SkiP HappEns Podcast
🎙️ Welcome to the Skip Happens Podcast – Your Backstage Pass to Country Music 🎶
Join veteran radio host Skip Clark as he dives deep into the heart of country music, where every episode tells a story worth hearing. From legendary country artists to rising Nashville stars, Skip Happens brings you raw, real, and revealing conversations you won’t find anywhere else.
🌟 Go beyond the spotlight as Skip connects with the people behind the music — exploring their journeys, their struggles, and the moments that shaped their careers. Whether it's laughter, inspiration, or a behind-the-scenes scoop, this podcast captures the true essence of country life.
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SkiP HappEns Podcast
Skip the Small Talk: Raw Conversations with Jimmie Allen
And we're live. Hey, hey everybody, welcome to another edition of Skip Happens. You know the podcast where we, I guess, more or less skip the small talk, we skip the script and occasionally skip recording all together. Well, we actually recorded last time, but there was, like this, echo. We'll talk about that here in a minute as well. Because, yeah, that's Jimmy Allen, but I'm Skip Clark. I'll guide you through life's bloopers, brain farts and bizarre detours. It's time for you to buckle up. It's not perfect, I'm just telling you. It's not perfect, that's why it's called Skip Happens, but it's definitely not boring. And let's go Tonight's guest. You know what? Hang on, here we go. Hey, this is Jimmy Allen, I love you with With everything I got, girl I'll give you my best shot.
Speaker 3:And meanwhile, down home oh you know mama's still cooking Down home. We're living for a Friday and freedom was a highway. Yeah, it might be too soon to say I love you, but you're going to make me want to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, jimmy Allen, y'all, oh hell yeah, say I love you, but you're gonna make me want to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, jimmy Allen, y'all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know those songs, do you. I was gonna ask if you ever heard them before.
Speaker 3:They're like some of my favorites, I was around when they were created.
Speaker 1:Bet you were Jimmy Allen. I want to say thank you. Thank you for taking my call today when I reached out to see if you wanted to come on tonight. It's all kind of last minute, but you know, ever since the last time I had you on, I don't know what happened, but there was this echo and it just you know it was a great echoing like I had a flip phone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know, maybe you do have a flip phone man. The crazy thing is, I'm thinking about going back to a flip phone or going to no phone.
Speaker 3:you know well, the no phone may not be a bad idea I'm just saying, but then again it's, you know, it's, I like it, it's, it's, it's uh peaceful, I know, uh, but but hey, before we get into all this stuff, uh, when I reached out today and I said what are you doing?
Speaker 1:you go on, dude, I do it. I'm fishing, I go, cool, cool, how cool. Now that's peaceful.
Speaker 3:Man, absolutely Peaceful. I love it. I'm hooked on it. You know, some might say I'm addicted to it. I could be, hey, why not why?
Speaker 3:not I tell everybody. It's always funny to me when people talk about addictions, right, and I ask someone what makes someone addicted? Because they like to do it and it's their free time. They do it Because people only use the word addiction when it's something that they have a problem with, something bad, whether it's alcohol, whether it's a casino or whether it's whatever. But I'm like well, you like to watch TV, are you addicted to TV? Is it a bad thing? Some people like to drive. Are you addicted to driving? So I don't really. I think. I don't think I feel like the word addiction has a. I feel like the word addiction should be used cautiously, but only when, if there's something important to do, you choose to do that over what you need to do. That's important and that's where you know what you like to do becomes a problem.
Speaker 1:an issue to do becomes a problem an issue, you know, is your mind always turning. I mean, because you just talked about addiction Always, you know, and I love that. I love that about you. I can't shut my brain off. I'll be trying. No, that's not a bad thing, though.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'll be trying, but it don't go off. So let me ask you this, though Like today, you said you were fishing. I don't know if you're out on a boat or on a pier.
Speaker 3:But so when it's so peaceful. I was off to surf today.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:A couple of days ago I took my son out. We went out on the boat.
Speaker 1:Cool, cool.
Speaker 3:Do you have a boat? So I used to have a boat until I joined this boat club called Freedom Boat Club. So I was like, hmm, I can keep my boat and not have to worry about gas and fixing it and oil changes, putting it in the water, taking it out of the water. Or I can join Freedom Boat Club and I go online reserve the boat I want I drive up to the dock the boat's in the water, hop on it and go and when you come back, come back, you come back.
Speaker 1:you just get out and get back in the car and go home.
Speaker 3:What boat club to join y'all? Freedom boat club. They have them in delaware, new jersey, maryland, florida. They're all over the place.
Speaker 1:They got things out of michigan too, yeah so, um, you know, we all know that you left nashville, you, you went back home. What's it like to be back home for you? This is, this is home man, I love it.
Speaker 3:Like I, my plan always was to go to nashville long enough just to get my career going and get stable and then leave because a lot of things I like to do nashville doesn't have. The ocean don't have it, the bay don't have it, can't gamble in person or online, especially not in nashville yeah, it's too far from new york you know it's, it's too far from jersey and philadelphia and dc places.
Speaker 3:I like to go a lot, um, you know, because like the closest beach, like the drive is like eight hours, that's terrible, like I didn't realize how, and that's what's too much of a big city for me, I don't know it's even bigger. Yeah, I don't like it, like I miss. I enjoyed the old nashville. That was cool, like I miss, I enjoyed the old Nashville.
Speaker 3:That was cool but kind of what it's grown into. It's a good thing for business and I'm glad it's a place where you know has brought business in where people can have jobs to support their family. But what I'm into like nah, I'm good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't blame you, my friend, I don't blame. I mean I love Nashville, Don't get me wrong, but I'm not exactly. You know what I do. You'd be really surprised to to know that I'm not a real people person. I just you know I love what I do.
Speaker 3:It's like I like people, but I don't like people exactly exactly tyler, do you like people um? All right that's because, most of the stuff I do in, like my free time, like I enjoy being on stage and entertaining people, exactly, you know, letting them have a good time, exactly. But as far as hanging out, I typically isolate.
Speaker 1:You know I get it, and that's you know. That's another reason you're addicted to fishing.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, because now there ain't nobody out on that boat, but you and the kids, and I don't mind, you know people when I'm playing softball or bowling, because I can still just isolate into my team. You know what I mean? Yeah, exactly the lane I'm going on.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about you, though just a little bit, and some of these questions I may have asked on the previous podcast, but because it was so well, let me put it this way skip happened and I felt terrible when I listened back and went oh no, jimmy, you're such a star, and to get you on and then to have that happen. But you know back in the day how fast things disappeared for you the shows, the brand deals, a movie, even an ice cream collab. Was it true that you felt like the industry just gave up on you too fast?
Speaker 3:You know I did. I would say I felt like a lot did, but a lot didn't you know, what I mean. Um you know, it's one of them things where the people that knew me personally didn't the people that just knew you know the artist and that and what they read yeah, and the image that they wanted to give me based off not having a single conversation with me. You know, it's just. It's kind of just what happens. Like you know, people do it today.
Speaker 1:But you're on your feet, dude, you're back on your feet.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, you know, for me I was always on my feet. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Maybe just a little bit taller. Yeah, a.
