Jason Owen work on Doin It For Rural Aussie Kids charity and new album

Country singer Jason Owen will tour through NSW and Victoria from August, on the back of the release of his new album.

Country singer and former The X Factor contestant Jason Owen. Picture: Monique Harmer

GROWING up “the only child in a village of 12 people” country music singer Jason Owen knows well the struggles of coping in remote rural Australia.

For several years he even travelled 340km a day to get to school.

“Growing up out there I spent a lot of time with friends on the land and saw how families struggled,” says Jason, who grew up in Albert, 130km west of Dubbo, where his dad owns the local pub and fuel station.

“Some of my friends lost their dads to suicide during hard times. It makes you realise how tough it is.

“Even though we weren’t on the land you could see our two small businesses relying on that income and how profits would get smaller and smaller.”

So, the 27-year-old says, after his career blossomed as a runner-up in the Australian TV series The X Factor in 2012, “I always asked myself what can I do, what can I do to raise awareness about rural Australia?”.

The most immediate answer came through his career. He is set to release his fifth album on May 14, his second cover of John Denver songs, which will see him tour through NSW and Victoria from August to September.

Since COVID-19 lockdown, he has produced three online shows focused on mental health.

The first, “How You Goin’ With Jason Owen”, involved him interviewing singers about how they were coping with mental health in 22 20-minute episodes.

The second, “Life on the Land”, involved interviewing farmers and rural communities about mental health.

And the third, set to be released weekly in May through to July, will be called “Reality Bites Back”, with Jason interviewing reality stars from TV shows such as Married At First Sight and My Kitchen Rules about how they coped with life post-TV.

Jason on the road for his charity, Doin It For Rural Aussie Kids.

But arguably Jason’s greatest impact on rural Australia has come with his charity, Doin It For Rural Aussie Kids.

Started with his fiancee, Becy, in 2019, the charity supports rural Australian kids whose families are suffering from drought, bushfire, flood and COVID-19.

Jason gives motivational talks and financial support through the year, but the flagship fundraiser is his annual Santa sacks.

In 2020, he travelled 8000km “in my own ute” in 10 days across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to deliver funds, Christmas gifts and groceries to about 800 children at 21 schools.

This year he will again take to the road in the biggest trip yet, set to cover all states, travelling more than 15,000km in five weeks.

Fundraising for the Santa sacks starts in August, with donations from individuals and businesses across Australia used to buy toys and goods through mostly rural businesses, thereby helping rural economies too.

Families can also be nominated and Jason and his team contact families directly to see what they need at Christmas.

“It’s not easy raising money but people can see through our social media that every dollar they give goes to help the kids.

“I had one teacher last year tell me there were five kids in one classroom who would not have got Christmas presents if it hadn’t been for the charity. By getting these presents, it takes the pressure off parents who are often heavily in debt.

“Wherever I go I tell the kids no matter where they come from they can achieve their goals.”

Jason pays tribute to Becy — who works in child care — for the idea and for also buying and gift wrapping each present. The couple will marry in June — after cancelling their wedding last November due to COVID-19 — in Albert’s church, which was largely built by Jason’s great grandmother.

Jason Owen and judge Mel B visit Jason's home town during his X Factor days.

Jason grew up in a musical family but is a self-taught singer, with no formal musical training.

He rose to fame on The X Factor after singing John Denver’s Annie’s Song and says he chose to perform Denver covers for his fourth and now fifth album “because that’s where my career started”.

Jason, a “proud” Wiradjuri man, penned his third album in 2016 — with the title song Proud inspired by a childhood being bullied because of his Aboriginal heritage — adding that in coming years he’d like to write and record more of his own work.

With COVID-19 leading to the cancellation of his 2020 tour, forcing him to stay at home in Gosford, in recent months Jason has taken to working as a food delivery driver to pay the bills and beat the lockdown blues. He says while The X Factor gave him an “experience you can’t pay for”, with an instant following and a working knowledge of TV performance, the first few years after were mentally challenging.

“I would recommend it to anyone but coming from a small town like I did and appearing on TV, I’d also say be prepared for backlash and criticism.

“I got slammed and it can be brutal, especially online trolls and I struggled with that.

“But if it wasn’t for that TV show I would be driving fuel trucks for my dad right now.”

● doinitforruralaussiekids.com.au and jasonowenofficial.com/

● Lifeline 13 11 14

● Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

● Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

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