TODAY!
OWEPAR ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE REISSUE OF
JOHN HENRY OWENS’ BELOVED 1977 ALBUM
THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN VAGABOND SINGS:
THE ROYAL AMERICAN RECORDINGS
ALBUM INCLUDES SOULFUL RENDITIONS OF CLASSICS FROM CHUCK BERRY,
SAM COOKE, BOBBY DARIN, WANDA JACKSON, DOLLY PARTON,
FAT’S DOMINO AND OWENS FAMILY ORIGINALS
Owepar Entertainment has announced the reissue of The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings: The Royal American Recordings, a long-overdue return to print for John Henry Owens’ 1977 album. Captured in Nashville at Music City Recorders and originally issued on the Royal American label, the collection preserves the energy and spirit of Owens as a performer and interpreter at his peak. Blending country, rock n’ roll, R&B, and swamp pop standards such as Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,” Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill,” Wanda Jackson’s “Right Or Wrong” and Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home.” The collection includes a handful of songs penned by members of the Owens family and his niece Dolly Parton. See a full track listing below.
Born Robert Henry Owens in 1931, John Henry emerged from a deeply musical East Tennessee family steeped in church traditions and Appalachian sounds. Though not the first in his family to pursue music, he quickly carved his own path—becoming the first Owens sibling to land a recording deal and played an early role in the first recordings of his niece, Dolly Parton. His journey was anything but linear, with military service in both the Army and Air Force shaping his early adulthood, before music ultimately reclaimed center stage.
While stationed in Louisiana in the late 1950s, Owens began performing in local clubs and connected with producer Eddie Shuler, leading to a series of recordings that included early sides by the Owens Brothers and a debut appearance by a young Dolly Parton. After years of performing across the South, Owens relocated to Nashville in 1968, where his hybrid of different genres found a receptive audience. A deal with Monument Records and a regional hit with “Mathilda (I Cry And Cry For You),” made famous by Cookie & the Cupcakes, further cemented his reputation as a dynamic and versatile artist.
By the mid-1970s, performing under the moniker “The Smoky Mountain Troubadour,” Owens had become a beloved live act across the Southeast. His residency at Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge in 1977 provided the foundation for The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings, an album that distilled the eclectic, crowd-pleasing sets that made him a fixture at the park and beyond.
This reissue not only restores a key recording from Owens’ catalogue but also celebrates a career that bridged generations and genres. Owens remained a mainstay performer at Silver Dollar City and later Dollywood for decades, leaving an imprint on audiences and influencing countless musicians from East Tennessee and beyond.
The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings: The Royal American Recordings stands as a vivid snapshot of a performer who thrived on connection and showmanship.
Listen to
The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings: The Royal American Recordings HERE
John Henry Owens
The Smoky Mountain Vagabond Sings: The Royal American Recordings
Track Listing
Mathilda (I Cry And Cry For You) (G. Koury & H. Thierry)
Blueberry Hill (A. Lewis, L. Stock & V. Rose)
Memphis (Chuck Berry)
Bring It On Home (Sam Cooke)
You’re The Reason I’m Living (Bobby Darin)
I Just Stopped By (Robert Owens)
Bony Moronie (Larry Williams)
Right Or Wrong (Wanda Jackson)
Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry)
The Bottle Song (John Henry III)
Say Forever You’ll Be Mine (Dolly Parton)
Your Love Is The Way (Bill Earl Owens)
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About Owepar Entertainment
Owepar Music was founded in 1967 by Dolly Parton and her uncles Bill Owens and Louis Owens to administer their songwriting business. Over the years Owepar has published songs recorded by artists including Porter Wagoner, Linda Ronstadt, Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris and many more. In 1972, Owepar purchased two properties on Music Row and moved their offices into a larger building and began construction on a state-of-the-art recording facility. Fireside Studios opened in March 1973 and immediately began cutting hits for Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris, Marty Robbins, Bill Monroe, and many other artists. Active as a publishing company until 1981, and relaunched in 2019, Owepar Entertainment handles a vast collection of legacy recordings and publishes songs by contemporary artists including Jada Star and Richie Owens.