Speaker 3:Maybe just a little bit taller. Yeah, a little bit taller, but it's one of the things where you kind of just because show opportunities came back, offers came back like six, seven months after, but I just decided to just step away. I was writing, playing softball, hanging with my kids bowling, just enjoying life and trying to find that spark again.
Speaker 1:You know, what I think a lot of people don't realize is you're human, I'm human and we all make mistakes. I mean we've all been there. I mean I know your story a little bit and it's like, well, you know, if somebody else was in your shoes, it could be almost the same thing. It's just crazy crap.
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely, man. It's just one of the things where I tell people life is going to happen regardless.
Speaker 3:Things can go things can't, but the only thing you can really control is how you choose to operate. When certain things happen. You can keep moving, you know. You can go into a shell and be afraid of what people might think of you, and I can tell you right now I don't give a damn what people think about. I love you for that. I really don't. Because here's the thing no matter what you choose to do with your life, no matter what you choose to believe in, no matter what you choose to do with your life, no matter what you choose to believe in, no matter what people say about you, some people are going to like you, some people aren't it's life.
Speaker 3:And that's okay. You just focus on what you love and surround yourself with people that love you, and if you're an artist, and music you make is for people that like it and the people that don't.
Speaker 1:A lot of people in the world. Oh yeah, oh yeah, and I think you're gonna find out, there's more people that like you, that do not. Yeah, I mean, I just I already know that from what I hear every day and you know, now things have kind of settled down a little bit. It's good to have you back, but do you think, uh, being a black man in country music changed how your situation was actually handled? Damn right, I'm not an idiot, no, I know, I mean yeah, I I I.
Speaker 3:I hate when people, when people the dumbest phrase I hate I don't see color. Are you blind? You, you know what color shoes you wearing. You know what color hat you wearing. You know what color your car is. How you not what color hat you wear. You know what color your car is. How do you not know the skin color of people? My thing is, it's not about being racist, it's about being mindful that we live in a society where sometimes things go differently based on your skin color, because based on whoever is judging you at the moment, how they grew up, what they were taught, what media says, what media doesn't say. So yeah, of course I would be. You know, do I see color? Hell, yeah, I see color. Do I treat people differently because of color?
Speaker 1:No, I'm just a white boy doing a podcast.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. I don't care. I do love a lot of racist jokes, though think don't get me going, it's all good.
Speaker 1:I don't I love it.
Speaker 3:I think, I think, uh, I think stereotypes are hilarious but, at the same time, like I tell people, it's about no matter what your job is, if you're a musician or if you have a nine to five job based on the job. Sometimes you can run into issues based on your skin color. So the thing is understanding it and knowing it, going into it and then you know maneuvering the way you need to maneuver to get where you need to go. It's everything's strategy. Everything's about strategy.
Speaker 3:And I tell people, when it comes to a lot of times, entertainment it's not about how you perceive yourself, it's about how people view you. Yeah, and once you understand how people view you, right, then you can understand how you need to move in certain situations. You know Because I understand when I I understood when I first came into country music as a black guy, I can't wear Jordans on stage. I couldn't wear Jordans and a jersey because I'd be a hip-hop artist, but yet other artists could, whether it was my boy Ty Hubbard whether it was my boy Mitchell Tenpenny, whether it was my boy Morgan.
Speaker 3:They can do that because of the skin color. You know what I'm saying, because of the image it it looks, because when people see a black guy in jordan's, they automatically he's a rapper. You know, I'm saying like the same thing, like, and that's just based off because of how the genre is. And then some people might say, oh no, that's not true, that you're an idiot, it is okay, don't be naive, because that's right, because you know, we know good and well. You know, I mean, if my boy jellyroll was black, it wouldn't happen. Country music is not going to accept a, a, a black guy with face tattoos that has had a criminal past. It ain't gonna happen. But what I love is see, jellyroll knows that. But I love that he made the best with his opportunity and he's also bridging the gap to a lot of different people. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 3:And that's what I love. You know what I mean? Absolutely, because I even experienced it with radio interviews, right? Someone would interview me. So what got you into country music, right? Someone would interview me. So what got you into country music, right? This lady asked me that and I said to her I said question how many white artists have you asked that question? To Think about it. And she said I said you'll ask them who your influences are and where you grew up, but you don't ask them what got you into country music, because when you see a black guy, think you know, what does he know about country, you know?
Speaker 3:I said I'm not I said I'm not answering that question. I said, ask me something else. But I said, a lot of times, you know, we can have things that we do, and I'm not. She didn't do it maliciously, you know. I'm saying, but a lot of times, you know, because people, people see with their eyes, but people also hear with their eyes, right, and I didn't, I didn't take offense to the question. I just like to challenge people to think for themselves, right, and to actually put thought and be intentional with things you do, even something that she might do every day, like a radio interview. You know what I mean. But because it's still a radio interview and you still want to get to know someone, yeah, so when you ask someone about what got you in the country, I had to challenge that that's, that's I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that you push back like that.
Speaker 3:You have to, you know, because I feel like that's the only way to get people to start thinking for themselves, because we live in a world right now where everybody has a lot of sheeples I like a lot of lazy thinking people out there you had yeah, you had to be thinking what a stupid idiot from to ask me that question.
Speaker 1:What got me, what got you into country music?
Speaker 3:because I mean, you know you, you, you think about it, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like it's because have you ever asked a white artist that question?
Speaker 3:if you think about no, no, no. I don't think I've ever asked a white artist that question. No, no, no.
Speaker 1:I don't think I've ever asked a black artist that question. It's just not the thing to do Now. I know everybody's different and I have a lot of respect for my colleagues and people that do those interviews, but it's just you need to take a few minutes and think about what you're going to do, how are you going to interview, and you already know with me it's pretty real, it's, it's real and that's what makes yours so great, because thank you.
Speaker 3:You know, when you do things like radio row at cma yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, people ask the same question. Tell me about the single. Tell me it's boring, like people say. Well, how do we keep artists engaged? Ask them something that most people don't. You could say, hey, when you wrote this song. That's my crazy. But when you wrote this song, what were you wearing?
Speaker 1:dude, that's exactly what I do.
Speaker 3:I'll say well, you wear sweats when you wear jeans and what made you wear that and like you have a different type of conversation that'll keep the artist engaged and it'll take it from one word questions to a conversation no, exactly, and that's what I do here.
Speaker 1:Skip happens, we're not perfect. We're gonna have fun, it's. It's just like you know, I'll turn down a road, we'll get completely off off subject, like we were in the beginning. We were talking about fishing, I think.
Speaker 3:I believe you're out to me. That's all on subject, because we're just here to have a conversation. So whatever the hell we talk about, what we talk, we talk about.
Speaker 1:Cool. And, by the way, how many flounder did you bring home?
Speaker 3:I didn't bring none home. I was too lazy to cook them, so I gave them to my cousin. How many did you get? I got three today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you said you're going for tuna tomorrow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're going for tuna Thursday.
Speaker 1:Holy shit.
Speaker 3:That means you're gonna go auto ways for that, right, yeah, we go about like like about 50, 60 miles out. Oh, you ain't swimming back to shore. Uh, hell, if you do, there's been a problem out there. Damn it, if you do something, if you if you swimming back, skip happened, all right.
Speaker 1:It's more than skip happens.
