November 28, 2017 • 37 mins
Jake, his twin brother Jarrod and tennis superstar Mardy Fish relive growing up best friends in a small Florida town.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, this is Jake Owen and this is Good Company.
Good Company. Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we
talk about everything under the sun, friends, good times, and company.
Now here's your host. What's up, everybody, It's Jake here
(00:24):
on Good Company with the Good Company podcast where we
talked to all kinds of folks from family members to friends,
to people that have influenced me throughout my life. And
with this being the first podcast that I've ever put
out under Good Company with Jake, I thought there's no
better person to intro you all to than my best
(00:44):
friend Jared, who is my twin brother. We were born
on August. We're thirty six years old for those of
you guys doing math, and we just had a birthday.
And Jared lives back in our hometown of Ververa Beach, Florida, UM,
where we grew up. And I luckily got Jared to
take some time out of his day today UM to
(01:05):
give me a call because he can't be here in
Nashville with me. So, Jay Rod, what's up, man? How
you doing? I'm good, buddy, how are you doing? Glad
to be here? I'm glad you are too, man. There's
no better way or person to start with on my
podcast than to uh intro the world to um the
guy that not only, like I said, is my best buddy,
but someone that, um, I think about every day. And
(01:29):
we live completely separate lives, which is kind of interesting,
um with us the way we grew up together, basically
living a lot of the same life, you know, under
the same roof sharing a bedroom and and arguing with
each other. You know, You're on one side of the
room in your bed at night and I'm on my
side of the room and Dad's coming and yelling at
us because we weren't going to sleep. So I just
(01:51):
wanted to kind of chat with you today man, and
and and talk to you about your life and my
life and everything, and uh see how it's all going.
So is that cool with you? Good Bye me? So
if you don't mind, Jared, you know, why don't you
tell everybody what you do down in Vero and and
and what you're doing these days down there? You know
Jared sells insurance. I'll let you explain to Jared what
(02:13):
what your gig is down there in Vera. Well, it's
been a rough couple of weeks, not only for me,
but for a lot of other people on the entire
state of Florida with the hurricanes have come in. So
my life has been a little hectic as many of others.
So it's been a couple of weeks of clean up
and just restoring everything, getting everyone's lifestyles back to normal.
(02:36):
So it's been pretty hectic down here. Um, I um,
you know obviously have been running crazy the last couple
of weeks, and my county, my city is recovering. Well,
everybody's safe, and you know, just hope the rest of
the state survives and gets back on their feet and
(02:56):
back to reality. So um, that's uh, that's the last
two weeks. Um. But as you mentioned, yeah, we lived
separate lives. You're on the road all the time. I'm
in Southeast Florida all the time, and you know, I
know we don't get to see each other as much
as we always want to, but I think that we
easily try to make most of the opportunity when you
(03:18):
do have time off to get away and get together
and do anything fun that we've normally done for the
last thirty six years. Thirty six years, man, you believe that?
Can you believe when you say thirty six that We're
thirty six years old. You said, you know, were dude's eighteen.
Check this out. How about you think about it this way.
(03:39):
We graduated high school we were eighteen years old. Buddy,
We've been out of high school for eighteen years. I know,
it's hard to believe. It's hard to believe. That is
hard to believe. So Jared was the most badass athlete
growing up in our hometown. We are really lucky to
grow up in a town of Era Beach, Florida, h um,
(04:00):
where Jared was just speaking of. You know, we've been
affected recently with the hurricanes, not as bad as as
folks down in the Keys um over on the West coast,
around the Gulf Coast, Fort Myers area, Naples, all the
way up believe it or not, up up up to Jacksonville. UM,
they got a lot of flooding. But we were pretty
lucky there in Viro, even though Jared has had his
handsfull with a lot of UM. I'm sure insurance claims
(04:22):
and things come through with due to wind damage. But
our hometown of Ero Beach is thankfully done well. But
with us growing up down there, UM, it's a small town,
it's a coastal town with um, you've got the mainland
separated by the river, and then you have the Barrier Island,
and then obviously on the east side of the Barrier
Island you have the Atlantic Ocean. So, um, Jared, what
(04:43):
do you I mean for those out there they're listening
that want to know about our lives in your in
your best way, how would you would you describe us
growing up as kids and being twins and growing up
in the town of erro Beach. Well, I mean Bureaus
small town, like you said, quaint coastal town, real safe,
(05:05):
a lot of close networks. And uh, with that being said,
we had close bond with really the same friends going up.
We had best friends from Ryanktellan to Robert Kovalchick to
Marty Fish and uh, those guys were not with my friends,
but Jake's friends. And we all still communicate every day
every week on a regular basis. Um, some of which
(05:26):
are still here in Bureau, some of move to California,
some the Nashville. So it's pretty cool that we stayed
tight knit, you know, riding our bikes around his kids,
playing football in the park, as kids, playing team sports.
And it's pretty cool that after thirty six years of
knowing each other. Um, you know, Jake can come back
(05:48):
to his hometown whenever he's free. I still live here,
and vice versa for the other guys. Everybody can kind
of reconnect and be friends again. And uh, you know,
Jake and I used to do everything is not only twins,
but we were like that. Friends were the same age,
same classes, you know, the same schools. And you described
it earlier as we're in the same household, in the
(06:11):
same bedroom, and dad used to walk in and I
want to kill us at night. You know, it was it.
It's not twin brothers. It reminds me of the movie Stepbrothers,
because that's exactly what was happening. Don't you touch my
drum set. Don't touch my drum set. Beat you with
a pillow case full of soap. Oh my god. Well,
(06:33):
Jared was just talking about our friends, Marty Fish and
and Ryan Capellen, Robert k Walchick. These are these are
all guys that uh, you know, we all when you
grow up in a small town, you tend to have
your group of friends that you hang with and and
it's really interesting to me how all of our lives
have have kind of panned out, you know, uh, going
(06:54):
along with you, Jared. As I was mentioned earlier, Jared
was an amazing athlete still is. Growing up, Jared, you
played a lot of tennis growing up, because I think
one of the reasons we got into the sport of
tennis growing up as kids was our our best buddy,
Marty Fish was just born and bred to play tennis.
Um his dad as it was, the tennis pro Tom
(07:16):
Fish was our tennis pro at our local UM Tennis
center there in Vero and uh at Riamar at the time,
and then he moved up to Windsor. But him being
a teacher and having Marty be as great as he
was naturally at tennis, I think us all being friends
that kind of sparked our interest into playing tennis as
a kid. And Um Jared Um was very picked up
(07:41):
tennis pretty easily, to the point where he and Marty
and Robert became the three tough guys to beat, not
just in Vero Beach, Florida, but in the entire state
of Florida. Um, Jared, do you remember what was it?
I mean in Junior's mom and dad driving you all
over the state. What was your highest ranking in Junior
Florida Tennis. Well. Actually, um at one, the three of us, Marty,
(08:09):
myself and Robert at different at different times in different years. Um,
at one point we all were number one in the
state of Florida individually. So that's a pretty big honor
for three kids come from small town very Beach. Well, Jared,
to your surprise, buddy, I just dialed up Marty. I
got Marty on the phone right now. I just heard
Marty say, Jared's on here a Marty j Rods on
(08:30):
the phone. Boy, how about that Luke Combs song? What
what song you're talking about? That Luke Combs song, like
the one that I keep I keep, Uh, I keep
texting Jared Linds of the song. It's so good. What's
it called on at sixties five? And that one? Do
(08:53):
you like Luke Combs? Marty? Oh my god, I just
downloaded his album Things Awesome. Yeah, that's so so okay,
So Marty to fill you in really quickly. Uh, this
is my first podcast. UM. It's called Good Company with
Jake and UM it's really about what are we doing
right now? Caught you off guard? So I got Jared
on the phone. We've already talked for a few minutes, um,
(09:15):
and really this with it being my first podcast, I
wanted to introduce the world to who I am and
why I am the person I am and and I
think there was no better way than starting off with
introing people to the way I grew up. And I
started with Jared talking about our small town. We started
talking about Viro and we led to one of the reasons,
you know, Jared being a great athlete, but um, growing
up playing tennis. One of the main reasons we started
(09:36):
even playing tennis is because of our friendship with you,
Marty and your dad Tom Um really having the patient
at our young age to uh not only give you
everything you needed, but to give us great lessons as kids,
not just in the tennis realm, but in lessons of life.
And anyway, Jared was just talking about how at one point, you,
Robert and himself were all uh, um at one point
(09:59):
or another number one in the state of Florida. Um.
