Gwil Owen


Gwilym "Gwil" Emyr Owen III is an American singer-songwriter of Welsh heritage.

Career

Gwil was born in Syracuse, New York, grew up in Granville, Ohio, and attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, but did not graduate. He moved to Boston in 1981 and played in the formerly Spartanburg, South Carolina-based band The Detonators along with long-time musical partner Jeff Finlin. They moved to Nashville in 1983 and formed the band The Thieves, which recorded the album Seduced by Money for Bug/Capitol Records in 1988.
Since then, he has performed as a solo singer-songwriter, and his songs have been covered by Toni Price, Irma Thomas, Little Feat, and Jack Ingram, among others. The song "Deuce and a Quarter" was recorded by Keith Richards and Levon Helm for the album All The Kings Men. He was an Academy Award nominee in 1999 for the song "A Soft Place to Fall" featured in Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer.
Gwil was also a co-founder of Howlin' Books in Nashville and is a noted visual collage artist.

Discography

Gwil Owen

  • 1991: Phoenix
  • 1991: Messed Up Thing b/w Tennessee Hi-Way Blues
  • 1992: Near-Sighted Angel
  • 1993: Hot Black Coffee b/w Too Much Coffee
  • 1993: The Last Man on the Moon
  • 1999: Magnetic Heaven
  • 2008: Gravy
  • 2010: Ahab's Birthday
  • 2016: Tiny Birds
  • 2019: Flying Dream
  • 2022: ''The Road to the Sky''

Appearances on compilation albums

  • 1992: Nighttime Roundup - track 13, "My Silver Tongue," track 14, "Ask Any Mirror"
  • 1992: Rig Rock Juke Box: A Collection of Diesel Only Records - track 9, Messed Up Thing"
  • 1993: Rig Rock Truck Stop: Another Collection of Diesel Only Records - track 3, Hot Black Coffee," track 14, "Too Much Coffee"
  • 1995: Hell-Bent: Insurgent Country Volume 2 - track 10, "Tennessee Hi-Way Blues"
  • 1996: Nashville: The Other Side of the Alley: Insurgent Country Volume 3 - track 17, "No Ammunition"
  • 1998: Uprooted: The Best of Roots Country Singer-Songwriters - track 11, "Mother Nature & Father Time"
  • 2001: Hit the Hay, Vol. 5 - track 25, "Eleanor"
  • 2005: Between Goodlettsville and Murfreesboro - track 12, "Look What You've Done"

The Thieves

  • 1988: Seduced by Money
  • 2021: ''Catfish Karma: The Lost Demos 1987-88''