Speaker 3:Skip is done that's all it is. Do it. My dad used to had his hat that said. That said shit happens on that I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. Do um. You're good friends with patrick mahomes, right yeah, I know pat, yeah do you guys still keep in touch and all that. So you must um, I haven't.
Speaker 3:I haven't talked to him in a minute. How cool is that? You know I, I was, uh, you know I, I, I it's. So my son is a huge patch of my own thing oh my god and but he's also an eagles fan, so my son kind of felt a certain way, you know, when, uh, the eagles were giving that work I loved it, you know hopefully that they need to get a new offensive line, because their offensive line was terrible.
Speaker 3:They look they look like grown men all season playing against other teams, but when they run with some eagles they look like grown men all season playing against other teams, but when they run with some eagles they look like little boys. So hopefully that's the first thing they did. I gave every last one of them the pink slip. Okay, I'm sorry you guys are done. Listen, man, pat ain't never been touched that much in his life, and we wasn't even blitzing.
Speaker 1:I loved it tyler's my football guy over here. He's, he's now.
Speaker 3:He's just over here shaking his head he doesn't talk to him and the commander's belt to ass okay damn.
Speaker 1:What do you think about the bills?
Speaker 3:come on okay, I pay them every month I pay my electric I love that bills. I don't have no problem with the Bills. I don't hate the CCC, I just hate the Cowboys. Yeah. Like I hate the Cowboys so much. Yeah. If they offered me a million dollars to perform in a Cowboys stadium, I'd say no.
Speaker 1:Dude.
Speaker 3:I'm dead serious, bro.
Speaker 1:That's another reason why I don't think I'll ever If the Cowboys came up to you and said look we want you to do the, the halftime show.
Speaker 3:We're gonna pay you a million bucks. No, to do that. No see, eagles fans are different. Even if I did that, eagles fans would let me. They would let me have it and would not. They don't. There's just certain things you think so absolutely listen. Why do? Here's the thing I'm hoping the ACMs do. I hate the Cowboys more than the Yankees. I absolutely hate the Cowboys more than the Yankees.
Speaker 3:Here's the thing I'm hoping the ACMs move back to Vegas, because I'm not going until they get out of Dallas close to the practice facility of the Cowboys. Wow, I hate them that much, bro.
Speaker 1:Wow, I hate them that that much, bro. Wow, hey, um, do you um? I know you're enjoying doing your own thing and, uh, you seem very happy now. Much respected, um, for what you're doing. But do you hope to someday maybe be back on the ACMs or be involved with the CMAs? Or can they go and kiss your ass?
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. I like what the ACMs and the CMA stand for during the work. So for me it's not about the award show, right, for me it's about the community work they do and I'd always and I always love to be a part of the community work. Like, as far as, like the popularity and the fame side that comes with performing on the show, whether it's the cmas or the acms, I, I could live with it, I could live without it. But you know I, I definitely. You know damon whiteside, you know he's, he's, he runs acms. Love that guy. Any community thing they have going on, count me in to be a part of it. But just as far as, like, I guess, fame chasing stuff, um, I wouldn't say I wouldn't do it, but I would say it's not something I'm sitting around home thinking about. You know, I'm not. I'm not thinking about performing cmas, I'm not thinking about performing to acms, but am I thinking about giving and helping out with the charities that the acms and the CMAs?
Speaker 1:are a part of.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Cool. I love the work they do for education, for kids, for schools, acm, living Lives, cma Foundation. I see I'm all about. Like the older, I get you know. Hey, what are you 26?
Speaker 1:Nah, man, I'm 40. No, you didn't have to tell me I was like busting. Yeah, I'm 40. No, you didn't have to tell me, I was like busting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm 40. Absolutely. Dude, you're just a kid Black Lone Crack, nah. But for me it's just about doing things that matter. You know what I mean. To where? If I got a performance spot on the CMAs or the ACMs, yeah, it's cool. But to be invited to go with them to? A school to talk to kids, that's yeah yeah, what?
Speaker 1:um jimmy, if I may ask somebody that's been through everything you've been, you've been through, I mean, you've had all those hits. You know, we know what happened. And now you, you're back at it putting out some great music. And, by the way, you sent me the single, or you sent me a song, last time we had talked Last time yeah, and I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 1:I listened to it and went this is radio ready. This needs to go on the radio. We need to talk some more about that here in a little bit. But what advice would you give to somebody that wants to do what you're doing? But how can they make sure that? I guess? What advice can you give them?
Speaker 3:Keep your circle small. Surround yourself with people that love you and people that have shown you that they're there for you. Never lose your hobbies that make you happy, because when you lose your hobbies, you slowly start to lose a piece of yourself. Cause I was, you know, I did that to where I was just chasing TV, music, TV, music, TV music.
Speaker 1:You got lost in the wrong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, chasing this fake lifestyle Cause that stuff's not real man, it's not. It's not reality. Reality set in when the show was over and I got to change my kid's dirty diaper, you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, just like the rest of us. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:I tell new artists all the time this music business is nothing but a job. That's all it is. It just so happens that our job sometimes is on television and sometimes it's in front of people. But I would say, remember who you are. Um. Make songs that you love. Um read contracts completely. Um. Don't just sign it cause you need money. If you need money, go get another job.
Speaker 1:Hmm, that's good, that's good you know ownership, ownership's important. Yes, absolutely important. Yes, absolutely. You do you own all your own material right now, do you like? If you go back to down?
Speaker 3:home and you know all those great songs, so I don't, I don't, so I don't own um down home anything yet, but the new stuff I'm putting out now I own. I own because of the the new deal that I have.
Speaker 1:Um, it's a split where I own majority of the masters nice ownership's important like same thing with my publishing, like I probably won't sign another publishing deal where do you, um, when you go to record a new song, where do you go? Do you go back to nashville or you just stay away from that?
Speaker 3:um, sometimes I do um, and they have this studio in delaware that I record a lot at okay, okay a lot, lot of guys, all my guys I still write with still live in Nashville. So I go to Nashville to write, hang out with them, catch up, cool. You know my oldest son still lives there, so he's with me for the summer. I got you and we get him every other holiday. So typically every couple weeks I'll be in Nashville just hanging out with him.
Speaker 1:Then I'll'll write meet people, um, because half half of my team is in um, is in nashville, la, and miami, yeah, and we're in new york now too, so that's, that's very cool. How old is your son? That's uh, 11, 11. God bless him. What's his name? Aiden, and what are the other names?
Speaker 3:I got got Aiden, you got Naomi Zara. You got to roll your eyes.
Speaker 1:It's like oh God, what are the kids Trying to get all the names straight.
Speaker 3:Aiden, naomi, zara, amari, aria Cohen and Alani.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love those names. That's seven. Yeah, it's not your. Those aren't your typical names. I names that seven.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's not you. Those aren't your typical names.
Speaker 3:I love that yeah and the crazy thing is, I got to name I got to name all my kids you did how cool, yeah, yeah, yeah, I uh. It's important to me because I believe there's power in a name and a lot of times, before I name any of my childhood, I'm going to research and see what that name means, because I feel like whatever the name is, whatever that means, I honestly believe that's energy and and everything in that name that you're sending to your kids. Like, I don't know if anybody out there named damien, but I would never name my child damien somebody named me skip, so I don't know what the hell that was about.
Speaker 3:Just because of you know the definition of the word. Yeah, no, I know I got you I have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally understand that. So, totally, totally. So. Uh, when was your last 300 game?