So I said, you know what, we need to call
up Marty and get a little get a little of
this competition talk going on on the phone. So, yeah,
that's all good. Yeah, we talked. We talked tennis all
Day Long Listen, Jared was probably the second best athlete
in the group, behind yours truly obviously. But but Robert,
(10:23):
you know, Robert was the worst of all, but he
probably worked a little bit harder than Jared did. We
were we were more concerned with we do you guys remember,
Do you guys remember that Robert didn't even play tennis
really until he realized that you and Jared were pretty good.
I was okay, I mean I didn't. I did beat
Mike Leaviday beat Mike Leaviday, and and that was that
(10:44):
was a strong match for me. Man. But uh, but
you know, Robert, I remember, Robert, biggest win of your career.
It was biggest. That's actually why I retired after my
Mike Leaviday win. I said, tennis isn't even fun for
me anymore because him b J Donnelly beat him bull
I did. I took down b J. Donald. That was
no big deal. Uh. But so Jared and I were
(11:05):
chatting about how just you know, I think all of
us as kids growing up being competitive and and and
not you know that town, you know, making making you
guys into the great athletes you were, And I kind
of ventured off and started playing golf. But I think
us being competitors as kids is what's driven us through
the rest of our life to continue to be competitors
(11:25):
and no matter where our life has taken us. You know,
we were talking with Jared earlier about how he sells
insurance and Marty if you don't mind for the people
out there that obviously there's a lot of people that
do know who you are, um, but if you don't mind,
for just a quick second, if you could kind of
brief them on your years. You mean, there's a lot
of people that don't know who I am. I used
(11:46):
split I used to split tennis a long time ago. Well, well,
let's let's start back. You started playing. You turned professional
at what age? I was seventeen? It was after my
junior year of high school. Uh, I was down in
folk Over, tom when you left if you remember correctly, Yeah,
when did you leave? When did you leave school with us?
Where we were on the same class Um, probably like
(12:08):
half of my junior year of high school. I spent
with y'all at Bureau Beach High School, and then obviously
ninth tenth grade I was there with you guys, and
then and then half of my eleventh and then I
went down to Boca to for this coach that, um,
you know, I was gonna was gonna help me with
my game and take me further and further, and and
you know, so I started started there and eventually realized
(12:32):
that I could. You know, my goal was to be
a professional. I wanted to be a professional athlete, and
tennis was the one that I excelled at the most.
And like you said, my dad pushed me towards, thankfully
pushed me towards tennis a little bit more than the
others because I wouldn't have been quite as good. So
thank you to him. And then well you were did.
I gotta give it to you though, Marty, and I
think Garedald backed me up on this. Not only did
(12:53):
we play tennis growing up, how about the day's Marty,
where you played on auto supply. You were a pitcher,
You were a picture on auto supply. You wore yellow jerseys.
Jared and I were on what was Charlie Brown's the
little league team, and uh, and we had some battles
on the baseball field to man because Marty, you know,
is just a natural athlete, and so they always of
(13:14):
course they put him at picture. Even though he threw
these like wasn't soft floaters right down in the middle. Jared,
the only one, wasn't Jared the only one that actually
took took one deep, like you know when we were
that age. He was the only one over there and
that over there in that babe ruth Field over there
next riverside, that was the only one that hit one deep.
And I think you claim that you hit one off
the No, no, no, no, let's stop this right now, Jared.
(13:36):
Jared never hit up home run, although the one time
he had the chance of knocking it out of the
park off of Jeff Gerard by the way, Uh, Jared
hit a line drive that was definitely going out. He
already had that like kind of gallop going towards the
first base where he was like he was already walking
it off, and it hit the power line going across
(13:56):
the field and dropped straight down in left field. He
got a ground real double. I'm not so sure that
I was going to be a home run of Jared.
How do you feel about that? Yeah? Where is Jared?
By the way, I haven't said of work? Yeah, Jared,
say something. Well, I'm right here, I said I was
doing the Kirk Gibson around second base. Kurt gives them
so Jared, they gave me a ground real double Jared
(14:19):
and I. I'll never forget. And this is kind of
this will lead us to and we'll we'll brief up
this next five or six minutes. But I want to
get back to So Marty, you know, turned professional, and
you know, for Jared and I, you know, we're fifteen,
sixteen years old and our best buddy is now a
professional athlete. Signing contract? Do you signed a contract with Nike?
Didn't you? Marty? Yeah? I signed. Um, you know, when
(14:42):
you when you want to turn pro, you accept the
money obviously. And and I had an agency called IMG
that wanted to rep me and be my agents, and
then um uh, they signed me. They found me deal.
So they found me a Nike deal for about a
hundred thousand dollars a year, and they found a Wilson
deal which was about fifty dollars a year, which you
(15:04):
think about that to be able to pay for my well,
gave me the opportunity to pay for my travel and cofenses,
you know, because it's expensive, you know, traveling around the world.
I was, you know, I was ranked basically zero. You
you know, you turn pro and you're not ranked anything.
So you know, they were giving me the opportunity to
take some wild cars into some of the bigger events,
the US Open, the Sony you know what. What was
(15:26):
then the lifting back at you know, down in Miami
that we used to go to a kids, you know,
getting wild cards into some of those tournaments. So you know,
it just gave me the opportunities. You know, we weren't
we you know, my parents, my dad worked his butt off,
but we didn't have millions and millions of dollars, so
it couldn't afford um to you know, to pay for
me to go around the world. So it gave me
the opportunity to be able to pay for myself by
(15:46):
a buy a car um for myself and and uh
you know, rent an apartment and and just kind of
go from there, you know. Yeah. And I think Jared
you can attest to this too, and I'd love to
hear your side of it, Jared. But it's pretty cool
the way. And I don't know if we've ever told
you this, Marty, and and we'll tell you thanks now
between the two of us, just how cool it was
(16:06):
for us as kids to watch you turn professional even
though we were trying as hard as we could to
be the best in our sports. I mean, you just
had the leg up on a lot of us, and
you turned professional and we got to reap a lot
of the benefits of you being professional. You used to
come home and load Jared and I and Marty up
with Nike tennis shoes and Nike Nike apparel and all
(16:29):
these will make you Yeah, I do remember those, man,
And you were like, you know, like we're we didn't
have anything. We're just like dorky fifteen six and year
old kids. And Marty's coming home taking us for rides
and his new BMW and giving us Nike clothes and
stuff like that. It was like, dang, man, is this
what it's like now? Like I was like a celebrity friend. Man,
(16:49):
this is unbelievable. But Jared, looking back on it, man,
and all the years that you played and competitively like that,
is there a part of you that wishes I'm mean,
you know, we're all growing ups now. When you look
back on it, I mean, do you think, Jared, was
there a time in your life where you feel like
you you wish you would have worked harder, or do
you think you worked as hard as you could and
(17:11):
maybe just playing professional tennis wasn't necessarily in the cards
or what? What? What's your thought on that? No, I
mean I think I mean Marrio, I'll tell you what.
You know, I had the same passion he had for it,
you know, and some people go through things and that
other people don't, you know. I know he had some
injuries along the way. I had some injuries along the
(17:32):
way that ultimately prevented me from really going forward after college. Um,
but you know that whole ride up and through college,
I mean, I competed against Marty, you know, as my
best friend. We'd have to play each other all the time.
We'd have like three and a half hour matches where
our parents were sitting next to each other, cringing, sometimes
in a hundred degree weather, trying to figure out who
(17:54):
is gonna win. Yeah, but Tom and Sally definitely Tom
and Sally definitely wanted Marty to win. And admit and
you know mits you know Mitzi, you know, Mitsy and
Steve are poling for JERRD. But at the end of
the day, we're all, we all we were all excited
to see each one of us become well, look too,
you know, gotta you gotta remember to. I mean, Jared
used it as a tool for an education. I mean
(18:15):
you you know, you've got a scholarship playing playing tennis.
I mean, look, not everybody, you know, everyone when we're kids,
every you know, most kids want to be athletes, you know,
they want to be professional athletes at something. But I
mean how many actually get to do it. And what
a great opportunity to be able to use something like
tennis or baseball or golf as a tool for an education.
(18:38):
I mean, that's really the goal when we have kids.
I mean, Jake, you and I have kids, and and
you know, for my son, I've got a boy, and
for him. You know, look, we all we all think
they're the greatest at what they do, and they're the
smartest kids and the best looking kids and all that.
But I mean, if they you know, if he can
go and get a use a sport as a tool
for education and be amazing. And that's what Jared did.
