Dan Owen

• Blues

Dan was born on the 11th of May 1992 in the market town of Shrewsbury in England, Shropshire, UK.
As a young boy Dan grew up overlooking fields, making fires, building dens and enjoying life in the country.
Dan did not particularly enjoy school and took to the guitar at the age of 9. Through music, Dan found that he could express himself, and his affinity with the guitar started when introduced to the Blues by his teacher, Richard Pharo. Dan’s guitar skill and understanding of the Blues continued to develop through his school years, playing in various bands and as part of a duo supporting his older sister Claire on open mic nights around the county.
When Dan left school he undertook a joinery apprenticeship with the ambition of becoming a professional guitar maker. Unfortunately, this was cut short following a tragic accident in the workshop involving his eye. Although no cosmetic signs remain, he suffered severe damage to the retina resulting in continued deterioration of his sight. Dan now looks back at this as a pivotal moment. It was to alter the course of his life permanently.
After seeking solace in the Blues to deal with the aftermath of his accident, Dan decided he would pick himself up and embark upon a full-time music career. The support from his family, along with the encouragement of local musicians and manager Tony Skeggs, spurred Dan on to broaden his horizons and experiment with singing. To the astonishment of himself and others, a voice emerged which has resulted in the label 'Blues Boy Dan'.
Word in the local Blues community began to spread, and throughout 2011 Dan found himself gigging twice a week, leading to a video posting on Youtube of his performance of the “Ballad of Hollis Brown”. The video attracted the attention of Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac who tracked Dan down and has since become Dan’s mentor.
Dan will be travelling to Nashville in April this year, to record with Grammy award winning producer Vance Powell (Kings Of Leon, Jack White, Willie Nelson), he will also be performing at Glastonbury, and starts a world tour with ZZ Top as support act in June.

Theatre Severn

• Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8FT

Theatre Severn (Shrewsbury)

Theatre Severn was officially opened on 25 March 2009 and is situated on Frankwell Quay, a stunning riverside location and one of the main gateways into the town.

Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire and is renowned for its culture and heritage. Shrewsbury has developed as a 'destination town' and draws people in from the West Midlands and mid Wales who come to enjoy the culture and leisure opportunities.

The need for a new theatre in Shrewsbury was first mooted around 45 years ago and the project came very close to being approved with various sites and building designs being put forward.

The turning point came with the success of the Music Hall over the last decade which proved that the audience had outgrown the venue and that the staff in place had the experience and expertise to deliver a new theatre for Shropshire. The re-opening of the Old Market Hall in January 2004 re-enforced this with the venue proving a resounding success.

On the 26th September 2005 Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council committed to build a New Entertainment Venue in Shrewsbury. Construction began in November 2006. The architects for the project are Austin Smith Lord and the Theatre has been built by Wilmot Dixon.

In November 2015, Theatre Severn sold its one millionth ticket since opening.


WHAT THEY SAID...

This is a wonderful theatre and you should be very proud of it. The backstage facilities are top class which really makes a difference to the team."
Wayne Sleep, Cabaret (2009)

"Shrewsbury was a great crowd and we enjoyed ourselves."
Reginald D Hunter (2010)

"Everybody is just enchantingly kind and lovely. And the Theatre's full, every night, which means the public here support their theatre. Thank you."
Jenny Seagrove, The Country Girl (2010)

"It's a beautiful theatre, acoustically wonderful, lovely warm audience"
Juliet Mills, Bedroom Farce (2010)

"Easily one of the top 5 theatres in the country"
Jason Manford (2010)

"Awesome Room"
Russell Kane (2011)

"The Severn Theatre [sic] is just lovely. Well done, Shrewsbury and whoever designed it. Really excellent."
Chris Addison (2012)