Speaker 3:you're crazy, because I've never had a 300. I've had you're the pro bowler dude I've had 13 299s. I've had so many 288s I can't count. I've had a few 291s, 298s, 297s, that 300, man, that 300 is rough. But I've batted 1,000 a bunch of times in my softball tournament.
Speaker 1:I was going to say now softball, yeah, Wow, yeah yeah, so I'm officially a pro softball player.
Speaker 3:Now I'm officially softball.
Speaker 1:So how does one become a pro softball player? Is that like Major League Baseball?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so there's a lot. There's companies out there, like mike in easton, uh, worth sure, um, and you know they have bats and gloves and stuff like that and technically, once you get paid, you're no longer an amateur. Um, so there's a few tournaments. They pay me to play cool, yeah, hey, they play you to play ball, why not? Yeah, and they definitely don't pay me because of my name. They didn't. They didn't offer me sponsorships or anything until I got good and I'm not great, but I'm okay yeah, but yeah, you're getting paid to play softball, which you love.
Speaker 3:You get, uh, you're pro bowler, so you're getting paid to bowl, and it's so funny because people will be like the ball's coming in so slow anybody can hit it over over the fence. Okay, come try it. I brought one of my buddies out there. That was this you know college baseball player. He kept popping up. I said see, the ball's coming in slow. To angle you dip your shoulder. It's going straight up and like this. And it's a lot harder than it looks, cause sometimes these guys like I think my off the bat is in between 98 and like 105 mile an hour off the bat. Right, some of these guys out here playing they're hitting that thing off the bat 120, 130 mile an hour. That's, that's huge for softball. Oh yeah, because you got to generate that momentum yourself, because you know baseball, the ball's coming in fast. Yeah, you make contact and start creating movement. But softball, you got to create your own momentum and I love it.
Speaker 3:It's fun, you know, get time to hang out with the guys, like my older brother, uh me oh, that's cool we're playing ball because we couldn't play together growing up because he's 15 years older than me, um, so you know. He played in college, got drafted by the mets, played for the mets for a while no way he, you know he's been chilling and he started swinging with me last week and we had our first tournament together. That's the first time he's held a bat in 15 years.
Speaker 1:And he's got 15 years on you.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's you know that is cool that is cool.
Speaker 3:So we're playing senior ball now, 40 and up. I love it Cool.
Speaker 1:Well, we're the Mets when it comes to baseball. We're talking about the velocity of the ball coming off that bat. And you're right, the pitch is coming in at 95 miles per hour. And then? Bam I get on that baseball.
Speaker 3:I played in this uh baseball league three years ago. I got hit with 85 mile an hour softball on the rims. I said, yeah, I'm done, this is stupid that's gonna leave a mark I am not. I am not getting paid for this. Okay, I am. This is I'm done with it. I quit.
Speaker 1:One thing we don't want you to do is quit music. So what? You've got this. You've got this tour happen and see it online. I think it's like I saw Syracuse on the schedule and I took a screenshot and I text it to you going dude, what's all this about?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And tell us what's going on. It's you and you're going acoustic right, yes, so.
Speaker 3:I've been. I've had this idea to cause I so a lot of times at my shows. My shows are all over the place. It's a country show, a rock show, hip hop show, comedy show and story time all at the same time. Right, because I spent years trying to figure out how do I make my show different than from everyone else and my mom was like be yourself, there's only you. So only time people can get an experience you give them if they come to your show. So I like telling stories behind the songs, right? So I was like man, I want to do an acoustic tour where I, you know, I perform the songs we get talk about like the inspiration behind the song, inspiration behind the video, and kind of let people really get to know the personal side of the song. And the cool thing is they get to compare what inspired me to what they feel when they hear it.
Speaker 1:I love that, I love what you're doing. It's just you and a guitar, I guess, yep, and my keyboard player and my keyboard player.
Speaker 3:And in between that you know, we'll still do some fullback shows and stuff like that, and then there's a couple of shows we actually might switch to fullback, but we'll still talk. You know, talk about yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, see, I love that.
Speaker 1:I mean, as a radio station we do a lot of shows like that. It's just the artists and the guitar and you know we do showcase and they tell stories about their songs and it's just to me it's, it's an intimate thing and it's something that, as a music lover, you will never forget. You will never forget how jimmy allen sat there and told us what whatever you know this song was all about and what made him write it, what you know, the feelings behind that.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I always think stuff like that's important. Um, you know, because you you hear songs, right, and as a as a music fan myself, I've always wondered like man, what, what made them write that? Yeah, how did they, how did they come up with that? You know what I mean, and it's always cool to you know, it's always cool to get a chance to, you know, give the backstory of the song and kind of hear the backstory of the song.
Speaker 1:No, I love that. I know, Rod, he's asking a where in syracuse. I know for a fact it's. It's at a place called middle ages brewing yeah, I have.
Speaker 3:I have no idea what a share syracuse show is. I am the worst person to ask that question what like?
Speaker 1:it's like with any artist dude.
Speaker 3:It's like even playing softball, people be like jim. You know what inning it were. Like Jim, you know what inning it is. I said I don't know what inning it is. I don't have to score. The only thing I know is I catch the ball and I hit the ball. No team.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, how true is it? As an artist, you go out on the road, yeah, you know you're going to hit so many cities in so many days, but the reality is the bus takes you to where you need to go. You get off. You probably, probably got to go. Okay, where are we today?
Speaker 3:oh, we're in syracuse okay, good many times, yeah, I get it, though. I totally get it. How many times I didn't know where I was. All I saw was the road, the hotel and that's it Skip. What's your station card again.
Speaker 1:It's 92.1 the Wolf.
Speaker 3:I'm posting this on my live. Hold on.
Speaker 1:Oh, dude, you're awesome, you're awesome.
Speaker 3:Man, I almost forgot.
Speaker 1:But it's my Skip happens podcast. But it is live on our facebook too tonight, so it's on the radio station facebook. We've had a lot of uh, a lot of listeners ask about it's the wolf.
Speaker 3:What is it?
Speaker 1:it's 92.1 there it is 92.1 and uh, it's Syracuse. You know up where you played at the fair a bunch of years ago oh yeah, good times, by the way don't you have relatives or somebody in the area? I think that day when I talked to you, you said you were somewhere you know black people, we got cousins everywhere. I don't know I'm people. We got cousins everywhere.
Speaker 3:I don't know I'm white and I got cousins everywhere. You want to know what's so funny. I heard the funniest. Heard the funniest thing on Instagram or Tik TOK, whatever Somebody was like. He said you know one thing I've never heard a white person say, when you call him, what Hanging at my cousin's house.
Speaker 1:Have you ever heard that?
Speaker 3:No, it's crazy when you think about it, right? Relative family member.
Speaker 1:I was like have I ever heard that?
Speaker 3:And even if they are at their cousin's house, you know uh yeah, that's pretty, that's pretty funny.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, it's hilarious.
Speaker 3:I love, I love, uh, I love, I love, uh. Stereotypes are pretty pretty well yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, you've got a good attitude with that and I love it, because there'd be some people, especially this day and age, they'll say you know, screw you buddy, we don't need you know.