(19:00):
And let me can't get lost in that just because
you know one of his buddies, did you know, did well,
I mean Robert did the same thing. Jared that we
grew up Robert Bolt, that he went all the way
out to cal got a full scholarship for your shout
out to Robert. Isn't Robert the only shout out to Robert?
Shout out to Robert for being I believe the only
(19:21):
um only two time American clay court Championship winner back
to back, back to back. He was the only back
to back champion. I don't know if it's done since then.
But guy, I mean Marty, but guys like didn't Pete
Sampras that tournament? Yeah, Marty, that's so good. Well hey
let me, uh let me, let me move this back
(19:42):
to me. Let's talk about me for a second. Okay, So,
so both of you guys. One of the reasons I
wanted you to have you guys both on the phone
is because for me in my life and for a
lot for folks out there that have been supporting me
for a lot of years, you know, musically and professionally.
I wanted them to know how much you guys, before
I was at or even close to being famous, if
(20:03):
that's what you want to call it, how much you
will both supported me. You're famous, you're famous. Uh well, okay, Well,
I you know, I wanted I wanted those out there
to know that before they ever were on board supporting me,
that guys like you, you you know, my best buddies were
supporting me. And um, Jared, we were going to school
at Florida State together when I when I decided that
(20:25):
I wasn't going to play golf and hurt my shoulder
and started banging around on a guitar and in our
living room that we lived in. And Marty, you were
off winning silver medals in the Olympics, and you were
nice enough to take one of my songs that I
had written and put it on your website. So every
time somebody went to your website, they'd hear, you know,
a Jake Owen song, which I believe at the time,
(20:45):
um was a Josh Showen song. And well, here's a
perfect example too. Is that is that I don't know about.
I don't know. I remember this like it was yesterday,
But I don't know if Jared has one of these
moments too. But I remember, I'll never forget when I
told you that at if you have your first big concert,
wherever you wherever it is, I'm gonna be there. You know,
if you're opening up for somebody. I'm gonna be there
(21:08):
no matter what. And sure enough here comes Jake and
playing with Kenny Chesney. And it had to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
of all places. And again like Jared showed up for that.
Jared showed up for that. Jared was there. Yeah, and
I'll never forget it, man, And we you know, I
came and you were there with Natalie Gulbus. I remember
(21:28):
that hammered and uh, we will keep that. Yeah, well
we'll keep that on the dal who got hammered? You
did after the fact, but dude, after the show, of
course I got hammered. It was the first show ever
with Kenny Chesney. Have you ever been to Kenny Jesse shows,
Margarita's and were everywhere? We were all there for you.
We were all there for you and it was super cool.
(21:49):
And and I'll never forget that. I said that was
you know, I'm not gonna miss that whatever wherever it is,
whenever it is ensure Well, it had to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
and you couldn't do it in like l A or
New York. So but yeah, Marty lives in l A.
By the way, I don't know if you've shouted that out.
But Jared's back in Vera Beach in our hometown, Marty's
out in l A. I'm in Nashville here. We're all
connected by phone today. But with all that said and done,
(22:11):
and how quickly that happened, happened for me and going off,
what is it like for you guys? And let's start
with you, Jared, if you don't mind, I mean, if
you could tell people what it was like when I
looked at you in the face at Tallahassee and told
you I was going to quit college, that Dad had
been helping us pay for it and gettim moved to Nashvill.
We didn't know anyone in Nashville. So what was your
first thought, Jared? Well, I remember, like it was yesterday
(22:33):
you told me this story and said that you were
packing up your things putting in a U haul driving
in Nashville and you dropped out of school. And I
looked at you and I said, good luck. You tell
Dad that and we'll see how it goes. Yeah, and
I did, and literally without skipping a bead, He's like, well,
(22:54):
what's done is done. I'll deal with mom and dad
and I'll go from there. And not but a few
days later he was packing up a U all and
headed in Nashville with no job, no friends, no nothing,
just like being driven and trying to achieve something. And uh,
you know he worked as a caddy at a golf
club too, you know, earn money. Do you remember the
(23:18):
days of me playing there in Tallahassee at like Parrots Bar,
where there'd be nobody there except you and Rodrigo off
the tennis team, and there'd be two people there. There
would be nobody there if I didn't bring my five
friends there. That's right, that's right. I remember going up.
I remember going up there and and Ehaw Junction playing.
(23:39):
That was my band. He built a following bro was
that Nickel beer Knight. Nickel Beer Knight. That might have
been one of the days too, that when Marty came
up to visit. Since obviously he's the big star that
he that he self righteously told you already that he was.
Remember Mary, Marty had bought a brand new two door
Mercedes I think it was an Amgor something like that,
(24:00):
and you had you drove up, you drove up to
meet us in Tallahassee, but you had to fly out
last minute to go to New York or something. And
you looked at me and you're like, hey, is it
cool if I just leave my car here for the
weekend and you can, you know, you just take it
if you want or whatever. And I know, no, why
would I drive a car around Tallahassee with a bunch
of chicks around there and would drive Why would I
drive a brand new Mercedes around and pretend it was mine? Marty?
(24:23):
Who would do that? Wait a minute, you drove that.
I thought you left it at the airport. That's awesome, man, Yeah, dude,
I had to at least see what it was like,
you know, see what it was like to have a
nice car. Sometimes you have to just start those things up,
you know, for the battery and stuff. You know. That
was smart that Marty shows up with a seventh series
Beamer and I'm freaking bind Nickel beer knight. Yeah, exactly. That.
(24:46):
Most of those most of those Friday nights, by the way,
we're bladderbuster nights. You remember those. But the fact that Marty,
you you remember, one of the main reasons you came
up was it was Halloween. And if you remember correctly,
while we all dressed up, I walked downstairs. I walked
downstairs in our little townhouse we had, and I said, Marty,
what are you dressed up at? He just had like
normal clothes on, And I said, Marty, what are you
dressed up as? And what did you tell everybody? I said,
(25:10):
I'm a good looking college kid. He dressed up as
a normal but he said his outfit was a good
looking college kid. And if you guys, if you guys
don't don't remember, we could share this with those out there.
Do you remember? I mean I got arrested that night.
Do you guys remember this? Remember that? And? Uh, why Jared?
(25:30):
Because you addressed as Peelee Herman and you were supplying
beer too. I wasn't supplying beer to anybody. We had
a keg of beer on our deck, and they were
underage children's uh, coming around our party taking beer out
of our keg. And so I got accused of providing
(25:50):
alcohol to minors while Jared, Marty and everybody else hid
inside and shut the door and left me out there
because I happened to be the guy with a guitar
around my neck playing guitar for everybody. Remember too, we
had Lenny Kravitz with us that night. That's right. Shout
out to James Blake story at the Roadhouse. Bro, Where
(26:11):
are you guys letting me get my app feat o
man Oh, I got a couple of times. Well, man,
we could sit here all day and talk about all
these crazy we're really good and talk about all these stories.
But I think you know, just a few minutes left here.
(26:32):
I think the main reasoning I wanted to intro you
guys to those out there that are gonna even take
the time to listen to this new good Company podcast
that I have is that my life started having amazing
friends and family like you guys, Jared being my best
buddy brother and Marty Man as much as you've done
in your life and gone off and traveled the world
and everything, and you live in l A. And we
(26:54):
still I think you could admit in a test as well,
that we still keep in contact so much and and
we do no't matter how far we've got. I'm flying
to see your I'm flying to see you on Sunday
in Vegas. That's right, You're and then you're and then
you're flying on Wednesday to Nashville for the first time
since you told me you're gonna ask your wife to Mary,
You're gonna come play my member guests in my golf
(27:15):
tournament at my golf club. After after all these years,
we still like each other, That's right. So before we
get out of here, and just because I love y'all's honesty,
I want to ask you both something about me. So
throughout the years you've watched my career and here I
am believe it or not you I don't know if
you guys are gonna believe this or not. But two
days ago, um, was my twelve year anniversary that I've
(27:38):
had a record deal at our c A. Can you
guys believe I've had a record deal for twelve years? Yeah,
that's crazy, man. Congratulations, Well, thank you, um. But what
I've always loved about you guys along the way is
that I've sent you songs, Um, I've sent you things
to ask you your opinions, and I always love your
honesty back. But so, Jared, if you don't mind me
asking you man throughout my career, if is there to
(28:01):
two separate questions? Number one, is there a song that
I've ever released or put out there that you think, um,
was just terrible? That like was the worst idea the
worst idea ever that that you think. And then also,
is there something that you think I've done along the
way in my career that you're really proud of or
that you think was a great move? Um, just from
(28:22):
your perspective, because you know, nobody will give you the
honest perspective that your brother or your best friend would
tell you. So I'm gonna leave that out there because
I think people out there in the world would enjoy
to hear that. Because I'm not. My ideas don't just
stem from me, man. I don't just make the idea
or and throw it out there. I really do. I
bounce it off my friends and family and so Jared,
if you don't mind, Man, is there if you want
to answer those questions? Is there anything out there that
(28:44):
comes to mind? Well, I don't think that there's a
song out there that I thought that you did was
just terrible, because I think if you took the initiative
and the chance to put your heart and soul into
it and release it out to the like to try
to touch someone else, I think, you know, give him
the real answer, Jered, Come on, yeah, I mean I've
(29:06):
told him, you know, the songs I liked the songs
I don't like. I gave him my opinion. He takes
it pretty good. You know, Uh, well, who do I'll
tell you, I'll tell you. I'll tell you, Jake, I
listened just the other day, just the other day, I
was listening um to that why Country? Why to Country
on your on XM radio, and Yeehawk came on and
(29:29):
I was like, man, this song. First of all, that
was your first first single, right yeah, first single twelve
years ago, and and it's so that song is so
not you anymore, you know, like your sound, you're you know, like,
I didn't like that song really at all. I'll admit it.
