Jimmie Allen: From America's Got Talent hopeful to country hitmaker
Meet country's most determined star
Last updated 21st May 2021
Jimmie Allen was so determined to make it as a country artist in Nashville that he was homeless at one point. The 'Best Shot' singer originally auditioned for America's Got Talent but didn't get very far. He also auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in 2011, but his journey was also short-lived.
Jimmie revealed his struggles in an interview that The Washington Post quotes, saying, 'Living in your car, being broke, being homeless, being hungry - I’ve seen gruelling.'
His success is proof that hard work pays off! Here's what you need to know about the 'Blue Jean Baby' artist.
Where is Jimmie Allen from?
Jimmie Allen is a Milton, Delaware native from the United States, but he moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. Where else do you go to make it as a country singer?!
How did Jimmie Allen become successful?
After some difficult years trying to make it as a country artist in Nashville, Jimmie remains humble with his success. After people warned him that his recent tour would be 'gruelling', Jimmie explained that he was grateful.
In his interview that The Washington Post quotes, speaking about being homeless, he continued saying, 'Compared to what I went through to live in Nashville, it wasn’t gruelling at all.
'People get up 6 a.m. and go to work. I get up at 6 a.m. and get to play songs I wrote. … I always try to compare, because I feel like sometimes we can really lose focus on where we’re at and how blessed we are.'
Jimmie Allen performed at the iconic Grand Ole Oprey in May 2018, showing his incredible journey from homelessness to country star. Since then he has also performed on the Jimmy Kimmel Live and he will be joining Brad Paisley on his 2021 US tour.
When was Jimmie Allen born?
Jimmie Allen was born 18th June 1986.
How many albums has Jimmie Allen released?
Jimmie has released just one album, 'Mercury Lane', a homage to the street where he grew up. It was released 12th October 2018 and includes the hit single 'Best Shot' and Jimmie's second single 'Make Me Want To'. Writing half of the album's tracks, Jimmie is a talented singer-songwriter.
In 2020, Jimmie released an EP called 'Bettie James' which includes the duet 'This is Us' which he sang with Noah Cyrus.
How well did Jimmie Allen's first single do?
Jimmie Allen's first ever single, 'Best Shot', stormed the charts! This emotional song about relationship commitments, hit the Number 1 spot and also made history for Jimmie Allen.
The singer became the first ever black artist to launch his career with a Number 1 single on the Country Charts. Darius Rucker, a famous black country artist, has achieved massive success, but Jimmie Allen did it with his first ever single.
Jimmie has spoken out about his history-making achievement in an interview, saying, “Hopefully a few years from now … a black guy comes into country music, it’s not ‘the first black guy to do this.’ It’s just, ‘Cool, you’re another country artist.'”
He has stated before that he hopes his breakthrough can encourage other black country artists to pursue their dreams of making it in Nashville.
Has Jimmie Allen won any Awards?
Jimmie became the first black solo artist to win New Male Artist of the Year at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards having been nominated for the same award back in 2019.
Is Jimmie Allen on social media?
Yes, Jimmie Allen is on social media. You can follow him on his Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. He regularly posts very cute pictures of him and his young son as well as times he's met some country royalty!