“As long as God lets me live, I want to do things that make a difference in the world besides play music.”
For many years, Randy Owen has used that philosophy to guide a career that extended far beyond the stage. From raising millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to helping Jacksonville State University recover after a devastating tornado, the Fort Payne native has long worked to turn success into service.
Now, with the opening of the Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts at Jacksonville State University, Owen is watching another part of that mission take shape.
The new center also represents another major cultural investment for Northeast Alabama, bringing a performance venue and arts education destination to a region better known nationally for music legends than large-scale performing arts facilities.
University leaders, students, elected officials, and members of the Owen family gathered Tuesday for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new state-of-the-art facility, which Jax State officials say will serve as a centerpiece for performances, arts education, recording instruction, and community events for generations to come.
Named in honor of the Alabama lead singer, Jax State alumnus, and university trustee, the ROC represents one of the university’s most ambitious investments in the arts. The center is designed to provide students with opportunities to perform, study, record, and develop their creativity while also bringing nationally recognized entertainment and educational programming to Northeast Alabama.
Jax State President Dr. Don C. Killingsworth Jr. said the center gives students a place where their talents can be showcased while also preparing them for careers connected to the performing arts industry.
“We finally have a place where our students’ talents can be displayed, and we have a place where students can learn how to record and even perform their talents,” Killingsworth said. “And that has been worth the wait.”
For Owen, however, the building represents something even more personal.
“My wishes, and my hopes, and my dreams are that someday some kid will come through here, like me, and when they leave here, they have a dream,” Owen said during the ceremony. “Because if I can make it, anybody can.”
Several university and state leaders joined Owen in celebrating the opening of the center, including Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Jax State Student Government Association President Bethany Stoots, Board of Trustees Chairman Randy Jones, and Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Christie Shelton.
Ledbetter, a longtime friend of Owen, spoke of the impact the center could have on future generations.
“What will come out of this for generations to come will change lives,” Ledbetter said. “There are children who haven’t been born in this state today that will receive an education and learning from this facility that will change people’s lives.”
University officials also announced the center’s 2026-2027 inaugural performance season, featuring nationally recognized artists, educational productions, and university performances that will bring a steady lineup of entertainment and cultural events to Jacksonville.
The inaugural season includes performances by nationally known artists and groups such as The Dan Tyminski Band, Sixpence None the Richer and Augustana, The Secret Sisters, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: World on a String – Swinging Songs of Broadway.
The center will offer not only entertainment but also educational programming and student-centered performances, including productions tied to The Magic School Bus and The Questioneers series, as well as several Jax State Department of Music showcases and concerts.
The grand opening celebration continued Wednesday evening with a sold-out “Live in Concert: Randy Owen and Friends” performance celebrating the opening of the new center.
For Owen, the center stands as more than a performance venue. It represents an opportunity for future students — especially those with big dreams from small towns — to discover talents and possibilities they may never have imagined otherwise.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