And I'll tell you. I'll tell you one that I
wish you did that. I wish you did put out.
One of my favorite songs you ever did was was
(29:50):
set in the World on Fire. I love that song
and you never and they never put it out or anything.
So you know who wrote that song? You know, you
put it on a record, but you know who wrote
that song? Is More get More wrote that song? Yeah? Um,
he's a good songwriter because that was my favorite That
was probably one of my favorite songs that you ever did. Oh,
he's a great songwriter. You know, besides the record never
saw the light of day on the radio, and I
(30:12):
wish you did. Yeah, well, thanks man, I appreciate you
guys saying that. I Um, I think that's what people
don't know either, is that artists, you know, it's probably
like your tennis career, um, Marty and then Jared you
as well. I think we can all look back at
our lives and careers and say there was a part
of me then that wasn't exactly who I am now.
I mean, I think that's part of growing in life.
And yeah, I mean at the time, to me, the
(30:33):
hall seemed like it. I mean I was a kid
who got a record deal. I couldn't believe it. I
was out on tour with Kenny Chesney, I had a
song on the radio. I mean I used to I
heard it on the radio, so to have that song
work at the time, in my mind, I was like,
this is it. This is great. But now, yeah, you're right,
looking back on it, I'm not the I'm not necessarily
the ye how guy. I don't run around screaming yeehaw
every day. But uh, it took me time to get
(30:54):
back to my roots of Florida and and a lot
of the stuff that's out now, but is there we'll
wrap this up here at a minute, But what's the
Is there anybody out there now that you're loving their music? Uh,
and you're liking what they're doing and it's there? What
about country music these days? Do you love? And what
don't you love? Um? I'll start first, Yeared, I just
download that old Median They are great. I love that, dude.
(31:17):
I really like that old Dominions great. Said that Luke Combs.
I'm texting Jared every other day about about a line
on that song. I've listened to that song about four
times this morning. Um, so I think he sounds like
Blake Sheldon a little bit. So I like his music.
That's cool. Jared's always been a huge Gary Allen fan.
Jared loves Gary Allen. But Jared, who who are you
(31:39):
into these days? Is there anything you love or anything
you don't love? Well? We speak positivity around here that
this is a good company all about positivities, So I
don't I don't try to. I'm not trying to knock anybody,
but you know we're being honest. Is there anything you
like or don't like or what? Yeah, I'm with Marty
on that I like all the new old Dominion stuff.
I like Brothers Osborne. I think Dustin Lynch's new music's grade.
(32:01):
John Party. Um, even you mentioned Blake. Blake's new song
called on Me and the Dogs is a pretty catchy,
killer new song. I don't know if everybody's heard it yet,
but um, that's a well written song and pretty pretty good. So,
I mean, country music is obviously changed from you know,
ten fift twenty years ago. It just keeps growing, but growing,
(32:25):
I think in a different way of positible way. People
still enjoy it. Concerts are full, so as long as
that happens. Yes, speaking of ways, Jared calls me every
other week to see if I get them tickets for
whatever show it's coming up. Jared text me, what are
you gonna do? Tell me no? Yeah, all right exactly.
Jared calls me last week, he mane you give you
twickets beflour the Georgian line, call it b K, so
you can give me take when is that is that
(32:46):
this week? Jared October? All right, I'll see what I
can do. I'll call it b K dude, and get
get get him to take care of you guys. Be
can Tyler, but you can squeeze me to your calendar.
All right, Well dude, you got you guys squeezed me
into your calendar today and you took thirty minutes to
chat with me, and I appreciate it. I don't think
there could have been a better way to uh just
(33:06):
you know, shoot the shies and talk to you guys
about life and everything. But when do we get our
radio emmy? Yeah, obviously something. Can we do this? Can
we do this podcast again and turn it into some
kind of like childhood roast? Yeah? We could. I mean,
if you guys are down for it, I kind of
put you on the spot. But let's, uh, we'll let
this this podcast get a couple of weeks in and
(33:27):
then maybe we'll revisit our conversations. We can come up
with an idea for a topic, figure out we can
figure out who is the fastest run away from Kane dog? Who? Yeah, exactly?
Who was the worst artist of all? Hey? How about
that picture I see the other day, Marty? That's that
car we drew in school? Was real? Marty was a
terrible artist. We got Marty detention, one quick eye, one
(33:53):
quick story. Second grade. The teacher asked us to draw
a shoe, and she's out for the day. So this
is our this is our point, you know, this is
what we have to do our homework, and so we
draw a shoe. She comes back next day. I showed
my shoe, Josh laughs laughs, in front of the whole thing,
the whole because it wasn't even a shoe, dude, it
looked like it was terrible the teacher. The teacher says,
obviously you were screwing around when you did this. This
(34:15):
was like, my honest, this is my best picture I've
ever drawn in my whole life. And I got detention
for it because he was laughing at it, so she
thought that I was screwing around. Your mom was so mad.
Sally was so mad about that. What about the time
we shot the lady in the leg with a baby gun, Dude,
There's no way I got have shot that shot three
thousand times and never got that lady three thousand times.
(34:36):
You could have shot that, never hit that lady. We
ate in our closet. So funny. That was funny, dude.
You guys cracked me up. I love you both man
and and I really wish outside of even a podcast,
we had time to really catch up like this more
and more and talk about life and and all the
things that we love. Marty, you got a beautiful family
with your wife and your little new your girls. Stella.
(34:57):
My anniversary today, by the way, with my nine years
is my wife. Wow, Happy anniversary man, Jared, you uh
for the ladies out there wondering are you single and
ready to mingle? Are you you got? Are you locked
down or what? Down there in Vera, I am the
most eligible bachelor and all of South Well, you guys
heard it here first old Jay Rodd. He's got the
(35:18):
insurance biz down there, just just gleaming and uh so,
that's right, look him up on Hey, that was funny.
We were in Orlando a couple of weeks back. It's
one of the girls there at the radio station yelled
down the hall to Jared when she saw him. She's like,
I saw you on bumble Oh my god. Jared goes, well,
why don't you bumble yourself out of here? Then that's crazy?
(35:44):
Oh man was Oh my gosh. Well dude, thank you
guys for being a part of the Good Company podcast,
the first one ever. I love you both dearly and
I appreciate you always supporting me and everything that I've
ever done. You guys have always been there for me,
and uh, I'll always be there for you and look
(36:06):
forward to seeing you Marty next week. We'll we'll see
you soon in Jay Rod. Uh you gotta come up
to buddy it comes see us, no problem, had a
great time. I'll send you a bill. Alright, guys, al right,
see you guys, see your buddies. Well that's uh that
that does it for our podcast. We hung the phone
up with my brother, my twin brother Jared, and my
(36:28):
best best friend Marty Fish that we grew up with. UM,
thank you guys so much for hanging with us. This
is the first podcast of many more to come. UM,
we want to really focus Good Company around hanging out
with good, good people, the people that make me laugh.
As you heard on that one, I mean we just
were laughing. We could go on for days and days
with the stories, but catch up with us in the
weeks to come. I've got everything coming from Possibly my
(36:50):
grandparents will tell you the love story that they had
for the seventy some odd years they've been married, and
UM we'll go from there. We've got lots of cool
people that that are friends of mine that will be
on the show, and I really hope you guys can
join us again. It's good company with Jake and we
shall see you soon. Woll thank you.
