Jason Fowler

Just read the lyrics to any of your favorite Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band, Peter Ga-
briel, or U2 tunes and chances are you would be quite familiar with Jason Fowler’s life story.
The Georgia native has lived a life that truly reflects his art – troubled to some, enviable to
many and yet remarkable to most anyone who hears the soft-spoken musician recount it.
Fowler admits that his diehard, all-or-nothing approach to life has sometimes been both a
blessing and a curse. But lately, it’s all been a blessing. That wasn’t the case at the start of his
musical journey.
Living a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle eventually caused the artist to hit rock bottom. “At rock bottom,”
Jason says, “That's where I began recovering from a place of hopelessness.” He adds, “It is also
where I discovered that it was not God who left me, but I who left Him.” He went from a rising
star with a lucrative record contract, to being addicted and homeless on the streets of Atlanta,
to finding redemption through Grace – and now he shares that story through his music.
Fowler grew up in a musical family and notes, “My dad sings like Pavarotti, my Uncle Mike
taught me guitar, and my Uncle Chris has a doctorate in musical performance. Some of my ear-
liest memories were at my granny’s house, with everyone singing and dancing to “Pony Boy” by
The Allman Brothers Band.
When Fowler was sixteen he heard a friend playing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”
on guitar. This sparked his musical fire and Jason bought his first guitar. Shortly after his dad of-
fered him a new guitar if he learned to play “Jessica,” also by The Allman Brothers Band.
“I think my dad was hoping I would give him a couple of weeks,” Fowler smiles, “but I went and
played it for him that night.”
Fowler honed his talents for music and writing as a teen. By his twenties he was working on
several projects and ultimately landed a record deal with his band Ultraphonic. They were pro-
duced by Bryan Holmes (The Producers) and, coincidentally, Johnny Sandlin, who produced The
Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic and Wet Willie. Fowler and his band spent several
months recording with the legendary “Swampers” at MS Sound in Muscle Shoals, Alabama –
just like the song.
Then the unthinkable happened…
The record label was bought out and the album was shelved. What seemed to be the pinnacle
of a life long-held dream, ended up a nightmare of epic proportions. After the breakup of the
label, band, and dreams of stardom, Fowler landed a solo deal with Mil Cannon at Imagemil in
Atlanta (Usher, Whitney Houston, Carrie Underwood). Fowler was given another chance. With
expectations high, Fowler was on his way back, but still carrying his old hurts, habits, and
hangups, fueled by drugs and alcohol. By this time Jason didn’t know how to live a sober life,
which affected his personal and professional relationships. His tenure at Imagemil didn’t last very long. Mil and members of the Imagemil team confronted Fowler with the facts: he was out
of control and needed help. They had to let him go.
Fowler’s substance abuse issues did not go away quietly. Over time, he spiraled, ending up
homeless and alone. After being kicked out of a drug dealer’s house, Fowler finally waved the
white flag of surrender.
Broken, lost, and hopeless, Fowler entered a Christian-based rehab in Athens, Georgia, called
The Healing Place. He stayed there for an entire year, but it was in that facility where the fog
eventually lifted and Fowler rededicated his life to Jesus. “It’s like a country song backwards,”
Fowler said. “I started getting things back in my life instead of losing them. I had lost, my rela-
tionship with God, my family, my friends, and myself.” But this wasn’t a sad ending. This was
simply the end of his old life, and a new beginning of Fowler’s career as a Christian artist, a wor-
ship leader and a speaker.
Fowler’s debut solo album, Letters from the Inside (Black Cat Records, 2014), was produced by
Jason Hoard (Third Day, Mac Powell, Jamie Grace, Natalie Grant). Musically it tells his journey
back from homelessness, addiction, and hopelessness. It took almost five years for Fowler to
clear his head and his musical passion to return.
“I was becoming more involved in church and in my recovery. I started feeling like my reason
for being here is to praise God,” Fowler said. “But I also needed to share my story of where I
was, what happened, and what it’s like today.”
The songs from Letters from the Inside were snapshots of Fowler’s journey and newfound faith.
The ten songs were recorded in Griffin, Georgia over a period of two months. Fowler recruited
long time friend and drummer Shane Evans, formerly of Collective Soul, as the backbone of the
album and his touring band. The two began to share the message of hope and redemption,
mostly to young people and up-and-coming musicians who were about to embark on their own
journeys.
I Fall In (Rcity Records, 2016) is Fowler’s second album, which took Fowler on a sojourn to
Nashville. It was there where he recorded at Dark Horse Studios with Grammy-nominated pro-
ducer Billy Smiley (White Heart, Johnny Cash, Bebe and Cece Winans). Together they recruited
a heavy-hitter list of talented artists for his sophomore effort, which included Leigh Nash (Six-
pence None the Richer), Will Turpin (Collective Soul), Peter Furler (Newsboys), Steve Brewster
(Chicago, Bob Seger, Amy Grant), Anthony Sallee (Michael W. Smith, White Heart), Jillian Ed-
wards, Blair Masters (Casting Crowns, Garth Brooks, Mercy Me), and Jared Kneale (Kacey Mus-
grave, Ben Rector), and even his aunt, Joy Waters Fowler, to name just a few. The album also
provided an opportunity for Fowler to mend his relationship with Imagemil founder Mil Can-
non, who directed Fowler in three music videos.
The Nashville adventure also led to a professional collaboration with legendary vocalist John
Schlitt (Petra, Head East) and Billy Smiley (Whiteheart) to form The Union of Sinners and Saints in 2016. They followed up their 12-song debut album with a nationwide tour of churches and
venues, singing, sharing their testimonies and witnessing to fellow Christians about their fame,
follies and fellowship.
Jason also shares his writing and performing talents with Will Turpin of Collective Soul on his
latest release Serengeti Drivers (Gooey Records, 2018). The two collaborated on five songs and
play shows in between their touring schedules.
Fowler spent most of 2019 touring and sharing the “Good News” with JJ Weeks and The Union
of Sinners and Saints. He is currently working with Dove winning and Grammy nominated pro-
ducers Ian Eskelin and Barry Weeks (Francesca Battistelli, 7eventh Time Down) on his third solo
album slated for a 2020 release.
Fowler says “Music is the vehicle for the message of Hope” and loves sharing his story of Rock, Recovery, and Redemption.