Speaker 3:you know, people are just they can be assholes absolutely and I love, you know, like I even do that in my comments sometimes, man. So you know, a lot of times people forget that I, you know, I do stand-up comedy, so I have days where I have whoa, whoa, whoa time out.
Speaker 1:I didn't, I didn't know, you did stand-up comedy, oh yeah, it's, it's pretty, it's pretty wild man I've what is there anything that jimmy allen does not do?
Speaker 3:Yeah, communicate well and obviously marriage, but other than that, you know, dude, I've been there, been there Been there, I know, I know. Nah, it's fun. I've definitely See for me. I don't. I think I've lost my filter, but you know I've said stuff on stage where people might cancel you for. But for me jokes is jokes To me, everybody's fair game.
Speaker 1:You know, if you can't take it, you shouldn't be there.
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? I mean, I get the same thing when I do radio stuff. It's the it's the same thing dude.
Speaker 3:So I have. So I have days where you know I'll see some comments on my thing and I'm not that. It was crazy to me how sometimes people think they can post whatever they want on comment, whatever they want on somebody's page, but if the artist or the actor responds oh you're being mean. Nah, listen, there's this one guy. He posted something. I roasted him in about six paragraphs, just what he thought I was done. Then I went to his instagram page and got a bunch of pictures and I tore him up. I said, bro, I got time today. I said I'm giving you the attention that you claim you might want but you're not going to want it.
Speaker 1:We need to talk about this. I'll invite you over to my cousin's house and we'll kind of your relatives, my relatives, my family members. Exactly, I had Tyler over here.
Speaker 3:He's like he's falling, your relatives, my relatives.
Speaker 1:Your family members, my family members, your loved ones. Yeah, exactly, exactly. I had Tyler over here. He's like he's falling asleep. I don't know what's.
Speaker 3:Because he's a Cowboys fan. They've had boring seasons the last few years. That's why he's falling asleep. Yeah, I just want to point out. You said you wouldn't go to Dallas. Your tour starts in Dallas, close to the Cowboys stadium or in the Cowboys.
Speaker 1:In the stadium, even if they offered him a million bucks.
Speaker 3:If the Cowboys could offer me a million dollars to do a halftime show. I would say no, I'd say completely no.
Speaker 2:So would you rather win the Super Bowl or beat the Cowboys twice, but you lose every other game.
Speaker 3:Oh, beat the Cowboys twice.
Speaker 2:Okay, we agree on that, but the Eagles Only team we gotta beat.
Speaker 3:You know, you know we, as Eagles fans man, you know we, we've got used to winning. You know, don't get me wrong, man we had it rough when the Cowboys were doing their thing back in the 90s, and ever since then, I don't know. I don't know what happened. I think they cursed.
Speaker 1:I don't know what happened.
Speaker 3:I'm happy to see it, though I hope it keeps going.
Speaker 1:Well, time will tell, time will tell time will tell time will tell hey, uh, so let's go back to the music for a minute or two or three. Um, what about, like, is jimmy allen gonna be dropping an album? What are we gonna do to get you back out there? What can we do? What can I do as a radio guy?
Speaker 3:because we need you back man, you know we have uh uh two singles coming out beer 99 and and small town anthem. So small town anthem is more of the you know straight down the middle, jimmy allen, typical radio song that's the one I believe I said.
Speaker 1:Was radio ready?
Speaker 3:I could tell just by listening to it and beer 99 is more of the country influence but it has more of a hip hop appeal. So what I do right to get feedback, because for me it's important for you know some of my songs to reach people that don't listen to country music. So I have some cousins that live in California that don't listen to country. They've never heard of Luke Ryan, never heard of Morgan Wallen, never heard of Luke Combs, the luke ryan never heard of morgan wallen, never heard of luke combs.
Speaker 3:The only country they've ever heard of is garth brooks, right? So what I do is songs that I I want to appeal to people that don't listen to country. I'll send it to my cousins, right, and they'll ride around listen to. Oh, I like this, I like this family, relative, yeah, but go ahead exactly so I sent beer 99 and they said, oh dude, this slaps.
Speaker 3:I said cool. Then I sent him another one. What do you think about this? I said cool, all right, so these are the two songs that I know I can Small Town Anthem, you know we'll go for more. You know the country, format and playlisting and all that stuff for that. And then Red 99, we'll still shoot some country, but go more of like alternative route, like urban radio, urban playlisting, stuff like that. Because you know, if this music has an amazing way to bring people together, yeah so, and there's a lot of songs that people will connect with that you wouldn't expect it because, honestly, what separates genres for me is the production. You can literally take a song right, change a few words, change the production. Then you got a hip-hop song. Change the production. You got a pop song, change the production, then you got a hip-hop song. Change the production, you got a pop song. Change the production, you got a rock song. Drag out some of the phrases and that's really what it is.
Speaker 1:The production and phrasing is really, I feel, like what sets apart a lot of um, and I think you know I hear a lot of this music come in, jimmy, and I think it's not only what you just said, but but it's also the processing of the music which will make it. It'll give it a different sound. Sometimes it's clipping, and it's clipping on purpose, and that's I mean. It just makes it. I don't know if that makes sense at all, but I can hear the difference, you know there's a lot that goes into it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'm a fan of you know mixing track production with live instruments. So a lot of times what I do now is I'll have one of my pop guys or my hip-hop buddies make a track, I'll write to it, but then I'll go into the studio with my band and we put live instruments over it to where you still got that backbeat and it feels good, but at the same time you got the live instruments over top of it. I call it a shout out to my boys, louis Short for this phrase deep fried veggies where it's, you know it tastes good, but it's also good for you. I like that. So deep fried veggies, deep fried veggies, yeah.
Speaker 1:That was over at the relative's house.
Speaker 3:Claude Kelly, Chuck Harmony.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love that. Hey we're talking a little bit about different styles of music, some of the collaborations you've had, I mean what, babyface, t-pain, ceelo.
Speaker 3:I think I don't remember back. John Nelly, J-Lo Dude, Me and Elton John did a song together on his record called the lockdown sessions, and the craziest thing, the coolest thing was sitting in the studio with I'll text you the picture sitting in the studio with elton watching elton sing words to a song that I co-wrote. It was crazy to me and I'm just sitting there and then here's what tripped me up when he turned around and said Jimmy, did I do okay? I said bro you're Elton John, bro, you can burp on the record.
Speaker 1:I don't care.
Speaker 3:But it shows the humanity, the human side of people that no matter how many people think someone's amazing, we still sometimes have our own insecurities. But he showed up fly, though he had this Bitty and the Jets jacket on. He was confused and, I'm sure, cost more than anything I own.
Speaker 1:I'm sure Wow.
Speaker 3:He was a cool dude and how it happened was I was like, man, I want to write a song, elton John. So I met my boy, tyler Bird, that knew this writer, that knew a writer that's friends with elton. We wrote the song. He called out and sent it to elton, asked him if he would want to do it. I mean he said yeah. I was like because I'm like all I can say is no right and like, after talking to like elton for a minute, he said, jim, believe me, a lot of people don't ask me to do duets. And he says, because a lot of times people think they would say no and a lot of times artists like that don't get asked to do a lot of duets by new artists. But I'm like, just do it. I don't think somebody says no. And you're in the same position you are in now. Close, my grandma's favorite phrase close mouths, don't get fed there you go, says it all too.