Hey, this is Jake Owen and this is Good Company.
Good Company. Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we
talk about everything under the sun, friends, good times, and company.
Now here's your host. What's up, everybody, It's Jake here
(00:24):
on Good Company with the Good Company podcast where we
talked to all kinds of folks from family members to friends,
to people that have influenced me throughout my life. And
with this being the first podcast that I've ever put
out under Good Company with Jake, I thought there's no
better person to intro you all to than my best
(00:44):
friend Jared, who is my twin brother. We were born
on August. We're thirty six years old for those of
you guys doing math, and we just had a birthday.
And Jared lives back in our hometown of Ververa Beach, Florida, UM,
where we grew up. And I luckily got Jared to
take some time out of his day today UM to
(01:05):
give me a call because he can't be here in
Nashville with me. So, Jay Rod, what's up, man? How
you doing? I'm good, buddy, how are you doing? Glad
to be here? I'm glad you are too, man. There's
no better way or person to start with on my
podcast than to uh intro the world to um the
guy that not only, like I said, is my best buddy,
but someone that, um, I think about every day. And
(01:29):
we live completely separate lives, which is kind of interesting,
um with us the way we grew up together, basically
living a lot of the same life, you know, under
the same roof sharing a bedroom and and arguing with
each other. You know, You're on one side of the
room in your bed at night and I'm on my
side of the room and Dad's coming and yelling at
us because we weren't going to sleep. So I just
(01:51):
wanted to kind of chat with you today man, and
and and talk to you about your life and my
life and everything, and uh see how it's all going.
So is that cool with you? Good Bye me? So
if you don't mind, Jared, you know, why don't you
tell everybody what you do down in Vero and and
and what you're doing these days down there? You know
Jared sells insurance. I'll let you explain to Jared what
(02:13):
what your gig is down there in Vera. Well, it's
been a rough couple of weeks, not only for me,
but for a lot of other people on the entire
state of Florida with the hurricanes have come in. So
my life has been a little hectic as many of others.
So it's been a couple of weeks of clean up
and just restoring everything, getting everyone's lifestyles back to normal.
(02:36):
So it's been pretty hectic down here. Um, I um,
you know obviously have been running crazy the last couple
of weeks, and my county, my city is recovering. Well,
everybody's safe, and you know, just hope the rest of
the state survives and gets back on their feet and
(02:56):
back to reality. So um, that's uh, that's the last
two weeks. Um. But as you mentioned, yeah, we lived
separate lives. You're on the road all the time. I'm
in Southeast Florida all the time, and you know, I
know we don't get to see each other as much
as we always want to, but I think that we
easily try to make most of the opportunity when you
(03:18):
do have time off to get away and get together
and do anything fun that we've normally done for the
last thirty six years. Thirty six years, man, you believe that?
Can you believe when you say thirty six that We're
thirty six years old. You said, you know, were dude's eighteen.
Check this out. How about you think about it this way.
(03:39):
We graduated high school we were eighteen years old. Buddy,
We've been out of high school for eighteen years. I know,
it's hard to believe. It's hard to believe. That is
hard to believe. So Jared was the most badass athlete
growing up in our hometown. We are really lucky to
grow up in a town of Era Beach, Florida, h um,
(04:00):
where Jared was just speaking of. You know, we've been
affected recently with the hurricanes, not as bad as as
folks down in the Keys um over on the West coast,
around the Gulf Coast, Fort Myers area, Naples, all the
way up believe it or not, up up up to Jacksonville. UM,
they got a lot of flooding. But we were pretty
lucky there in Viro, even though Jared has had his
handsfull with a lot of UM. I'm sure insurance claims
(04:22):
and things come through with due to wind damage. But
our hometown of Ero Beach is thankfully done well. But
with us growing up down there, UM, it's a small town,
it's a coastal town with um, you've got the mainland
separated by the river, and then you have the Barrier Island,
and then obviously on the east side of the Barrier
Island you have the Atlantic Ocean. So, um, Jared, what
(04:43):
do you I mean for those out there they're listening
that want to know about our lives in your in
your best way, how would you would you describe us
growing up as kids and being twins and growing up
in the town of erro Beach. Well, I mean Bureaus
small town, like you said, quaint coastal town, real safe,
(05:05):
a lot of close networks. And uh, with that being said,
we had close bond with really the same friends going up.
We had best friends from Ryanktellan to Robert Kovalchick to
Marty Fish and uh, those guys were not with my friends,
but Jake's friends. And we all still communicate every day
every week on a regular basis. Um, some of which
(05:26):
are still here in Bureau, some of move to California,
some the Nashville. So it's pretty cool that we stayed
tight knit, you know, riding our bikes around his kids,
playing football in the park, as kids, playing team sports.
And it's pretty cool that after thirty six years of
knowing each other. Um, you know, Jake can come back
(05:48):
to his hometown whenever he's free. I still live here,
and vice versa for the other guys. Everybody can kind
of reconnect and be friends again. And uh, you know,
Jake and I used to do everything is not only twins,
but we were like that. Friends were the same age,
same classes, you know, the same schools. And you described
it earlier as we're in the same household, in the
(06:11):
same bedroom, and dad used to walk in and I
want to kill us at night. You know, it was it.
It's not twin brothers. It reminds me of the movie Stepbrothers,
because that's exactly what was happening. Don't you touch my
drum set. Don't touch my drum set. Beat you with
a pillow case full of soap. Oh my god. Well,
(06:33):
Jared was just talking about our friends, Marty Fish and
and Ryan Capellen, Robert k Walchick. These are these are
all guys that uh, you know, we all when you
grow up in a small town, you tend to have
your group of friends that you hang with and and
it's really interesting to me how all of our lives
have have kind of panned out, you know, uh, going
(06:54):
along with you, Jared. As I was mentioned earlier, Jared
was an amazing athlete still is. Growing up, Jared, you
played a lot of tennis growing up, because I think
one of the reasons we got into the sport of
tennis growing up as kids was our our best buddy,
Marty Fish was just born and bred to play tennis.
Um his dad as it was, the tennis pro Tom
(07:16):
Fish was our tennis pro at our local UM Tennis
center there in Vero and uh at Riamar at the time,
and then he moved up to Windsor. But him being
a teacher and having Marty be as great as he
was naturally at tennis, I think us all being friends
that kind of sparked our interest into playing tennis as
a kid. And Um Jared Um was very picked up
(07:41):
tennis pretty easily, to the point where he and Marty
and Robert became the three tough guys to beat, not
just in Vero Beach, Florida, but in the entire state
of Florida. Um, Jared, do you remember what was it?
I mean in Junior's mom and dad driving you all
over the state. What was your highest ranking in Junior
Florida Tennis. Well. Actually, um at one, the three of us, Marty,
(08:09):
myself and Robert at different at different times in different years. Um,
at one point we all were number one in the
state of Florida individually. So that's a pretty big honor
for three kids come from small town very Beach. Well, Jared,
to your surprise, buddy, I just dialed up Marty. I
got Marty on the phone right now. I just heard
Marty say, Jared's on here a Marty j Rods on
(08:30):
the phone. Boy, how about that Luke Combs song? What
what song you're talking about? That Luke Combs song, like
the one that I keep I keep, Uh, I keep
texting Jared Linds of the song. It's so good. What's
it called on at sixties five? And that one? Do
(08:53):
you like Luke Combs? Marty? Oh my god, I just
downloaded his album Things Awesome. Yeah, that's so so okay,
So Marty to fill you in really quickly. Uh, this
is my first podcast. UM. It's called Good Company with
Jake and UM it's really about what are we doing
right now? Caught you off guard? So I got Jared
on the phone. We've already talked for a few minutes, um,
(09:15):
and really this with it being my first podcast, I
wanted to introduce the world to who I am and
why I am the person I am and and I
think there was no better way than starting off with
introing people to the way I grew up. And I
started with Jared talking about our small town. We started
talking about Viro and we led to one of the reasons,
you know, Jared being a great athlete, but um, growing
up playing tennis. One of the main reasons we started
(09:36):
even playing tennis is because of our friendship with you,
Marty and your dad Tom Um really having the patient
at our young age to uh not only give you
everything you needed, but to give us great lessons as kids,
not just in the tennis realm, but in lessons of life.
And anyway, Jared was just talking about how at one point, you,
Robert and himself were all uh, um at one point
(09:59):
or another number one in the state of Florida. Um.
