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All it takes to find the country music man with a plan, Jimmie Allen, these days is a surf along any radio or TV station lineup. Unquestionably, the “Best Shot” artist lives by a mantra of doing his best in every avenue of his career. To that end, Allen is virtually everywhere– from mentoring hopefuls on American Idol to the biggest stages in the Country to his Delaware hometown roots.
Remarkably, even with his ACM Award win as New Male Artist of the Year in 2021 and CMA honors as New Artist of the Year in close succession, Jimmie Allen feels most at home at the Moose Lodge in his native hometown of Milton, Delaware. Still, the easy-going crooner seems right at home at Nashville’s well-known haunt, Puckett’s. He revealed this during an intimate chat with CBS Mornings co-anchor, Nate Burleson. Needless to say, Jimmie Allen is welcome at the best table in the house these days in whatever establishment he chooses to favor.
It wasn’t long before the conversation turned to the difficult times for the Northeast talent transplanted to Music City. In his consistently candid style, Jimmie Allen relates how coping with challenges becomes the measure of dedication to a dream. The “Down Home” songwriter credits his own tenacity and his family for sharing the vision he found to be Nashville-bound.
Jimmie Allen had a plan and very few dollars
Naturally, the stories are as deep and wide as the Cumberland River with tales of the troubles of aspiring artists on Printer’s Alley pouring out of their hearts. However, Jimmie Allen saw his arrival in Nashville with just $21 to his name as simply starting the process to stardom. He shares with Burleson his pattern of stretching fast-food meals to last through a whole week and writing and performing at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjQiy_y5eVk
“I had a plan that made sense to me,” stresses the “Make Me Want To” singer who stayed undaunted through any deterrence to his dream. Much of that resolve and inner perseverance derived from Allen’s dad, Jim Allen. His dad introduced his young son to country music. Jimmie Allen pays tribute to his father in his CMA Award acceptance speech last November. He also shares snippets of sacred father-son moments in the CBS sit-down.
Finding a way is a family tradition for Jimmie Allen
As it turns out, the patriarch and his progeny share the same admiration for Country music giant, Charley Pride. “It comes down to loving country music, like Charley Pride,” Jimmie Allen insists. The singer-songwriter well remembers spending his last $10 just to be in the room to hear Pride perform. Soon after, the “Kiss An Angel Good Morning” legend became an authentic mentor to the rising star, pouring wisdom and humor into his prodigy from Delaware, as Charley nearly guessed during their first meeting.
“The struggle was part of where I wanted to go,” Jimmie Allen resolutely declares. The gift to “believe in yourself, even when nobody else does” came from his dad. In fact, just because Jimmie Allen now happens to be the hottest ticket in country music, as Country Music Alley covers extensively, it doesn’t keep his mom from offering her own valuable focus to her 36-year-old son. She urges her son to concentrate on the positive with his energy. “Everybody, no matter who they are, or their color, has obstacles” Jimmie Allen realizes. “The ones who succeed are the ones who make it through the struggles.” Jimmie recalls the country DJ who admitted to the buoyant entertainer that he “didn’t like black people.” Not surprisingly, that DJ is no longer on the radio, while Jimmie Allen continues his surge of new projects.
Jimmie Allen’s formula for changing hearts
For his part, Jimmie Allen is never out to alter country music or create a new brand in the genre. “I just want to add to it,” the irresistible music maker says. He describes a recent story of a white family who adopts a black son. They always loved country music, but it wasn’t until their little boy listened to Allen’s first single that they realized the power of being able to “see it to be it.” The impact of that power echoes in the opening of Jimmie Allen’s video for “Down Home,” when a young girl drops her coins into the jukebox. The storyline mirrors Jimmie’s reflections and experiences with those of his father.
Superbly, the son changes hearts in the same example of his mentors–” to play great music, treat people well, love what you do, and smile a lot.” All those components come together perfectly for this entertainer. Certainly, his audiences feel it.
Speaking of memories, Jimmie Allen can look forward to more memories at Monday night’s CMT Music Awards, where he and Brad Paisley are in the running for Best Collaboration for their feel-good anthem, “Freedom Was A Highway.” Coincidentally, fans can look forward to some sort of surprise collaboration from Jimmie Allen, along with his presenter duties.
No matter the bumps along the road, the highway to stardom grows wider and wider and higher and higher for Jimmie Allen. Faithful fans are already packed and ready to take the drive to Tulip Drive, the new album set to release on June 24.
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