Alabama’s Randy Owen starts over with solo CD

As front man and lead singer of Alabama, Randy Owen racked up 42 No. 1 singles and dozens of other hits. But his last hit with that legendary band was about a decade ago. And so far, radio has been lukewarm to Owen’s first solo album, “One on One,” released this month. The disc debuted at No. 14 on Billboard’s country chart, and the first two singles ‘– the low-tempo “Braid My Hair” and “Like I Never Broke Her Heart” ‘– have struggled to reach the Top 40.

“His audience is at the upper end, and radio seems to be targeting a younger audience,” said John Hart, president of Bullseye Marketing Research in Nashville, which tests songs for radio appeal.

“I think the industry looks at him fondly,” Hart added. “But it’s all a matter of what the programmers perceive as hip and cool.”

Owen, 58, has put together a 10-piece band and hit the road again, doing a mix of old and new songs. At a recent Grand Ole Opry show, he played two numbers ‘– his new single “Like I Never Broke Her Heart” followed by the Alabama classic “Mountain Music.” The crowd politely applauded the first and went wild for the second.

He knows he’s got his work cut out for him but says he enjoys being on stage with a band again.

“I love music. I love playing and singing and writing. I love performing,” Owen said. “Great musicians make that possible. It’s like getting in a really good race car and everything is working good in it and you just drive it. It’s a really neat experience.”

Alabama retired from touring in 2004 after one of the most remarkable runs in country music history. They’ve sold over 46 million records in the United States and the Recording Industry Association of America named them Country Group of the Century in 1999. Though the group did put out a gospel CD in 2006, for the most part, Owen was he was content to retreat to his 2,000-acre cattle ranch on Lookout Mountain and focus on his charity work.

“I’m a very simple person. I don’t live a complicated life, at least I don’t think it’s complicated. I like to have love around me and good friends and family, and I’m an outdoorsman, I’m a farm kid, a rancher. That’s who I am,” he said.

But Owen also missed performing, and after playing a few shows to test the waters, he decided to become a solo act.

“It’s a continuation of what I’ve done,” he said. “It’s the same approach for me, just with different background vocals.”

The new CD on Broken Bow Records is produced by John Rich of Big & Rich and includes “Braid My Hair,” a song Owen calls “the most uplifting, wonderful song I ever heard that makes you cry.” It’s one of only four cuts on the 11-track CD that Owen didn’t have a hand in writing. All publishing proceeds from the song go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, a leading treatment center for children with cancer. Owen has been involved with St. Jude for about 20 years.

“It’s a lesson for all of us,” said Owen, the father of three children, of the song. “This little girl just wants to get well where she can cut her hair and give it to the other little girls like her. She wants to get well, and she wants to give back.”

In fact, Owen says giving back is one of the main reasons he re-entered the music world, so he can raise his profile as he tries to raise funds for St. Jude. Besides the new CD, he also released a book about his life, “Born Country: How Faith, Family and Music Brought Me Home.”

“It makes my voice so much more effective if I have something current and contemporary with today’s radio market,” said Owen. “That’s really important, and that’s how I got started on this journey I’m on today.”