So I said, you know what, we need to call
up Marty and get a little get a little of
this competition talk going on on the phone. So, yeah,
that's all good. Yeah, we talked. We talked tennis all
Day Long Listen, Jared was probably the second best athlete
in the group, behind yours truly obviously. But but Robert,
(10:23):
you know, Robert was the worst of all, but he
probably worked a little bit harder than Jared did. We
were we were more concerned with we do you guys remember,
Do you guys remember that Robert didn't even play tennis
really until he realized that you and Jared were pretty good.
I was okay, I mean I didn't. I did beat
Mike Leaviday beat Mike Leaviday, and and that was that
(10:44):
was a strong match for me. Man. But uh, but
you know, Robert, I remember, Robert, biggest win of your career.
It was biggest. That's actually why I retired after my
Mike Leaviday win. I said, tennis isn't even fun for
me anymore because him b J Donnelly beat him bull
I did. I took down b J. Donald. That was
no big deal. Uh. But so Jared and I were
(11:05):
chatting about how just you know, I think all of
us as kids growing up being competitive and and and
not you know that town, you know, making making you
guys into the great athletes you were, And I kind
of ventured off and started playing golf. But I think
us being competitors as kids is what's driven us through
the rest of our life to continue to be competitors
(11:25):
and no matter where our life has taken us. You know,
we were talking with Jared earlier about how he sells
insurance and Marty if you don't mind for the people
out there that obviously there's a lot of people that
do know who you are, um, but if you don't mind,
for just a quick second, if you could kind of
brief them on your years. You mean, there's a lot
of people that don't know who I am. I used
(11:46):
split I used to split tennis a long time ago. Well, well,
let's let's start back. You started playing. You turned professional
at what age? I was seventeen? It was after my
junior year of high school. Uh, I was down in
folk Over, tom when you left if you remember correctly, Yeah,
when did you leave? When did you leave school with us?
Where we were on the same class Um, probably like
(12:08):
half of my junior year of high school. I spent
with y'all at Bureau Beach High School, and then obviously
ninth tenth grade I was there with you guys, and
then and then half of my eleventh and then I
went down to Boca to for this coach that, um,
you know, I was gonna was gonna help me with
my game and take me further and further, and and
you know, so I started started there and eventually realized
(12:32):
that I could. You know, my goal was to be
a professional. I wanted to be a professional athlete, and
tennis was the one that I excelled at the most.
And like you said, my dad pushed me towards, thankfully
pushed me towards tennis a little bit more than the
others because I wouldn't have been quite as good. So
thank you to him. And then well you were did.
I gotta give it to you though, Marty, and I
think Garedald backed me up on this. Not only did
(12:53):
we play tennis growing up, how about the day's Marty,
where you played on auto supply. You were a pitcher,
You were a picture on auto supply. You wore yellow jerseys.
Jared and I were on what was Charlie Brown's the
little league team, and uh, and we had some battles
on the baseball field to man because Marty, you know,
is just a natural athlete, and so they always of
(13:14):
course they put him at picture. Even though he threw
these like wasn't soft floaters right down in the middle. Jared,
the only one, wasn't Jared the only one that actually
took took one deep, like you know when we were
that age. He was the only one over there and
that over there in that babe ruth Field over there
next riverside, that was the only one that hit one deep.
And I think you claim that you hit one off
the No, no, no, no, let's stop this right now, Jared.
(13:36):
Jared never hit up home run, although the one time
he had the chance of knocking it out of the
park off of Jeff Gerard by the way, Uh, Jared
hit a line drive that was definitely going out. He
already had that like kind of gallop going towards the
first base where he was like he was already walking
it off, and it hit the power line going across
(13:56):
the field and dropped straight down in left field. He
got a ground real double. I'm not so sure that
I was going to be a home run of Jared.
How do you feel about that? Yeah? Where is Jared?
By the way, I haven't said of work? Yeah, Jared,
say something. Well, I'm right here, I said I was
doing the Kirk Gibson around second base. Kurt gives them
so Jared, they gave me a ground real double Jared
(14:19):
and I. I'll never forget. And this is kind of
this will lead us to and we'll we'll brief up
this next five or six minutes. But I want to
get back to So Marty, you know, turned professional, and
you know, for Jared and I, you know, we're fifteen,
sixteen years old and our best buddy is now a
professional athlete. Signing contract? Do you signed a contract with Nike?
Didn't you? Marty? Yeah? I signed. Um, you know, when
(14:42):
you when you want to turn pro, you accept the
money obviously. And and I had an agency called IMG
that wanted to rep me and be my agents, and
then um uh, they signed me. They found me deal.
So they found me a Nike deal for about a
hundred thousand dollars a year, and they found a Wilson
deal which was about fifty dollars a year, which you
(15:04):
think about that to be able to pay for my well,
gave me the opportunity to pay for my travel and cofenses,
you know, because it's expensive, you know, traveling around the world.
I was, you know, I was ranked basically zero. You
you know, you turn pro and you're not ranked anything.
So you know, they were giving me the opportunity to
take some wild cars into some of the bigger events,
the US Open, the Sony you know what. What was
(15:26):
then the lifting back at you know, down in Miami
that we used to go to a kids, you know,
getting wild cards into some of those tournaments. So you know,
it just gave me the opportunities. You know, we weren't
we you know, my parents, my dad worked his butt off,
but we didn't have millions and millions of dollars, so
it couldn't afford um to you know, to pay for
me to go around the world. So it gave me
the opportunity to be able to pay for myself by
(15:46):
a buy a car um for myself and and uh
you know, rent an apartment and and just kind of
go from there, you know. Yeah. And I think Jared
you can attest to this too, and I'd love to
hear your side of it, Jared. But it's pretty cool
the way. And I don't know if we've ever told
you this, Marty, and and we'll tell you thanks now
between the two of us, just how cool it was
(16:06):
for us as kids to watch you turn professional even
though we were trying as hard as we could to
be the best in our sports. I mean, you just
had the leg up on a lot of us, and
you turned professional and we got to reap a lot
of the benefits of you being professional. You used to
come home and load Jared and I and Marty up
with Nike tennis shoes and Nike Nike apparel and all
(16:29):
these will make you Yeah, I do remember those, man,
And you were like, you know, like we're we didn't
have anything. We're just like dorky fifteen six and year
old kids. And Marty's coming home taking us for rides
and his new BMW and giving us Nike clothes and
stuff like that. It was like, dang, man, is this
what it's like now? Like I was like a celebrity friend. Man,
(16:49):
this is unbelievable. But Jared, looking back on it, man,
and all the years that you played and competitively like that,
is there a part of you that wishes I'm mean,
you know, we're all growing ups now. When you look
back on it, I mean, do you think, Jared, was
there a time in your life where you feel like
you you wish you would have worked harder, or do
you think you worked as hard as you could and
(17:11):
maybe just playing professional tennis wasn't necessarily in the cards
or what? What? What's your thought on that? No, I
mean I think I mean Marrio, I'll tell you what.
You know, I had the same passion he had for it,
you know, and some people go through things and that
other people don't, you know. I know he had some
injuries along the way. I had some injuries along the
(17:32):
way that ultimately prevented me from really going forward after college. Um,
but you know that whole ride up and through college,
I mean, I competed against Marty, you know, as my
best friend. We'd have to play each other all the time.
We'd have like three and a half hour matches where
our parents were sitting next to each other, cringing, sometimes
in a hundred degree weather, trying to figure out who
(17:54):
is gonna win. Yeah, but Tom and Sally definitely Tom
and Sally definitely wanted Marty to win. And admit and
you know mits you know Mitzi, you know, Mitsy and
Steve are poling for JERRD. But at the end of
the day, we're all, we all we were all excited
to see each one of us become well, look too,
you know, gotta you gotta remember to. I mean, Jared
used it as a tool for an education. I mean
(18:15):
you you know, you've got a scholarship playing playing tennis.
I mean, look, not everybody, you know, everyone when we're kids,
every you know, most kids want to be athletes, you know,
they want to be professional athletes at something. But I
mean how many actually get to do it. And what
a great opportunity to be able to use something like
tennis or baseball or golf as a tool for an education.
(18:38):
I mean, that's really the goal when we have kids.
I mean, Jake, you and I have kids, and and
you know, for my son, I've got a boy, and
for him. You know, look, we all we all think
they're the greatest at what they do, and they're the
smartest kids and the best looking kids and all that.
But I mean, if they you know, if he can
go and get a use a sport as a tool
for education and be amazing. And that's what Jared did.
