Owen became boy number five for Arnold and Joyce Knudsen on August 26th, while the family was living in Seattle, Washington. At the tender age of seven, Owen was the youngest of the original singing group. His talent was evident quickly and, as a little boy, charmed many audiences. As he grew, he continued to develop into a solid vocalist for various formations of the young group. While in his twenties, all six brothers came together in an early form of what is now SIX; and while exploring their musical options it was decided that Owen would attempt to expand his talents and become a vocal percussionist. He traveled to San Francisco, California where he studied for two days under the tutelage of the premiere vocal percussionist of the time. Upon his return, his brothers were very impressed with what he had accomplished in such a short time and were eager to explore all this had to offer. As his newly discovered aptitude for vocal drumming began to take shape and change the dynamic of the singing group, his abilities proved to be essential to their success. Today, Owen’s unstoppable rhythms and rich Baritone voice make him an incomparable double threat in the world of modern all-vocal groups, as he and the rest of SIX thrill audiences night after night.
When not creating an entire drum set with his mouth, Owen is actually a pretty quiet guy. His life away from the stage includes several varied interests, such as: boating, golf, classic movies, crime investigation documentaries, and fantasy football. He enjoys following his favorite sports of football and basketball, but he’s also been known to follow just about anything else involving athletics. His favorite color is scarlet red, and some of his favorite foods include Asian stir fry and Mexican food. Owen’s diverse predilection of movies has him enjoying such greats as Ben-Hur, as well as anything by Mel Brooks, and much more.
Current musical favorites and influences for Owen include Coldplay and Muse, with New Order coming in as a retro favorite. However, Owen’s vast iTunes library contains a wide variety of genres that could satisfy just about anyone’s tastes.
Owen has spent the majority of his life earning a living through his talents on stage, but in his younger years he got by with assorted odd jobs including: pizza cook, ice cream vendor, Yellow Pages proofreader (yes, people actually did that), and an assistant cook in a seafood restaurant where he made clam chowder for the good people of Sandwich, Massachusetts.
A long way from Cape Cod, on the beautiful island of Hawaii, was the setting of one of Owen’s fondest memories from his life as an entertainer. While performing for a corporate event, he and his brothers had the opportunity to meet General Colin Powell. Owen recalls, “It wasn’t long after Desert Storm and the war was still fresh in the minds of many Americans. He was one of my heroes at the time and it was an honor to meet him.”
Even though travel was a constant requirement of SIX for many years, Owen still enjoys it when the opportunity presents itself. He probably won’t ever travel as far, though, as the man who said his favorite quote: “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong. When asked why he favored the quote, Owen responded, “I don’t know, I just like it. It’s from one of the most iconic events in human history.”
Owen is married and has one child. He currently resides in Branson, Missouri.
