Jimmie Allen

Jimmie Allen burst on the country music scene in 2018 with his debut album, Mercury Lane, and the hit singles ‘Best Shot’ and ‘Make Me Want To’, but he’d put a lot of hard work into the craft before success came knocking on his door. 

Allen moved to Nashville in 2007 and even auditioned to be on America’s Got Talent and American Idol, but neither led to the kind of stage time – and visibility – that he’d hoped for.  

Allen could have given up, but he kept pushing, performing around Nashville until he landed a deal with the Broken Bow Records imprint Stony Creek in 2017. He released his debut EP with the label shortly thereafter. 

It would take one more year and Allen’s official debut single ‘Best Shot’ before he started garnering major attention. The track landed at no. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making Allen the first black artist to achieve that top spot with his debut song.

Allen followed Mercury Lane with another EP, Bettie James, in 2020. In 2021, he became the first black solo artist to win the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year.