(19:00):
And let me can't get lost in that just because
you know one of his buddies, did you know, did well,
I mean Robert did the same thing. Jared that we
grew up Robert Bolt, that he went all the way
out to cal got a full scholarship for your shout
out to Robert. Isn't Robert the only shout out to Robert?
Shout out to Robert for being I believe the only
(19:21):
um only two time American clay court Championship winner back
to back, back to back. He was the only back
to back champion. I don't know if it's done since then.
But guy, I mean Marty, but guys like didn't Pete
Sampras that tournament? Yeah, Marty, that's so good. Well hey
let me, uh let me, let me move this back
(19:42):
to me. Let's talk about me for a second. Okay, So,
so both of you guys. One of the reasons I
wanted you to have you guys both on the phone
is because for me in my life and for a
lot for folks out there that have been supporting me
for a lot of years, you know, musically and professionally.
I wanted them to know how much you guys, before
I was at or even close to being famous, if
(20:03):
that's what you want to call it, how much you
will both supported me. You're famous, you're famous. Uh well, okay, Well,
I you know, I wanted I wanted those out there
to know that before they ever were on board supporting me,
that guys like you, you you know, my best buddies were
supporting me. And um, Jared, we were going to school
at Florida State together when I when I decided that
(20:25):
I wasn't going to play golf and hurt my shoulder
and started banging around on a guitar and in our
living room that we lived in. And Marty, you were
off winning silver medals in the Olympics, and you were
nice enough to take one of my songs that I
had written and put it on your website. So every
time somebody went to your website, they'd hear, you know,
a Jake Owen song, which I believe at the time,
(20:45):
um was a Josh Showen song. And well, here's a
perfect example too. Is that is that I don't know about.
I don't know. I remember this like it was yesterday,
But I don't know if Jared has one of these
moments too. But I remember, I'll never forget when I
told you that at if you have your first big concert,
wherever you wherever it is, I'm gonna be there. You know,
if you're opening up for somebody. I'm gonna be there
(21:08):
no matter what. And sure enough here comes Jake and
playing with Kenny Chesney. And it had to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
of all places. And again like Jared showed up for that.
Jared showed up for that. Jared was there. Yeah, and
I'll never forget it, man, And we you know, I
came and you were there with Natalie Gulbus. I remember
(21:28):
that hammered and uh, we will keep that. Yeah, well
we'll keep that on the dal who got hammered? You
did after the fact, but dude, after the show, of
course I got hammered. It was the first show ever
with Kenny Chesney. Have you ever been to Kenny Jesse shows,
Margarita's and were everywhere? We were all there for you.
We were all there for you and it was super cool.
(21:49):
And and I'll never forget that. I said that was
you know, I'm not gonna miss that whatever wherever it is,
whenever it is ensure Well, it had to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
and you couldn't do it in like l A or
New York. So but yeah, Marty lives in l A.
By the way, I don't know if you've shouted that out.
But Jared's back in Vera Beach in our hometown, Marty's
out in l A. I'm in Nashville here. We're all
connected by phone today. But with all that said and done,
(22:11):
and how quickly that happened, happened for me and going off,
what is it like for you guys? And let's start
with you, Jared, if you don't mind, I mean, if
you could tell people what it was like when I
looked at you in the face at Tallahassee and told
you I was going to quit college, that Dad had
been helping us pay for it and gettim moved to Nashvill.
We didn't know anyone in Nashville. So what was your
first thought, Jared? Well, I remember, like it was yesterday
(22:33):
you told me this story and said that you were
packing up your things putting in a U haul driving
in Nashville and you dropped out of school. And I
looked at you and I said, good luck. You tell
Dad that and we'll see how it goes. Yeah, and
I did, and literally without skipping a bead, He's like, well,
(22:54):
what's done is done. I'll deal with mom and dad
and I'll go from there. And not but a few
days later he was packing up a U all and
headed in Nashville with no job, no friends, no nothing,
just like being driven and trying to achieve something. And uh,
you know he worked as a caddy at a golf
club too, you know, earn money. Do you remember the
(23:18):
days of me playing there in Tallahassee at like Parrots Bar,
where there'd be nobody there except you and Rodrigo off
the tennis team, and there'd be two people there. There
would be nobody there if I didn't bring my five
friends there. That's right, that's right. I remember going up.
I remember going up there and and Ehaw Junction playing.
(23:39):
That was my band. He built a following bro was
that Nickel beer Knight. Nickel Beer Knight. That might have
been one of the days too, that when Marty came
up to visit. Since obviously he's the big star that
he that he self righteously told you already that he was.
Remember Mary, Marty had bought a brand new two door
Mercedes I think it was an Amgor something like that,
(24:00):
and you had you drove up, you drove up to
meet us in Tallahassee, but you had to fly out
last minute to go to New York or something. And
you looked at me and you're like, hey, is it
cool if I just leave my car here for the
weekend and you can, you know, you just take it
if you want or whatever. And I know, no, why
would I drive a car around Tallahassee with a bunch
of chicks around there and would drive Why would I
drive a brand new Mercedes around and pretend it was mine? Marty?
(24:23):
Who would do that? Wait a minute, you drove that.
I thought you left it at the airport. That's awesome, man, Yeah, dude,
I had to at least see what it was like,
you know, see what it was like to have a
nice car. Sometimes you have to just start those things up,
you know, for the battery and stuff. You know. That
was smart that Marty shows up with a seventh series
Beamer and I'm freaking bind Nickel beer knight. Yeah, exactly. That.
(24:46):
Most of those most of those Friday nights, by the way,
we're bladderbuster nights. You remember those. But the fact that Marty,
you you remember, one of the main reasons you came
up was it was Halloween. And if you remember correctly,
while we all dressed up, I walked downstairs. I walked
downstairs in our little townhouse we had, and I said, Marty,
what are you dressed up at? He just had like
normal clothes on, And I said, Marty, what are you
dressed up as? And what did you tell everybody? I said,
(25:10):
I'm a good looking college kid. He dressed up as
a normal but he said his outfit was a good
looking college kid. And if you guys, if you guys
don't don't remember, we could share this with those out there.
Do you remember? I mean I got arrested that night.
Do you guys remember this? Remember that? And? Uh, why Jared?
(25:30):
Because you addressed as Peelee Herman and you were supplying
beer too. I wasn't supplying beer to anybody. We had
a keg of beer on our deck, and they were
underage children's uh, coming around our party taking beer out
of our keg. And so I got accused of providing
(25:50):
alcohol to minors while Jared, Marty and everybody else hid
inside and shut the door and left me out there
because I happened to be the guy with a guitar
around my neck playing guitar for everybody. Remember too, we
had Lenny Kravitz with us that night. That's right. Shout
out to James Blake story at the Roadhouse. Bro, Where
(26:11):
are you guys letting me get my app feat o
man Oh, I got a couple of times. Well, man,
we could sit here all day and talk about all
these crazy we're really good and talk about all these stories.
But I think you know, just a few minutes left here.
(26:32):
I think the main reasoning I wanted to intro you
guys to those out there that are gonna even take
the time to listen to this new good Company podcast
that I have is that my life started having amazing
friends and family like you guys, Jared being my best
buddy brother and Marty Man as much as you've done
in your life and gone off and traveled the world
and everything, and you live in l A. And we
(26:54):
still I think you could admit in a test as well,
that we still keep in contact so much and and
we do no't matter how far we've got. I'm flying
to see your I'm flying to see you on Sunday
in Vegas. That's right, You're and then you're and then
you're flying on Wednesday to Nashville for the first time
since you told me you're gonna ask your wife to Mary,
You're gonna come play my member guests in my golf
(27:15):
tournament at my golf club. After after all these years,
we still like each other, That's right. So before we
get out of here, and just because I love y'all's honesty,
I want to ask you both something about me. So
throughout the years you've watched my career and here I
am believe it or not you I don't know if
you guys are gonna believe this or not. But two
days ago, um, was my twelve year anniversary that I've
(27:38):
had a record deal at our c A. Can you
guys believe I've had a record deal for twelve years? Yeah,
that's crazy, man. Congratulations, Well, thank you, um. But what
I've always loved about you guys along the way is
that I've sent you songs, Um, I've sent you things
to ask you your opinions, and I always love your
honesty back. But so, Jared, if you don't mind me
asking you man throughout my career, if is there to
(28:01):
two separate questions? Number one, is there a song that
I've ever released or put out there that you think, um,
was just terrible? That like was the worst idea the
worst idea ever that that you think. And then also,
is there something that you think I've done along the
way in my career that you're really proud of or
that you think was a great move? Um, just from
(28:22):
your perspective, because you know, nobody will give you the
honest perspective that your brother or your best friend would
tell you. So I'm gonna leave that out there because
I think people out there in the world would enjoy
to hear that. Because I'm not. My ideas don't just
stem from me, man. I don't just make the idea
or and throw it out there. I really do. I
bounce it off my friends and family and so Jared,
if you don't mind, Man, is there if you want
to answer those questions? Is there anything out there that
(28:44):
comes to mind? Well, I don't think that there's a
song out there that I thought that you did was
just terrible, because I think if you took the initiative
and the chance to put your heart and soul into
it and release it out to the like to try
to touch someone else, I think, you know, give him
the real answer, Jered, Come on, yeah, I mean I've
(29:06):
told him, you know, the songs I liked the songs
I don't like. I gave him my opinion. He takes
it pretty good. You know, Uh, well, who do I'll
tell you, I'll tell you. I'll tell you, Jake, I
listened just the other day, just the other day, I
was listening um to that why Country? Why to Country
on your on XM radio, and Yeehawk came on and
(29:29):
I was like, man, this song. First of all, that
was your first first single, right yeah, first single twelve
years ago, and and it's so that song is so
not you anymore, you know, like your sound, you're you know, like,
I didn't like that song really at all. I'll admit it.
