Michelle Branch and Owen Landau | Owen Landau | Source: Instagram.com/michellebranch | Getty Images
Owen Isabelle Landau was only a baby when they were introduced to the music world as Michelle Branch's daughter with Teddy Landau. However, Owen's interests are far different from their mother's passion.
Kids of the '90s would know Michelle Branch as the singer-songwriter who sang the one-hit wonder "Everywhere" in the early 2000s. She is also remembered for her hits "Goodbye to You" and "You Set Me Free."
While she quickly disappeared from the music scene, her passion for the craft never withered. Instead, Branch had to shift her focus to raising her daughter, Owen Isabelle Landau.
Branch was only 22 when she welcomed Owen in 2005 with her then-husband, Teddy Landau. She continued to make music in 2006, releasing a country album and recording "Stand Still, Look Pretty" with Jessica Harp.
Beyond her success in the music industry, Branch's greatest achievement remains her children. Owen is now grown up and ready to leave their mom's side to attend college.
Owen Is the Only Child from Michelle Branch's Marriage to Teddy Landau
Owen's parents shared the same passion for music – their mom was a singer, and their dad was a bassist. They toured together for a while before deciding to tie the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Mexico.
In August 2005, the year after their wedding, the couple welcomed their first child, Owen, born in Los Angeles. Branch and Teddy initially thought they were having a son and chose the name Owen.
The couple decided to keep the name despite having a daughter and gave Owen a feminine middle name, Isabelle, to balance it out.
While they had a daughter to raise, Branch and Teddy called it quits in 2015 after eleven years of marriage. Then 31, Branch filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Admittedly, the singer's relationship started out as a challenge after her parents disapproved of the idea of their daughter having a relationship with a musician.
"My parents hated the idea – and now love him, of course. My dad never wanted me to be with a musician," she said in 2006. "When he found out he was closer in age to my husband than I was, he got very nervous."
Soon off to college, Owen is interested in two possible careers – animation and paleontology. Looking back, Owen lives an entirely different path from their mom, who left home to pursue a music career at 17.
Despite their divorce, the former partners shared custody of Owen with a fixed schedule. They also agreed to divide their school costs. As a teen, Owen chose to use the pronouns they/them. They seem close to both their parents, as Owen often appears on their social media posts.
Owen Was Four Months Old When Michelle Branch First Brought Them on Tour
Owen was born while their parents' careers were on the rise, so within months, they already went on tour with them. Favorably, Owen's mom experienced album delays and used the time to focus on motherhood. Branch said:
"I got to spend the most important years of her life being a normal mom, so that kept me grounded, focused, and balanced. [...] At the end of the day, she's the most important thing. She saved me."
While Owen does not share the same interest in music, they do have the same taste as Branch. According to the singer, Owen favors The Strokes and Pollock over pop music.
Owen Has Many Talents, but They Are So Different from Their Mother
Owen grew up interested in nature, paleontology, and animation. As a kid, they were obsessed with dinosaurs and science, which continued until their teenage years. Teddy has also shared several posts that showed Owen in their natural nature-loving state.
When they were 13, Owen became an older sister to Rhys James, Branch's son, with her then-fiancé Patrick Carney. Rhys was born on August 28, 2018.
Soon off to college, Owen is interested in two possible careers – animation and paleontology. Looking back, Owen has followed an entirely different path from their mom, who left home to pursue a music career at 17.
"You can only prepare kids so much," Branch said. She knows she has given Owen the right tools to navigate life independently and has the confidence that her daughter will do well on their own.
Owen Is a Great Older Sibling to Michelle's Younger Kids
Besides being a great daughter, Owen is an amazing older sister to their siblings and has significantly helped their mom raise them.
When they were 13, Owen became an older sister to Rhys James, Branch's son, with her then-fiancé Patrick Carney. Rhys was born on August 28, 2018. On February 2, 2022, Branch and Carney welcomed their second child, Willie Jacquet Carney, named after her father's grandmother.
Owen was 16 when they became a sister to a brother and a younger sister. Before welcoming Willie, Michelle Branch and Carney experienced a miscarriage, losing their second child. Owen was 15 when their family grieved their loss.
There have been other artists who experienced the same painful loss of an unborn child, including Britney Spears, who had a miscarriage with her fiancé in 2022.
The pop star sadly lost her child in the early stages of pregnancy and announced the news on social media. Like many who have experienced the same, the couple found strength in each other.
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