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Jimmie Allen actually loves seeing his name and the word “sellout” together in the same sentence. The buoyant, genre-blending “Best Shot” artist brings boundless energy to any stage he takes. In tandem, his work ethic outpaces anything seen from contemporaries or colleagues of his age. Jimmie Allen aims to fulfill his dreams and his purpose.
Undeterred by the pandemic, Jimmie Allen put all his creative juices on overdrive. He wrote and starred in the dual music and film outing, The Bettie James Project. Allen’s authentic portrayal as an everyman coping with the waves of struggle in life hit at the heartstrings. Soon, The Bettie James EP arrived, named in honor of his grandmother.
Jimmie Allen persuaded many of his friends to partake in the studio sessions, including his life-mentor, the late Charley Pride, Brad Paisley, Mickey Guyton, and Darius Rucker, and more musical heavyweights. Needless to say, Jimmie never needs to do much arm twisting. In no time, The Bettie James Gold Edition followed, featuring Little Big Town, Keith Urban, and more big-name collaborators with Jimmie Allen. The answer always seems to be “Yes” whenever Allen calls.
Jimmie keeps the summer sizzle
Fittingly for the season, one of the songs that blazes brighter than the summer sun from the collection is “Freedom Was a Highway.” Taste of Country relates how the new theatrical-version video treatment for the infectious tune makes it all the more irresistible. Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley as perfect as it gets with copacetic country music partners, and their fans love it.
Speaking of fans, Jimmie Allen no doubt plans to pour out all the exuberance in his soul for his sellout hometown crowd tomorrow (August 7) in Milton, Delaware for his Bettie James Festival. The singer-songwriter isn’t just the headliner and hero of the day. Moreover, he’s the man and the artist who never forgets his roots. Jimmie really knows what it is to give back, straight from the heart.
Jimmie Allen breathes in fresh air for the soul
Although Jimmie Allen’s high energy creates a party on stage, the spectrum of his music covers the range of human emotions. The artist and his wife, a nurse, Alexis “Lexi” Gale, are officially very recent newlyweds, despite their longtime committed relationship. Allen and his bride embrace family life. Shortly after their intimate vows, the pair announced the arrival of their second daughter, due to arrive in November. The baby girl joins the loving clan, with the toddler, Naomi, and big brother, Aadyn, from a previous relationship. Jimmie Allen wrote “Forever” for Lexi and his hometown audience likely looks forward to the treat of hearing it live for the first time.
In contrast to his real-life, the video opens with Jimmie Allen leaving a church. It’s up to the viewers to determine if his soul is in crisis or he simply craves solitude. Whatever the case, he jumps into his vintage Mustang and sets off for the woods. Amid the lush greenery, he hears music. By magic, Jimmie discovers a Golden guitar glowing against a tree. As he blows the “dust” away from the strings, the glow enters his body as he finds a fully-assembled band already playing deeper in the woods.
As if all of the instruments sounding great without electricity or amplification isn’t odd enough, a classic pickup truck pulled onto the road seats Brad Paisley on the tailgate! Naturally, the kismet and voices combine in perfect harmony on the chorus.
While the sky darkens, the scene transforms into a concert stage, and Jimmie Allen transforms into his black sequined attire and shades for a little more flash, trading in the Stetson, too. As for Brad Paisley, well, he does put on a nice jacket. That’s about his highest level of razzle-dazzle, and it works just fine.
Innocent memories still capture Jimmie
In his wildest dreams, Jimmie Allen never conjured that throngs of fans gather in the deep woods to hear his bouncy duet with Brad Paisley. Nonetheless, everything in his spirit and drive spoke that he would reach his dreams.
“Freedom Was a Highway” still resonates with Jimmie Allen, to a time of “driving down my favorite roads in Delaware,” even though he had no Mustang, as the star relates. “The song takes me back to the simpler moments,” the star retells in January 2021, remembering his unspoken crush on a next-door neighbor. “I’ve loved this song since the creation,” Jimmie Allen asserts. Perhaps that makes a perfect reason why he and Brad Paisley chose natural creation for this setting of the new video.
Jimmie says Brad brings the freedom
Sadly for fans, Brad Paisley is not on the bill for the Saturday Festival. Brad plays a show over Labor Day weekend, however, on the beach at N. Division Street in Ocean City. Jimmie Allen is on the bill for most of the dates with Brad Paisley, so what a pleasant surprise for Country fans if it’s a double bill for Delaware!
Hip-hop legend DJ Jazzy Jeff shares the stage with Jimmie Allen. Jimmie’s good friend, and wedding guest, radio host, and singer-songwriter, Chuck Wicks also performs, as do Neon Union, Hero The Band, and Chase Martin. The festival runs from 4-11:30 PM at Hudson Fields.
Jimmie Allen never runs short of gratitude, and he’s never shy in saying how “humbled” he feels that Brad Paisley blessed “Freedom Was a Highway.”
“He brought the freedom to the highway,” Jimmie Allen praises. Good friends and great music always make any journey better.