the Music section.
We've connected more social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, and Bandcamp.
Speaking of Bandcamp, we now have two albums up for download at the Store page, so definitely check those out!
We're also experimenting with a guest book where visitors can sign, leave their thoughts, memories, prayers, and stories about Owen.

We'll be slowly (but surely) working to keep the memory, music, and legend alive. Thank you all again.

The Future Of Owenmays.com...

4/1/2016

...is looking pretty good.

It's been several months now since Owen's passing. For some, it feels like forever. For others, it feels like yesterday. His art, love, and legendary exploits will always have a place in our hearts, as well as here. So with that in mind, we have a few announcements to make:

Firstly, this site will be here for everyone. Friends, family, fans, and future fans alike will have access to Owen's music, as well as other content. As we upgrade, we'll send notifications through this site as well as social media.

Secondly, since we'll be reorganizing and streamlining so much content, we may make the occasional error. If you see anything that needs proper crediting or editing, please let us know. Also, we will be working on more interactive portions for everyone to contribute to.

Thank you all again for your support, and for supporting each other.

Also, if you thought this was going to be an elaborate April Fool's prank, you're welcome.