Speaker 1:Um, and michael james saying that's incredible. I would agree 100%. That is incredible. Were you like, I know I would have been. You know Skip, would have been happening, if you know what I mean, if I was sitting in the same room as Elton John.
Speaker 3:Almost peed myself twice yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, no matter how long I've been doing and interviewing great artists like yourself and doing the radio thing, If Elton John walked in that studio I'd be like Totally almost peed myself and trying to hold my pee, I think a fart might have slipped out. Either way it's like oh no. And you're going. I hope he doesn't smell that.
Speaker 3:I love that If it had been after 6 pm he would have about cleared that entire studio. Let me say my farts don't stink before 10 am. He would have out of cleared that entire studio. Let me say, see my farts don't stink before 10 am. No, no, of course not between like noon and 7 30. Baby, I'll clean out a football stadium before I smell like rotten eggs, like boiled eggs okay, all right, all right, speaking of that, uh, there's a farts or eggs no, no, well, I guess farts, okay.
Speaker 1:Um, what's? There's a show on netflix. Uh, it's about the carnival cruise they had a poop problem yeah, yeah, no, they had. I can't think of the name of it. If somebody's uh watching this and listening to this right now, uh, it's a oh my god. I can't think of the name of it, but it's the most disgusting thing you'll ever watch. But I guarantee you'll watch it.
Speaker 3:Carnival Cruise.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a Carnival Cruise and apparently they had a fire on board or something happened and the plumbing all just quit. And next, thing, you know, Poop Cruise, the Poop Cruise.
Speaker 3:No, I'm serious. Yeah, I want serious.
Speaker 1:I think so.
Speaker 3:I did one cruise, never again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. See, sam Furco is part owner of the radio station that I work at. What's up, sam? There you go. And Sam is a huge Jimmy Allen fan. I've tried to get him over here to the pod zone when I talk to you, but you know, poop cruise on Netflix, I guarantee dude.
Speaker 3:I got to check that out in the mix of all the shows I'm watching right now. I love TV.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sam goes. What's up? He's one of your biggest fans. I'm telling you.
Speaker 3:Man, what up? Yeah, I need to get up that way.
Speaker 1:We're going to get you. Well, you are coming up this way, but it's not till september, but we'll talk about that a little bit more here in just a little bit. But uh, you know we, sam, we've already talked about the show and we're very excited that that you're doing this and it's just, it's huge, it's huge. Jimmy ellen needs to get out there now. All that shit's behind us.
Speaker 3:It's done, it's over. Yeah, we're getting out there, you know, slowly but surely. But for me, you know, my main goal is to definitely do music, and do music I love, but at the same time making sure I keep my hobbies, making sure I still create time for my friends and stuff and keep my mental health.
Speaker 1:Well, most important is to keep time for your kids.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, you know, regardless of the situation, that is the most important thing in your life you have to, you definitely, you definitely have to, because I told you, man, I got, you know I was. This is the happiest I've been since 2018.
Speaker 1:I can tell.
Speaker 3:I got to tell you, man, I loved touring with Kane, loved touring with Rascal Flatts, loved touring with Kerry, loved touring with Brad Chris Young, scotty, but I was miserable the entire Kerry Underwood tour. I sucked it up long enough to get on stage, but since I walked off stage I was like I'm done, mike. I didn't believe that phrase when people used to always say money doesn't buy happiness. You know, I was talking to this one guy. He's like just because you got a million dollars in your account won't make you happy. I said, yeah, it will. No, you won't.
Speaker 3:You can if you're not happy here, I mean if you're not living for yourself here. You know, because a lot of times we chase success that other people formulate for us right, and success is a personal thing. And I meet every artist. I meet a lot of new artists and they say, well, what do I have to do? Do I have to go? I said no.
Speaker 3:I said you don't have to sell out stadiums to be happy. You don't have to have a song on to be happy. I said, honestly, you want to do music. If you're just singing three nights a week on Broadway, guess what You're singing and that's what the love should be right. And then as your career grows, you know all the other shit will come with it. But you know you have to figure out. Every artist has to figure out what success is to them and I can honestly tell you is to them. And I can honestly tell you I don't want to tour stadiums Like I, after I've been playing shows and I played a couple in the stadium I played arenas and I played. My favorite size venue to play are like house of blues is anything between 500 and 2,500 people.
Speaker 1:Perfect. Yeah, you're out of touch when you're in a stadium.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this stadium.
Speaker 1:I think you know I went to a um a Luke comb show at Highmark and it's cool. You're out of touch when you're in a stadium. Yeah, this stadium, I think you know I went to a um a Luke comb show at Highmark and it's cool. You know, I it was him and Mitchell 10 penny. I'm trying to think who else was on that tour, but it's like the stadium and it's like you're you've. It's not that one-on-one experience, it's just you're on this stage and you've got 50,000 people just out there watching and listening.
Speaker 3:It's great to hear the music, but you don't connect with your fans. Yeah, and I feel like for some artists is great, they love it, but I know, for me personally, um, it's not anything. It's not something I've ever dreamed about, you know. I mean, I love.
Speaker 1:I love your way of thinking, especially for you know who you are and what you've done in the past, and the way you know, hit after, hit after hit and uh, now doing what you're doing. I love the way you're thinking and you know what your fan base. When people see how the real jimmy allen is, they're gonna love you, dude.
Speaker 3:They're just and what's so funny? Like my, my, uh, my new tour manager, uh b. Like man, your fan base is interesting because it's literally like the show. The recent show I just played is literally everyone from ages two to ninety eight. Black, white, spanish is literally like there's this lady, white lady, 92 years old. Her great grandkids drove her to the show from Valdosta Georgia and they said this is her 20, the show from Valdosta Georgia. And they said this is her 20th show she's been to.
Speaker 3:So and I've noticed too there's certain fans, there's a lot of older ones, they like to hear the story. So when sometimes people come to my shows, they'll be like man, we like the music, but we wish you didn't do so much talking. I said well, there are certain songs that you like that other fans didn't like. So my job as an entertainer is to make sure everyone there gets what they like, right. And if I realize, like my older fan base is 70 and up, like the stories, I'm going to tell the stories.
Speaker 3:If I realize you know the younger fan base might like this specific song and the older fan base might not, I'm still going to play that because I want to create a show that people can leave and say you know what, I enjoyed it and I won't get this show anywhere but at a Jimmy Allen show. And that's how I feel every artist should be, because there's only one me, there's only one every other artist right. And if you yourself and you incorporate everything you love, whether you're that good at it or not, you're still being you're, you know you're. You're still being you and you're making your show authentic and making it something that people can't duplicate because no one can do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, um, of course, you got these two songs that are coming out or already out, more or less. Um, they're coming out, yep, they're coming out, and, uh, we need to talk about that but uh um, what about your songwriting? Are you writing? You must be doing more of that now. Uh, because you got to follow up these two songs with something.