As composer/lyricist

  • 1993: Toni Price – Swim Away – track 1, "Daylight"; track 2, "Throw Me a Bone" ; track 7, "Moonlight Blues"; track 8, "I Doubt If It Does to You"; track 10, "Hell on Love"; track 11, "Thinkin' 'Bout Lovin' You Again"; track 12, "Lucky"; track 13, "Swim Away"
  • 1994: Tim Carroll – ‘’Tim Carroll’’, track B2, “Like a Number”
  • 1995: Toni Price – Hey – track 2, "Something" ; track 3, "Hey"; track 4 "Edge of the Night"; track 5, "Misty Moonlight"; track 6, "Too Close to You"; track 9, "Tumbleweed"; track 13, "Too Much Coffee"
  • 1996: Sonny Burgess – Sonny Burgess – track 9, "Fast Train", track 11, "Lookin' Out for Number One"
  • 1996: Kelly Clark and the Wild River Band - Rapid Transit - track 2, "Something"
  • 1997: Bob Woodruff – Desire Road – track 9, "Perfect World"
  • 1997: David Olney - Real Lies - track 10, "Death, True Love, Lonesome Blues and Me"
  • 1997: Stacey Q – Boomerang – track 4, "I Doubt if it Does to You"
  • 1997: Toni Price – Sol Power – track 3, "Cats and Dogs", track 4, "Like the Sun"; track 5, "Freeway"; track 6, "#1"; track 7, "Burnin' Down"; track 10, "What's It Take?"; track 13, "A West Texas Lullaby"
  • 1997: Joy Lynn White – ‘’The Lucky Few’’ – track 4, “I Doubt if it Does to You”
  • 1997: Scotty Moore, Keith Richards, Levon Helm – All the King's Men – track 1, "Deuce and a Quarter"
  • 1997: Kevin Gordon – ‘’Illinois 5 AM’’ - track 2, "Blue Collar Dollar", track 3, "Dissatisfied", track 7, "Illinois 5 a.m."
  • 1997 Joy Lynn White – ‘’4 on the Floor’’ – track 11, “Two Can Play”
  • 1998: Allison Moorer – “Various Artists: Soundtrack from The Horse Whisperer’’ – track 2, “A Soft Place to Fall”
  • 1998: Allison Moorer – Alabama Song – track 9, "A Soft Place to Fall"
  • 1998: Kevin Gordon – Cadillac Jack's No. 1 Son – track 2, "Fast Train" ; track 5, "Blue Collar Dollar" ; track 6, "Dissatisfied" ; track 8, "Looking for the Killerman"
  • 1998: Troy Young Campbell - Man vs. Beast - track 5, "A Little More Everyday"
  • 1999: David Olney – Through a Glass Darkly – track 9, "Ice Cold Water" ; track 12, "That's All I Need to Know"
  • 1999: Sarah Elizabeth Campbell and The Banned - Live - track 2, "Bluesville", track 3, "The Rain Song"
  • 1999: Toni Price – Low Down And Up – track 5, "Anything" ; track 7, "Loserville Blues"; track 8, "Feel Like Cryin'"; track 9, "Lonesome Wind"
  • 1999: John Sieger - El Supremo - track 1, "Just Gettin' By"
  • 2000: Ann Rabson – Struttin' My Stuff – track 2, "The Blues Don't Care" ; track 12, "Late November Afternoon"
  • 2000: David Olney – Omar's Blues – track 3, "Delta Blue"
  • 2000: Kevin Gordon – Down to the Well – track 2, "Burning the Church House Down" ; track 3, "Marina Takes Her Aim" ; track 6, "Deuce and a Quarter" ; track 9, "Great Southern" ; track 10, "Pueblo Dog"
  • 2000: Will Kimbrough – This – track 10, "Goodnight Moon"
  • 2001: Duane Jarvis – Certified Miracle – track 2, "Certified Miracle"
  • 2001: Steve Allen – In + Out of the Light – track 7, "Crazy World"
  • 2001: Toni Price – Midnight Pumpkin – track 4, "Something in the Water"; track 8, "Measure for Measure"
  • 2001: Yolanda Martinez – Lonely Warrior – track 10, "A Soft Place to Fall"
  • 2002: Jack Ingram – Electric – track 11, "Goodnight Moon"
  • 2002: Joy Lynn White - On Her Own - - track 1, "Sunday", track 8, "An Exception"
  • 2002: Hayseed - In Other Words - track 3, "98.6 Degrees"
  • 2002: Richard Ferreira - Somewhereville - track 2, "One Step Closer", track 7, "House of Rain"
  • 2002: Will Kimbrough - Home Away - track 3, "Champion of the World
  • 2002: Pinmonkey – Speak No Evil – track 4, "Augusta"
  • 2002: Micah Chasteen - Swagger - track 4, "Something"
  • 2002: Toni Catlin – Heartache on the Run – track 3, "Me and My Heartache on the Run"
  • 2002: Brown Mountain Lights - Late Show at the Cave - track 4, "Tumbleweed"
  • 2003: Jack Ingram - Acoustic Motel - track 15, "Goodnight Moon"
