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Image credit: Kinfolks Music Group
Reverend Jacob Robert "Jake" Owens (July 25, 1899 – May 13, 1992) was a preacher, musician, teacher, and patriarch of a musical family. Born in Waynesville, North Carolina, he later moved to Sevierville, Tennessee, where he became a prominent figure in his community.

As a preacher, Jake Owens was deeply rooted in his faith and served as a spiritual leader. Beyond his religious duties, he was a talented musician, proficient in playing the fiddle, guitar, and piano. His musical talents extended to songwriting, and he was instrumental in fostering a musical legacy within his family. This legacy includes his daughter Avie Lee Owens Parton, who married Lee Parton and became the mother of twelve children, including Dolly Parton, a renowned singer and songwriter.
​In 1918, Jake Owens acquired a fiddle that had belonged to his great-granduncle, Henry Grooms, a local fiddle player executed during the Civil War. This fiddle became central to his musical endeavors and is a cherished artifact in his family's history.

Reverend Jake Owens' influence extended beyond his immediate family, as he was known for his contributions to the musical culture of East Tennessee. He passed away in 1992 at the age of 92, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire future generations.
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Album cover. REM (RL-1024) (1967)
Songs of the Smokie Mountains is an album by Bill Owens and the Kinfolk (his father Rev. Jake Owens and sister Dorothy Jo Owens). It was released in 1967 by REM Records. It was recorded at Dorothy Jo's home in East Tennessee. The album was pressed in a small quantity and became a sought after collector's item among folk music fans. It was released digitally on December 20, 2024.

Track listing

  1. On Top of Old Smokey 2:33
  2. Gently Are the Weeping Willows 2:02
  3. Old Mountain Dew 2:20
  4. Barbara Allen 3:24
  5. Tum a Gee Wah 1:44
  6. I Live in Glory 1:40
  7. Oh, I Want to See Him 1:15
  8. Maggie 2:00
  9. Bury Me Beneath the Willow 1:55
  10. Free as a Little Bird 1:34
  11. Tom Dooley 2:37
  12. Careless Love 1:02
  13. Down in the Valley 2:55
  14. Amazing Grace Melodies 2:30
  15. Ninety and Nine 1:45
  16. Matthew 24 1:40

Personnel

  • Bill Owens – vocals, guitar
  • Dorothy Jo Owens – vocals, banjo
  • Rev. Jake Owens – vocals, fiddle
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Album cover. Kinfolks Music Group (KMG 201)
The Old Time Preacher Man is an album by Rev. Jake Owens. It was released on cassette by Kinfolk Music Group around 1990. It features vocals by his children and grandchildren.

Track listing

  1. Singing His Praise    Rev. Jake Owens
  2. The Book of Life    Rev. Jake Owens
  3. Where the Soul Never Dies    Rev. Jake Owens
  4. Lost Sheep on the Mountain    Rev. Jake Owens
  5. House of Gold    Bill Owens with Kim and Tammy Owens
  6. It Is No Secret    Louis Owens
  7. Getting Even with the Devil    Dorothy Jo Owens
  8. Bought with a Price    Debbie Jo Puckett
  9. Working on a Building    Dale Puckett
  10. God Is Living in Our Time    Dwight Puckett

Credits

  • Mastered and compiled at Mountain Star Studio, Sevierville, Tennessee.

Compilation albums

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Album cover. (SMt 101) (c. late 1980s) / Placeholder artwork edit by The Dolly Parton Discography
Smoky Mtn. Gospel is a compilation album by The Kinfolks. It was released in the late 1980s on cassette. The lineup of the group featured on this album includes Rev. Jake Owens and his son Louis Owens. ​The album was likely only sold at Dollywood when the group performed at the park.

Track listing

  1. Singing His Praise    Rev. Jake Owens
  2. The Book of Life    Rev. Jake Owens
  3. Where the Soul Never Dies    Rev. Jake Owens
  4. Lost Sheep on the Mountain    Rev. Jake Owens
  5. House of Gold    Rev. Jake Owens
  6. It Is No Secret    Louis Owens
  7. This Little Pilgrim
  8. Amazing Grace    Louis Owens
  9. Bought with a Price
  10. ​How Beautiful Heaven Must Be
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Album cover. KlearTone (KLR-0028) (2004)
Daddy Was an Old Preacher Man and Other Gospel Favorites is a compilation album by The Kinfolks. It was released in 2004 by KlearTone Records. The album features performances by Rev. Jake Owens, Dorothy Jo Owens, Louis Owens, Dale Puckett, and Dwight Puckett.

Note: The back cover, spine, and disc show an abbreviated title of Kinfolks Gospel Favorites.

Track listing

  1. Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man    The Kinfolks
  2. Singing His Praise    The Kinfolks
  3. Lost Sheep on the Mountain    Rev. Jake Owens and the Kinfolks
  4. Gospel Medley: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms / Power in the Blood / I'll Fly Away / Singing His Praise / There'll Always Be Music    The Kinfolks
  5. God Is Living in Our Time    Dwight Puckett
  6. When the Saints Go Marching In (Instrumental)    Dale Puckett
  7. It Is No Secret    Louis Owens
  8. Amazing Grace    Louis Owens
  9. Working on a Building    Dale Puckett
  10. Will the Circle Be Unbroken    The Kinfolks
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Album cover. Owens Music & Real Estate Group.
Kinfolks at Dollywood is a compilation album featuring Bill Owens, Louis Owens, Dwight Puckett, Dale Puckett, and Rev. Jake Owens. It was released in the late 1990s or early 2000s by Owens Music & Real Estate Group. Dorothy Jo Owens is featured on the tracks credited to The Kinfolks, although she is not mentioned in the album's liner notes.

Track listing

  1. Dreams Do Come True    Bill Owens and Dolly Parton (Bill Owens)
  2. Welfare Blues    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  3. Put It Off Until Tomorrow    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  4. Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  5. Fell Off the Wagon Last Night and Hurt My Head    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  6. Brand New Man    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  7. My Mind's Been Cheating on You    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  8. Honky Tonk Bars    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  9. Lord, Help Me    Bill Owens (Bill Owens)
  10. Don't You Ever Get Tired    Louis Owens
  11. Somewhere Between    Louis Owens
  12. Working Man Blues    Louis Owens
  13. Those Memories of You    Dwight Puckett (Alan O'Bryant)
  14. Orange Blossom Special     Instrumental
  15. 9 to 5     Instrumental (Dolly Parton)
  16. Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man    The Kinfolks (Dolly Parton, Dorothy Jo Owens)
  17. Amazing Grace    Louis Owens
  18. Gospel Medley: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms / Power in the Blood / I'll Fly Away / Singing His Praise / There'll Always Be Music    The Kinfolks
  19. Lost Sheep on the Mountain    Rev. Jake Owens and the Kinfolks
  20. Singing His Praise    The Kinfolks​

Other album appearances

​TITLE / ARTIST / ALBUM / YEAR
  • I'll Live in Glory / Rev. Jake Owens, Dorothy Jo Owens, and Dolly Parton / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables / 2024
  • I'll Meet You in the Morning / Rev. Jake Owens, Avie Lee Parton, Dorothy Jo Owens, Estelle Owens Watson / Smoky Mountain DNA: Family Faith and Fables / 2024