Bruce Randolph Owen

Bruce was born in Huntsville Alabama to Knox and Ruth Owen the youngest of 4 children. Growing up he lived in Chattanooga Tennessee but spent the bulk of his formative years in Hollywood Florida and West Palm Beach Florida before moving to Jackson Mississippi his sophomore year where he met the love of his life and wife Linda the summer between sophomore and junior year before finishing and graduating from Callaway High School. He then attended and graduated with a Bachelor’s Of Science degree from Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. 

 In 1969, at the young age of age 19 years old while attending Mississippi College he became a full time professional hard rock FM Radio Disc Jockey at “WJDX FM” which became “WZZQ FM”, a 150,000 watt power house radio station that was one of the largest pioneering free form radio stations in the south reaching throughout 5 states. This epic station and time period was recently the subject of a documentary movie that featured Bruce as well as the other pioneer DJ’s and what this station meant to 100’s of thousands of listeners and dedicated rock ‘n roll fans. 

 Throughout his radio days after working the majority of the 70’s for “WZZQ” he went on to work for “KKFM” in Colorado Springs Colorado as well as “KSIR” in Estes Park Colorado as well as “WTYX” in Jackson Mississippi. 

Shortly after he and his wife Linda had their two sons Kevin and Randy they moved to Denver Colorado where he owned several successful businesses throughout the 80’s. In the early 90’s he also went to work for Continental Airlines where he climbed the corporate ladder working his way all the way up to management, managing and opening Continental Express stations across the south including Knoxville, Tennessee and Biloxi, Mississippi as well becoming one of Continental’s top corporate trainers. 

After retiring from the airlines industry he managed several restaurants including his favorite, a 50’s diner called Jo’s Diner in Brandon Mississippi until his sons rock band became a successful nationally touring act at which time he began managing the band full time as well as driving the bands tour bus all around the country. He and his wife then moved to Nashville, Tennessee to where his sons band was based and lived there for 5 years before moving to East Tennessee where he went back to work in radio at WECO in Wartburg, Tennessee for the remaining 10 years of his life. Bruce had an amazing gift with people, was loved by all and had a charisma and magic that no one could deny. He was well known by many around the world and once you met him you never forgot him. He was truly one of a kind and the world was a better place with someone with his light and positivity in it. His life was a beautiful tapestry that would quite literally take a book or even a movie to illustrate. 

He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Linda Elliott Owen, his sons Kevin Owen and his wife Amanda Owen, Randy Owen and his wife Katie Owen, his grandchildren, Aspen, Aiden, Camryn, Mary, Malia and Isabell. Two sisters, Jean Whitney of Ocala Florida and Pam Sanders of Starkville Mississippi as well his nieces and nephews, Owen Sanders, Lynley Sanders, Peter Whitney and Ashley Blackburn Rhodes. 

He will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends as well as the many lives he touched throughout his life. He loved his family with all his heart and gave his all every waking day of his earthly existence. He was true, he was honest and he was pure. He was an incredible soul who will never be forgotten, always be remembered and now resides comfortably in Heaven for the rest of eternity. 

He requested that no service would be held and that he would cremated. 

Donations can be made to the charity of your choice. 

To leave a note for Bruce’s family or to share a memory, please go to our online guestbook at jacksonfuneralservices.com

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