Brian Gowan

Brian Gowan was raised in Temple, Texas under the influence of country music superstars Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and George Strait. His aspirations of becoming a singer materialized on one of the saddest days in the history of music.

“It was August of 1977, I was in the front yard playing and one of my neighbors came out of the house crying. She told me that Elvis had died. I ran inside, turned on the radio and found that one of the stations had already begun their continuous broadcast of his music.” After sitting vigilantly in front of the radio for hours on end scanning the dial for more news, he came across a song and a sound that would change his childhood dreams and turn them into reality. “I heard this powerful, raw, rolling sound … it reached out and grabbed me.” Brian had discovered the music of Waylon Jennings and he decided that day “I’m going to be a country singer.”

Even at an early age Brian discovered he had a gift for words. He began filling up his notebooks with songs and ideas. This pattern of “distraction” continued all the way through college. “Maybe if I had taken better notes in class I’d be a doctor or scientist now, but I guess the Good Lord had a different plan for me.” Brian moved to Nashville in 1988 to go to Belmont University. “It’s a miracle I graduated from college, like so many other music business majors I was out working in the business most of the time. I missed a lot of class.” Gowan interned at CBS Records, Capitol Records, and Tour Management Booking to name just a few. The internship at Tour Management Booking led to an introduction to Vin Maddox who was handling the merchandising account for Waylon. “Vin needed someone to go down to Texas and sell merch for Waylon. He was playing at Billy Bob’s; I jumped at the chance and wound up on the road with them for a little over a year. I’d shut the stand down and watch the show every time I could.”

Before he even received his diploma from Belmont University, he had signed his first publishing deal with Evanlee Music. “Kent Blazey, owner of Evanlee Music and penned numerous hits for Garth Brooks, Clay Walker and many other acts took me under his wing. He taught me how to write commercial songs.” To make ends meet Brian had to supplement his publishing draw. “I worked for a pressure washing company that had the Postal Service contract. I bet I washed every postal truck in Nashville rain or shine, sleet or snow. The water tank in the truck would be iced on top and we’d still be out there trying to clean those trucks- actually, it was more like shooting ice cubes at them.”

Producer Chuck Howard (LeAnn Rhimes, Hank Williams Jr., Trick Pony) approached Brian about signing a publishing deal at Tower Street/ EMI music. “The first thing Chuck wanted to do was send me back to Texas to play with my band. I’d go back to Nashville once a month to write songs and drive back to Texas to play as many clubs and dancehalls as I could.” In 1995 Chuck paired Brian with Blake Weldon, another Texas boy, and signed them to Curb Records as a duo (Blake & Brian) where they enjoyed two top forty singles as well as having the opportunity to record a song with Brian’s heroes Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels. Frustrated with the change of musical direction and uncertain of the labels level of support Brian left the duo in 1999.

“The only thing I knew to do was go back to Texas and play, keep the wheels moving, keep writing songs and make as much noise as I could make.” His songs reflect the life experiences he has under his belt and the maturity of someone who has paid his dues…in some cases more than his share. His first independent solo CD “Warm Spanish Wine” has produced one top ten, two top twenty and one top thirty single on the Texas Music Chart. His music is from the heart … honest, edgy and real.

Brian has had Five Top 30 singles on the Texas Music Chart and had songs recorded by Curb Recording artist Rodney Atkins.