'The Voice' contestant Ephraim Owens talks horses, debut and Indianapolis' east side

How do you choose between a queen and a Legend?

Easily, if you’re Carmel resident Ephraim Owens, who had all four coaches try to lure him to their teams when he took the stage during the Blind Auditions of “The Voice,” which aired the first week of the current season.

Faced with bids from Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, John Legend and Reba McEntire, the Hess machine operator gave props to country music queen McEntire, but chose to be on Team Legend.

Owens, the father of Jaxon Riggs, 2, and four-year-old Evelyn Ann (who viewers saw on stage during the blinds), talked to IndyStar about his first time singing at a historic Indianapolis Black church, his horse and his family connection to “The Voice.”

Why Ephraim Owens chose 'Beneath Your Beautiful' as audition song

Owens performed Labrinth’s "Beneath Your Beautiful" for the Blind Auditions this season.

“You think about all the different songs and you think about that one opportunity, that one thing that you're going to leave and make that first impression with. Labrinth is an artist that I look up to and really admire for his lyrical ability and his vulnerability and ‘Beneath our Beautiful’ is a fantastic song. And it connects us in a way that resonates with me. It’s about vulnerability and the pursuit that someone has to do to allow someone to see the ugly parts… to see the scars it takes a lot of trust. That's something that resonates with me,  even in my pursuit of my wife. I had to do certain things and pursue her on a level that allowed her to open herself up for me, and vice versa.”

“With me being able to connect to that song so well, I just felt like I could relay that message. I'm a firm believer in music. You can't take people to places you're not willing to go, and that song is a place that I feel like I can take people.”

Though shown horseback riding on a farm and talking about working with McEntire, he picked John Legend

“I'm full of surprises. Riding horses is something I love to do.”

“I went to Lawrence Central High School and when I was in high school, I worked at a feed store. And then I got involved with the Indiana Black Cowboys, also known as the MudHole Riders, and fell in love with horses and riding horses.  I grew up in the city and I used to ride all throughout the east side on horseback. I’m sure it was a sight to see for those people who live on the east side.”

“The horse that I'm riding on TV, that’s my horse, Sarge. I've had him since he was seven months old. And he's 16 now. It's something that's always been an outlet for me; similar to music. “

“My wife has a deep love for Reba. But John Legend, for me personally, his music has inspired me and influenced me since he's been putting the music out. And as much as all of them had great things to say, and I was very humbled that all four of them pressed the button and turned for me, I felt the most peace with embarking on this journey with John. I don't think I really could have gone wrong with any of them.”

Entertainment is in Owens’ blood

“Both of my parents went to Indiana State. They’re Sycamores, and they met at a talent show. My dad was singing and my mom was juggling. And then they had seven kids. And we’re all wild personalities.

“My dad was the minister of music, so he did music all throughout Indianapolis. I grew up with my grandmother singing. At that time, she was singing at Christ Missionary Baptist Church. The first time I ever sang publicly was at my grandmother's church.  I was three years old singing ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and it was from that moment I knew.”

“Music was always a part of our life. My dad always strived to do it and do it well. And he taught us if you're gonna do anything, pursue excellence in it. It didn't matter if we were doing a music special on Mother's Day; my dad was having rehearsals and he was not slacking at all.”

“I have four brothers and two sisters. I grew up on Delaware Street, on 21st and Delaware. And I grew up doing musicals at Footlite (Musical), all of their summer theater. And then we were involved with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. I was involved with the Children's Museum match program. I’ve always been around theater. And then when we moved to the east side and I went to Lawrence Central I was involved in The Central Sound show choir.”

Campus ministry in the Sunshine State

Owens moved to Florida after high school.

“My oldest brother was at Florida State and I just needed to change my surroundings; just to better myself ultimately. And I got involved in campus ministry out there, at Florida A&M and Florida State and was there for six years involved in music in various ways. Then I found myself coming back home and got involved in a few different churches but the primary church I really was involved in, and actually on staff, was Grace Church here up in Carmel, Indiana. I was the associate pastor there from 2017 to 2021. I resigned and have just always been involved with music. It’s been the most consistent artistic expression throughout my life.”

“I've been on staff at churches and my role being as a worship director, but I've never done music as an artist and doing gigs and stuff like that. So this opportunity with ‘The Voice’ is the first time I’ve really been able to step on a stage as an artist and really perform. The dream has always been to do it, but the reality is that I guess there's a massive practical side of me, particularly once I got married, and we started having kids. The number one priority is creating stability for my family and taking care of my wife and taking care of my kids. Bills have got to be paid.”

How Ephraim Owens met his wife, Elizabeth

He met his wife, Elizabeth Owens when they were in a youth group in 2005.

“I was an east side kid. She was a Carmelite girl. I was, by most accounts, just a little playboy at the time and she was not giving me the time of day. And for years I tried to shoot my shot. She just shut it down. And years went by. I moved to Florida; she went to Butler. And when I moved back, we crossed paths at a Mumford & Sons concert. We reconnected and got coffee and started pursuing each other.  In 2017, we got married.”

He went from being a city boy to farm life

“My wife’s family has a small farm in Zionsville and that’s where I have animals – my horse, Sarge; pigs; cows; and a donkey, Jeremiah. I’m solely responsible for the maintenance of the land and the property. So every day after work or before work, I’m driving out to the farm and taking care of the animals and fixing fences and cutting trees up if need be or just doing whatever is necessary. If you’ve ever spent time on a farm you know there's always work to be done.

His younger brother, David Owens, was a contestant on 'The Voice'

The third time was the charm for Owens, who had auditioned for the show twice before.

“I originally tried in 2011 at an in-person audition in Chicago, and did not get a callback. And then I tried out again in 2019 when they were here downtown – myself and three of my brothers went and auditioned. My brother, David, got a callback.  David ultimately got on the show and was on Team Kelly.”

“When you audition, you're in a community that gets notices of other opportunities. I happened to get an email about something like a virtual audition. So I went out to my little office and did a virtual audition, and got a call back and the rest is history in this process.”

On getting a four-chair turn

The person who auditioned just before Owens failed to win over any coach.

“I had my game face on. I was thinking, 'I don’t need to go from none to four. All I need is one person to take a chance on me.'”

"I knew if I went onto that stage putting my best foot forward. I could leave with my head held high… And to be received the way I was was a shock and surreal.”

Viewers can next see Owens preparing for the Battle Rounds, which have coaches pitting two of their own team members against each other with the winner advancing in the competition. Those start Oct. 17.

"The Voice" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC and streams next day on Peacock.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at [email protected] or 317-444-6264. Follow her on Twitter:@cherylvjackson.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'The Voice' contestant Ephraim Owens discusses music, family and Sarge