Everyone has a story. Mine has been shaped by faith, music, hard work, and a deep commitment to serving people well. But before any of that, the foundation was built by two extraordinary people.
My father, Wayne P. Owens Sr., started with a typewriter at the Reading Railroad - yes, the one from the Monopoly board, and yes, it's pronounced "Redding" - and worked his way all the way up to Chief Dispatcher of Conrail. My mother, Beverly Owens, built and operated her own taxi cab business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two people who created opportunity rather than waited for it.
In the fall of 1992, they moved us to Seymour, Tennessee, trading city life for something quieter and richer in community. The values they carried, hard work, integrity, and the courage to build something from nothing, are the same values I bring into every relationship and every real estate transaction today.
Every great love story has a beginning - ours started on a yard line.
April and I first crossed paths as students at Seymour High School. She marched in Color Guard, I played Saxophone in the Seymour High School Marching Band. On the opening chart, we shared a yard line - standing just feet apart at every practice and every performance. We talked, we laughed, and something clicked. It wasn't long before April made it official, sliding into my AOL Instant Messenger to ask me out. The rest, as they say, is history.
We dated all the way through high school and continued building our relationship as April pursued her degree at the University of Tennessee, earning a Bachelor's in Business and Human Resources with a Minor in Marketing. She graduated with a clear sense of purpose and put that education to work in every way imaginable. Today, April is an HR Manager for a large nationwide company, where she leads with the same heart and dedication she brings to everything in life. She genuinely loves her career and the people she serves, and it shows.
When the time was right, I knew exactly where I wanted to ask the most important question of my life. I got down on one knee at the Gazebo at the top of the hill at Biltmore House - one of the most breathtaking settings in the South - and April said yes.
We married in 2010, and shortly after, we took our next big step together by purchasing our first home. It was in that moment that I truly began to understand what home means: not a building, not a zip code, but the people inside it.
We have explored the world together, but nothing could have prepared us for our greatest adventure yet. In 2026, we welcomed our first child, Stetson Owens. He is our biggest blessing, and we cannot wait to see what the next chapter holds.
Music has been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. I started piano at the young age of five years old, and I have never looked back. My first teacher, Teresa Huskey, instilled in me a deep love for music and planted a fire that has never been extinguished.
From there, I went on to study under and learn from Donald Brown, Legendary Jazz Professor at the University of Tennessee, the late Jeff Stice, pianist for the famous Kingdom Heirs Gospel Group, Lynn Montgomery, and Sharon Moore. Each of them contributed something unique to my development as a musician and helped shape my foundation both technically and artistically.
Later in life, my journey continued with someone who is now one of my closest friends, Tim Paul, who has been a vital part of my musical education and continued growth. These six teachers played a major role in molding me into the musician I am today, and I am forever grateful for the investment each of them made in my life.
My music ministry journey has also been a defining part of my life, and the story of how it began is one I will never forget.
In 2001, a fellow bandmate from Seymour High School invited me to Meadowview Baptist Church for Vacation Bible School. I went, but it didn't take long to realize the program was catered to much younger children. I started gathering my things to leave. But before walking out, I wandered through the sanctuary and sat down at the piano, just for a moment, just for fun.
He walked in, heard what I was playing, and right then and there - offered me the full-time pianist position at the church. I was 14 years old. That one unplanned moment at a piano changed the entire trajectory of my life. I went on to serve faithfully at Meadowview Baptist Church for 11 years, laying the foundation for everything that followed.
After those years of faithful service, I made the decision to step away from ministry for a season to focus on building my career. From 2012 to 2018, I poured myself into my professional life - but the calling never left me.
In 2018, I returned to ministry at First Baptist Concord, one of Knoxville's largest churches with a congregation of 3,000 to 4,000 people each Sunday. That season became incredibly formative, not only musically but spiritually and professionally. I had the privilege of playing with a full orchestra and a 250 to 300 voice choir.