  • 2003: Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets – ‘’Angels on the Freeway’’ –, track 8, “Soon Enough”
  • 2003: Allison Moorer – Show – track 4, "A Soft Place to Fall"
  • 2003: David Olney – The Wheel – track 3, "Voices on the Water"
  • 2003: Toni Price – Born to Be Blue – track 7, "Nothing But Heartache"; track 11, "Not Coming Home"; track 13, "One of These Lonely Days"
  • 2005: David Olney – ‘’Migration’’ – track 7, “All the Same to Me”
  • 2005: Kevin Gordon - O Come Look at the Burning - track 1, "Watching the Sun Go Down", track 2, "Find My Way", track 3, "Greenwood Girls", track 4, "Casino Road", track 9, "Flowers", track 12, "Heart's Not In It"
  • 2006: Irma Thomas - After the Rain - track 2, "Flowers"
  • 2006: 10 City Run - Somethin' Else - track 7, "Goodnight Moon"
  • 2006: Jack Ingram - Live: Wherever You Are - track 12, "Goodnight Moon"
  • 2006: Will Kimbrough - Americanitis - track 8, "Another Train"
  • 2006: Rob LaMothe – ‘’Long Lazy Curve’’, track 5, “Til Forever is Over”
  • 2006: Stephen Fearing – ‘’Yellowjacket’’ – track 11, “Goodnight Moon”
  • 2007: Kevin Gordon – “Louisiana Snow”, co-written with Kevin Gordon
  • 2007: Toni Price - Talk Memphis - track 2, "What I'm Puttin' Down", track 6, "Gravy", track 7, "Sunflower", track 13, "The Power"
  • 2008: Little Feat featuring Jimmy Buffett - Join the Band - track 5, "Champion of the World"
  • 2008: David Olney – ‘’Live at Norm’s River Roadhouse’’ – track 5, “Panama City”
  • 2009: Charlotte Park Rangers – ‘’Charlotte Park Rangers’’ – track 3, “I Want to Get Lost”
  • 2009: Debra Watson & the Smokin' Aces - That's Right! - track 7, "Throw Me a Bone"
  • 2009: Kevin Gordon - Salvage & Drift #1 - track 2, "Find My Way", track 3, "Illinois 5 A.M.", track 5, "Casino Road", track 10, "Looking for the Light"
  • 2010: Toni Price - Cherry Sunday Orchestra - track 11, "Do You Take Me for a Fool?"
  • 2010: David Olney – ‘’Dutchman’s Curve’’ – – track 1, “Train Wreck”
  • 2010: Kevin Gordon - Gloryland - track 2, "Don't Stop Me This Time", track 9, "Side of the Road", track 11, "One I Love"
  • 2010: Eden Brent – ‘’Ain’t Got No Troubles’’ – track 12, “Goodnight Moon”
  • 2011: David Olney – ‘’Film Noir’’ - track 2, “Blue Moon Hotel”, track 4, “The Blues Don’t Care” - track 2, “Another Train”
  • 2013: Danni Nicholls – ‘’A Little Redemption’’ – track 10, “Goodnight Moon”
  • 2014: Hard Working Americans – ‘’The First Waltz’’ - track 2, “Another Train”
  • 2014: David Olney – ‘’When the Deal Goes Down’’ – track 7, “Why So Blue?”
  • 2015: Solitaire Miles – ‘’Susie Blue and the Lonesome Fellas’’ - track 3, “The Blue Lonelies”
  • 2015: Kevin Gordon – ‘’Long Gone Time’’ – track 7, “All in the Mystery”
  • 2015: Kevin Gordon – ‘’Live at Family Wash 10-30-15’’ – track 1, “Illinois 5 a.m.”, track 3, “Burning the Church House Down”, track 6, “All in the Mystery”
  • 2016: William Clark Green – ‘’Live at Gruene Hall’’ – track 21, “Goodnight Moon”
  • 2016: Jack Ingram - Midnight Motel - track 9, "Champion of the World"
  • 2017: David Olney – ‘’Don’t Try to Fight It’’ – track 2, “Innocent Heart”
  • 2018: Kevin Gordon - Tilt and Shine - track 5, "Right on Time", track 9, "Get it Together"
  • 2018: Shemekia Copeland - America's Child - track 10, "One I Love"
  • 2018: The Dirty Rain Revelers – ‘’Spark’’ - track 10, “Something”
  • 2019: Amelia White – ‘’Rhythm of the Rain’’ – track 12, “Pink Cloud”
  • 2020: Kevin Gordon – ‘’Down to the Well: Solo Demos Unearthed’’ –, track 2, “Burning the Church House Down, track 3, “Marina Takes Her Aim”, track 5, “Deuce and a Quarter”, track 8, “Great Southern”, track 9, “Pueblo Dog”
  • 2022: Julie Christensen - 11 From Kevin: Songs of Kevin Gordon - track 1, "Find My Way", track 6, "Heart's Not In It"
  • 2022: David Olney – ‘’Evermore’’ – track 2, “Train Wreck”
  • 2022: David Olney – ‘’Nevermore’’ – track 2, “Ice Cold Water”, track 4, “Innocent Heart”