Speaker 3:Oh, I got them covered I tell you what after these two singles there, there's another two, then another two, then another two, and another two, and another two, and another two, and another two and another two. And what I do shout out to a lot of my co-writers, whether it's my boy Vic and Vinny, whether it's Cam Bedell, whether it's Tate, whether it's Matt Rogers, whether it's Ryan Ball A lot of guys I write with a lot. We definitely challenge ourselves to create songs that are me, but songs that are different. I don't want to have an album of 12 songs and 10 of the 12 sound the same. I can't do it. So I'll purposely listen to a song like't. I can't do so. I'll purposely like listen to a song Ah, too similar. We got to change something. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah To me, I want to make music I love, but yet, as an artist, I still want to challenge myself. Right, to make good music and listen. Not everybody's going to like it, that's fine, but I still want to be intentional about what I'm creating right, challenging myself and trying to get the bar of music back here, because right now there's a lot of lazy songs with a lot of lazy writing and a lot of lazy singing. And I personally feel like, if you call yourself a singer, take time to work on your vocals. Personally feel like, if you call yourself a singer, take time to work on your vocals, because music is the only job where you cannot be talented or good at your job and be successful. But I feel like and just because and just because you're successful still doesn't mean you shouldn't challenge yourself to get better, whatever it is writing, performing, vocal ability, whatever so you growing up and going through all this, did you have vocal lessons?
Speaker 1:Did you do all that or did you do it all on your own more?
Speaker 3:No, I, I. I grew up, you know, in church, you know playing.
Speaker 3:We're singing in church, yeah Playing drums first and then singing, and then you know you, you spend time practicing and just you, and what you can use. I tell artists to give vote, you can give yourself vocal lessons. I, I there's one artist I recently told. I said pick three artists and three different genres of music, right, and learn to sing their songs, mimic them, right, and what you're doing is you're exercising your muscle, right, you're increasing your range, you're increasing your ability, what you can do with your vocals, right, and what you do is every day you sing those three songs, right, guarantee, two weeks later you'll make a difference. And then I tell people, just for breathing, you know, jog while you, while you sing.
Speaker 3:But now I've never taken vocal lessons. I don't even do that whole. You know people do the whole vocal. Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, yeah, and I've seen Nashville artists do that to warm their vocals up. So I typically don't sing until a certain point of the day. So what I do is I just live my day and by the time it's showtime my voice is naturally warmed up, right, and I never push my vocal past where I go, right. Or I tell people do piano skills if you want to work on your range.
Speaker 3:You know get a, get a, get a, get a keyboard your phone's ringing yeah, I see I heard get a keyboard or or piano it's my, that's my boy jay. He was just on my instagram live, bro. You see instagram live and you still call me he's a cousin. Yeah he might be.
Speaker 3:But yeah, it's about just putting the work in Same thing with songwriting. I tell people, when you write a song, compare it to what's on the radio, also what's on your artist's favorite album, and be honest with yourself about the quality of the song, because sometimes there's a huge difference between what you love and what's on your artist's favorite album. And be honest with yourself about the quality of the song, cause there's sometimes there's a huge difference between what you love and what's good.
Speaker 1:Tyler, are you listening to this? Because Tyler likes to sing and he plays the guitar and he's always applying that to the Eagles.
Speaker 3:You might love the Cowboys, but the Eagles are good. It's a difference between what you love.
Speaker 1:It's good and I don't know if Sam is still watching. Sam is a huge Steelers fan.
Speaker 3:Okay, I don't mind the Steelers, alright, okay. I don't mind the. Steelers. That's supposed to be like a PA rivalry right there. It is. But here's the thing the Eagles-Cowboy rivalry goes deeper, man it goes.
Speaker 1:Hey soccer ball.
Speaker 3:Oh hey, soccer ball. Yeah, hand me the soccer ball, come here.
Speaker 1:Aw Hand it to me. No.
Speaker 3:Dad, you got to get it. Come here, here.
Speaker 1:How adorable man.
Speaker 3:He said, he said that's awesome.
Speaker 1:No, no, no no Soccer.
Speaker 3:How adorable man he. He said. He said that's awesome soccer ball. Hey, you want to say hi since you?
Speaker 1:yeah, let's see now, which one is this? Amari amari hi say hi. Oh my god, adorable, adorable sam just said I hate the cowboys, oh man all right buddy say bye-bye, bye-bye. Soccer ball. Where's the soccer ball?
Speaker 3:right here, pacifier. Yeah, they go together, yeah, with me, with the pacifier mark well we're not going to keep you much longer.
Speaker 1:You got the kids to tend to, but uh, no, I don't they're going to bed?
Speaker 3:I got tv shows. I'm watching a show called the shy bmf. I'm about to start this new show tonight. Tonight called we were liars. I heard that was good that is good.
Speaker 1:Have you seen the waterfront?
Speaker 3:I've just finished the waterfront. I watched it quick too, I got one more episode. One more episode somebody told one of my friends yeah, it's kind of like yellowstone. That show is nothing like yellowstone. The only thing it has in common with yellowstone is there's white people in it. That is it.
Speaker 1:It is nothing like yellowstone. It's not like yellow. Who the hell would say that? If anything, it's more like. It's more like um, um, um, oh. Crap, outer banks yeah, it is.
Speaker 3:I love outer banks yeah, yeah what other show am I? Watching. It's like a long uh list of shows. Uh, what else am I watching? Oh, I just finished the new season of uh jenny and georgia. I'm waiting for the next, the new season of my life With the Walter boys. I like a lot of chick shows. Waiting for the next season, it's a lot of great.
Speaker 1:You don't watch the Bachelor, do you?
Speaker 3:That's too weird.
Speaker 1:My wife has it.
Speaker 3:I can't do the Bachelor. The guy always makes bad decisions.
Speaker 1:So you are watching it.
Speaker 3:No, I hear about it. I can say the only season I watched was the season my boy, matt James, did and I just so happened to do Dancing with the Stars with him the next season. My favorite line. I said Matt, you were a nice guy, but you were an asshole at the same time. But you were a nice asshole. So instead of telling the girl you weren't interested, or instead of repeating something, you would say thanks for saying that.
Speaker 3:That was his favorite line. This girl just poured her heart out to Matt. He sat there at the dinner table like thanks for saying that. I'm like bro. That is wild work man. Oh my God that is wild work.
Speaker 1:That is so awesome. But Dancing with the Stars man, that was a few years ago now. Yeah, wow, that is so awesome. But dancing with the star man, that was a few years ago now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, wow, it was fun, man, it was, uh, it was. It was fun and stressful because, see I was, my children's book had just came out, so I was doing a book tour, dancing to stars and the Brad Paisley tour at the same time.
Speaker 3:So I so I'd be in la sunday, monday, then fly to a city, do a book thing and then do another book thing, then my dance partner emma would travel with me. Do rehearsal, then we go do brad paisley show, then still rehearse come that day before the show, then go back to la dude. Yeah, I did that for eight weeks but my, I was in the best shape ever. My, my abs were popping, bro Listen, I remember one time I took my shirt off and almost cut myself. That's how short I was.
Speaker 1:It was crazy.
Speaker 3:I can't say that.
Speaker 1:I can't say that. Can I ask you something, though? As busy as you were, you know you had Dancing with the Stars, you were on the Paisley Tour. Everything you just said do you think because you were on the road so much, traveling from point a to point b so much, that your priorities kind of got lost and kind of you know everything you've been through absolutely, with your marriage splitting up and all that, it just absolutely yeah, you can chase.