I was honored to accompany incredible artists such as TaRanda Greene, lead singer for the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Chris Blue, winner of The Voice Season 12, worship artist Reggie Stone, the powerhouse singer and performer Lakieta Bagwell Graves, and the famous worship artist Shelly E. Johnson - on whose live Great Awakening album I had the honor of performing, recorded right here at First Baptist Concord.
I currently serve as a keyboard player at First Baptist Lenoir City, where I have had the privilege of serving since the end of 2025 under the leadership of Scott Williams and Tim Paul. Each of these churches has shaped me in different ways, and I am grateful for the role each one has played in my life.
Watch: Live Ministry Performances
Music has a way of transcending words - it speaks directly to the heart. These are a few of the live worship moments I've had the privilege of being part of. Sit back, press play, and experience what happens when faith and music come together on one stage.
Outside of church, music has also taken me to some of the most exciting stages in East Tennessee. I currently perform at the Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge, under the leadership of Stan Williamson. I originally came into Country Tonite in 2022 as a sub musician, and it quickly became one of the most fun and rewarding performance experiences I've had. Unlike worship settings, it gives me the chance to "let loose," have fun, and perform for audiences from all over the world alongside an outstanding cast and crew.
I am also a proud member of the BlairXperience, a diverse and high-energy Motown / Funk / Rock band right here in Knoxville, Tennessee. This group brings an entirely different dimension to my musical life - soulful grooves, infectious energy, and the kind of live performance that gets an entire room on its feet.
I also regularly participate in Keyboards at Christmas, one of Knoxville's largest charity concerts, under the leadership of Tim Conner. Since 2018, I have been honored to perform in this event, where seven grand pianos share one stage for a two-hour concert benefiting Mission of Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to serving impoverished children in Appalachia.
Watch: Live Stage Performances
My career in sales began in 2008 when I joined Bose Corporation with absolutely no experience. On my very first day, I almost backed out until my manager said, "If you won't do it, I'll hire someone who can." I took a deep breath, approached the customer, and sold over $1,000 in equipment that day. I was instantly hooked. Over the next seven years I became one of the top-performing salespeople in my store, ranking among the top performers in multiple districts.
In 2015 I joined Bill Jones Music, where I specialized in selling high-end pianos locally and across the country, merging my two passions of music and sales. It was also there that I first connected with First Baptist Concord, which led to one of the most impactful chapters of my musical life.
Across all of these experiences, I have spent more than 18 years in customer service and sales, working with thousands of clients and learning that lesson firsthand.
Before anything else, before real estate, before music, before any title or accomplishment, I am a born-again Christian, and I put Jesus Christ first in everything I do. Every blessing in my life, every open door, every relationship, every opportunity. I give Him the credit. Without Him, I would be nothing.
Looking back, my life reads like a storybook. One chapter leads naturally into the next, and even when a door has closed, I have found that God already had two or three more waiting to open. He has never left me without a path forward - only redirected me toward something better than I could have planned for myself.
That is the foundation beneath everything you have read on this page. The music. The ministry. The marriage. The family. The career. None of it happens without His hand guiding every step.
- Philippians 4:13
Now you may ask, what does any of this have to do with real estate? Everything.
Real estate is not just about contracts, houses, or transactions. It is about people. It is about listening, understanding, guiding, and protecting someone through one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions of their life.
My background in music taught me discipline, timing, preparation, and performing under pressure in front of large audiences. My experience in church ministry taught me humility, service, teamwork, and how to care for people in meaningful moments of their lives. My years at Bose and Bill Jones Music taught me how to communicate, how to listen, how to solve problems, and how to earn trust instead of demanding it.
All of those experiences come together in real estate. When you combine high-pressure performance, deep customer service training, long-term relationship building, and a lifetime of learning how to connect with people, you get someone who is prepared not just to sell homes, but to guide people through life transitions with clarity and confidence.
At the end of the day, I don't define success by closings. I define it by trust earned, relationships built, and the opportunity to serve people well when it matters most.
Thank you for visiting my site. It would be an honor to help you with your next chapter.
Ready to Begin