And I'll tell you. I'll tell you one that I
wish you did that. I wish you did put out.
One of my favorite songs you ever did was was
(29:50):
set in the World on Fire. I love that song
and you never and they never put it out or anything.
So you know who wrote that song? You know, you
put it on a record, but you know who wrote
that song? Is More get More wrote that song? Yeah? Um,
he's a good songwriter because that was my favorite That
was probably one of my favorite songs that you ever did. Oh,
he's a great songwriter. You know, besides the record never
saw the light of day on the radio, and I
(30:12):
wish you did. Yeah, well, thanks man, I appreciate you
guys saying that. I Um, I think that's what people
don't know either, is that artists, you know, it's probably
like your tennis career, um, Marty and then Jared you
as well. I think we can all look back at
our lives and careers and say there was a part
of me then that wasn't exactly who I am now.
I mean, I think that's part of growing in life.
And yeah, I mean at the time, to me, the
(30:33):
hall seemed like it. I mean I was a kid
who got a record deal. I couldn't believe it. I
was out on tour with Kenny Chesney, I had a
song on the radio. I mean I used to I
heard it on the radio, so to have that song
work at the time, in my mind, I was like,
this is it. This is great. But now, yeah, you're right,
looking back on it, I'm not the I'm not necessarily
the ye how guy. I don't run around screaming yeehaw
every day. But uh, it took me time to get
(30:54):
back to my roots of Florida and and a lot
of the stuff that's out now, but is there we'll
wrap this up here at a minute, But what's the
Is there anybody out there now that you're loving their music? Uh,
and you're liking what they're doing and it's there? What
about country music these days? Do you love? And what
don't you love? Um? I'll start first, Yeared, I just
download that old Median They are great. I love that, dude.
(31:17):
I really like that old Dominions great. Said that Luke Combs.
I'm texting Jared every other day about about a line
on that song. I've listened to that song about four
times this morning. Um, so I think he sounds like
Blake Sheldon a little bit. So I like his music.
That's cool. Jared's always been a huge Gary Allen fan.
Jared loves Gary Allen. But Jared, who who are you
(31:39):
into these days? Is there anything you love or anything
you don't love? Well? We speak positivity around here that
this is a good company all about positivities, So I
don't I don't try to. I'm not trying to knock anybody,
but you know we're being honest. Is there anything you
like or don't like or what? Yeah, I'm with Marty
on that I like all the new old Dominion stuff.
I like Brothers Osborne. I think Dustin Lynch's new music's grade.
(32:01):
John Party. Um, even you mentioned Blake. Blake's new song
called on Me and the Dogs is a pretty catchy,
killer new song. I don't know if everybody's heard it yet,
but um, that's a well written song and pretty pretty good. So,
I mean, country music is obviously changed from you know,
ten fift twenty years ago. It just keeps growing, but growing,
(32:25):
I think in a different way of positible way. People
still enjoy it. Concerts are full, so as long as
that happens. Yes, speaking of ways, Jared calls me every
other week to see if I get them tickets for
whatever show it's coming up. Jared text me, what are
you gonna do? Tell me no? Yeah, all right exactly.
Jared calls me last week, he mane you give you
twickets beflour the Georgian line, call it b K, so
you can give me take when is that is that
(32:46):
this week? Jared October? All right, I'll see what I
can do. I'll call it b K dude, and get
get get him to take care of you guys. Be
can Tyler, but you can squeeze me to your calendar.
All right, Well dude, you got you guys squeezed me
into your calendar today and you took thirty minutes to
chat with me, and I appreciate it. I don't think
there could have been a better way to uh just
(33:06):
you know, shoot the shies and talk to you guys
about life and everything. But when do we get our
radio emmy? Yeah, obviously something. Can we do this? Can
we do this podcast again and turn it into some
kind of like childhood roast? Yeah? We could. I mean,
if you guys are down for it, I kind of
put you on the spot. But let's, uh, we'll let
this this podcast get a couple of weeks in and
(33:27):
then maybe we'll revisit our conversations. We can come up
with an idea for a topic, figure out we can
figure out who is the fastest run away from Kane dog? Who? Yeah, exactly?
Who was the worst artist of all? Hey? How about
that picture I see the other day, Marty? That's that
car we drew in school? Was real? Marty was a
terrible artist. We got Marty detention, one quick eye, one
(33:53):
quick story. Second grade. The teacher asked us to draw
a shoe, and she's out for the day. So this
is our this is our point, you know, this is
what we have to do our homework, and so we
draw a shoe. She comes back next day. I showed
my shoe, Josh laughs laughs, in front of the whole thing,
the whole because it wasn't even a shoe, dude, it
looked like it was terrible the teacher. The teacher says,
obviously you were screwing around when you did this. This
(34:15):
was like, my honest, this is my best picture I've
ever drawn in my whole life. And I got detention
for it because he was laughing at it, so she
thought that I was screwing around. Your mom was so mad.
Sally was so mad about that. What about the time
we shot the lady in the leg with a baby gun, Dude,
There's no way I got have shot that shot three
thousand times and never got that lady three thousand times.
(34:36):
You could have shot that, never hit that lady. We
ate in our closet. So funny. That was funny, dude.
You guys cracked me up. I love you both man
and and I really wish outside of even a podcast,
we had time to really catch up like this more
and more and talk about life and and all the
things that we love. Marty, you got a beautiful family
with your wife and your little new your girls. Stella.
(34:57):
My anniversary today, by the way, with my nine years
is my wife. Wow, Happy anniversary man, Jared, you uh
for the ladies out there wondering are you single and
ready to mingle? Are you you got? Are you locked
down or what? Down there in Vera, I am the
most eligible bachelor and all of South Well, you guys
heard it here first old Jay Rodd. He's got the
(35:18):
insurance biz down there, just just gleaming and uh so,
that's right, look him up on Hey, that was funny.
We were in Orlando a couple of weeks back. It's
one of the girls there at the radio station yelled
down the hall to Jared when she saw him. She's like,
I saw you on bumble Oh my god. Jared goes, well,
why don't you bumble yourself out of here? Then that's crazy?
(35:44):
Oh man was Oh my gosh. Well dude, thank you
guys for being a part of the Good Company podcast,
the first one ever. I love you both dearly and
I appreciate you always supporting me and everything that I've
ever done. You guys have always been there for me,
and uh, I'll always be there for you and look
(36:06):
forward to seeing you Marty next week. We'll we'll see
you soon in Jay Rod. Uh you gotta come up
to buddy it comes see us, no problem, had a
great time. I'll send you a bill. Alright, guys, al right,
see you guys, see your buddies. Well that's uh that
that does it for our podcast. We hung the phone
up with my brother, my twin brother Jared, and my
(36:28):
best best friend Marty Fish that we grew up with. UM,
thank you guys so much for hanging with us. This
is the first podcast of many more to come. UM,
we want to really focus Good Company around hanging out
with good, good people, the people that make me laugh.
As you heard on that one, I mean we just
were laughing. We could go on for days and days
with the stories, but catch up with us in the
weeks to come. I've got everything coming from Possibly my
(36:50):
grandparents will tell you the love story that they had
for the seventy some odd years they've been married, and
UM we'll go from there. We've got lots of cool
people that that are friends of mine that will be
on the show, and I really hope you guys can
join us again. It's good company with Jake and we
shall see you soon. Woll thank you.
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