Speaker 3:I was a, I was a person that chased, uh, the fantasy of reality. You know you can get. You know I, I tell people it's a dangerous game getting on stage every night, right, and having people scream for you, right, people say we love you, and you can hear that over time and time and time and time again, right, if you're not careful and don't have a balance, you can slowly develop a God complex. You know what I mean. You can slowly start to get to the point where you start thinking you're higher than the average person, right, right, and that's not facts, because everybody's at the same playing level. And you can.
Speaker 3:You know, sometimes, um, I know, I did it, um, chasing that high so much, right, right, right, that you forget what's important. And I and that's something else I tell artists, you know there's a danger to this, because see the music business, whether it's your label, your manager, booking agent, whatever, a lot of times they'll, they'll tell you about. You know how hard it is to get your song off the chart or how hard it is, right, but they don't prepare you for what happens with success, right right or it go to your head and a lot of times you have artists that'll say, man, I haven't gotten where I wanted to go.
Speaker 3:And I look at it sometimes as a good thing, because there's this phrase that people say a lot, god will never put more on you than you can bear. Right. And people often go negative, say, oh, God won't do that because it'll hurt me too much. No, but I feel like sometimes he won't bless you the way he wants to because he doesn't think you can handle it Right.
Speaker 3:And I got a lot of stuff thrown at me that I thought I could handle, but I didn't. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't handle it Right. You know I. You know priorities weren't. You know exactly, but you know all. All you can do is see. I don't believe in mistakes I don't like that word I believe in you made a decision and you realize later that it was the wrong decision because a mistake is something that accidentally happens. No, we all have a choice, with everything we do as a choice. Everything, every decision we make at work, every decision we make at our job, every decision we make in a relationship, decision we make in a relationship everything we do is a choice, right. And it's up for us a lot of times, all the time, to be mindful of our choices and start being able to see step three and four before we even make the decision to step one right, and a lot of times it takes going through some for that to happen. Yeah, yeah, wow, you know it takes going through some shit for that to happen.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what I mean I see it now, but you can find yourself in places where you don't want to be. I remember looking up one time having a carry tour like who the hell am I? Wow, who are these people around me? Right, and how did I get here? And when you trace it back, you can slowly start to see where shit started going sideways. Right.
Speaker 3:And it's about understanding now and having people in your life that hold you accountable and letting people hold you accountable. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, and understanding that we don't know. Yeah, when you crashed, hold you accountable. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and understanding that we don't know. Yeah, when you crashed, you crashed, you crashed hard Absolutely and you had some mental health stuff going on. And, if you don't mind me saying, there was a time that you thought about taking your own life. I was reading about that story, yeah, and I'm like wow.
Speaker 2:But now I look at you and I talk to you and it's you're just, you're crazy.
Speaker 1:No, you're good and this is, you know. It makes me feel good to see you doing what you're doing, your attitude on life, thinking things out, knowing what your limits are. Just, you learn from those mistakes.
Speaker 3:I was going to talk to talking about booking age today, like we're, you know, starting already to plan shows for next year. He said, yeah, I do fairs and festivals on the summer. I said, true, we're gonna do that, adam, but don't forget, I need these weekends to play softball I need the third saturday off of every week of every.
Speaker 3:I don't want to tour every weekend. I don't want it. It's important to me to have time for my kids. It's important for me to still have time for me, because a lot of times too and I tell parents this make time for your kids, but you also still got to make time for you. You know what I mean? Because you can't be a good parent unless you're a good person, unless you're happy. You can't provide for your kids, provide for your family, unless you got to take care of yourself. And some people might say it's selfish, but no, it's not selfish, because you have to be whole in order to take care of the people that depend on you, right? So you know, I tell people all the time don't lose yourself in being a parent, you know be a parent Cool, but take your days off, take your moments off.
Speaker 3:You know, whatever dream you have, oh. God, that's still keep chasing it.
Speaker 1:Dude, I this. Wow, you're so good. You're so good at what you're saying and your whole. The way you look at life is just. It's so good to see you like this. I cannot say that enough. I know you're coming to town. We're in Syracuse, as you already know. If you're watching this from wherever in the world, right now the Pod Zone is located in Syracuse and Jimmy Allen's going to be out on tour doing the acoustic thing with the stories.
Speaker 3:Yeah, stories about the songs tour baby.
Speaker 1:Oh, baby, I love it.
Speaker 3:And by then you know, small Town Anthem will be out. Yep, yep. It was set for they were looking at the last week of September, May 1st October, for the Gemini album. I'm calling it Gemini because I am a Gemini and I love it. It's a middle ages brewing. Yep, that's where we'll be.
Speaker 1:Middle ages brewing.
Speaker 3:Yep, and there's a. It's a mix between there's country songs on there, there's pop songs, there's a hip hop songs, there's R and B songs, there's a couple of Christian songs on there. There's some rock songs on there. Uh, you know, there's some duets. You know, me and T-Pain did another song together. Um, uh, you know I. There's some duets. You know, me and t-pain did another song together. Um, uh, you know I, me and rob thomas. We have a song that might be on there. Uh, me and casey, from casey and jojo, yeah, yeah do you?
Speaker 3:want. I'm gonna do that. I'm excited about my boy. Vic had this idea. This guy's my brother. So what we going to do on this tour is, instead of a meet and greet, we're going to call it a meet and record, right. So where we're going to book a studio in that city and if there's not a studio there, we're going to set up one backstage, right. And instead of people paying for a meet and greet, there's an artist that wants to sing, they can pay to hop on a song with me as a feature. And when the tour is over, we're going to put out the album of features, right, and call it it's going to be the Stories with the Songs tour album, right. And every artist, whether they're, you know, especially like the unsigned artists, you know, boom, instead of paying for meet and greet, you pay to do a song. We'll actually go in the studio. Our vocal producer, we'll do a song we're actually going to studio.
Speaker 3:I'll vocal, produce you or do a song that day and then at the end of the tour we're going to put out the album, uh, with me and, um, all the artists. I've never seen that. I love that, that idea. It's gonna be. It's gonna be great. You know people in a way to incorporate, you know humanity. And then you know, uh, 50 of the money sold from that album was going to go to this non-profit called duffy's hope.
Speaker 1:Um, they're out of ormondton, delaware, so very cool, jimmy, you're doing a good thing. You're doing a great thing I appreciate skip well, one quick question. Michael james says does the industry record labels, etc. Support artists taking time for themselves? Good for you for making that a priority. So what?
Speaker 3:but uh, actually you know that's a tough question, um, I think from some point I think they would, because if the artists don't make time for themselves and don't have the mental capacity to write songs or the tour, I think they should see. There's a lot of labels out there too, now that have you know therapists on staff, right, um, doctors that they can go to when people need help? Um, and I you know, there I'm sure there's some people that don't give a, but for the most part, from what I've seen, um in nashville on, I can just speak for the countryside. I mean a lot, of, a lot of labels and a lot of people at labels. Check in on mental health. Now, because it's important, because at the end of the day without the artists, there's no label.
Speaker 3:So you got to make sure your artists are good, right, and a lot of times, artists won't say when they're good or say when they're not good. So I feel like it's important to have people that's assigned to check in with them and if they don't check in with them, check in with people in their circle, right. That's why it's important to have a small circle, have people you love, have people you trust that are around you, and that's what I love with my new band, my new crew that I have with me. You know these are guys I've known forever family members, that's good.
Speaker 3:You know it's fun, man and listen. I love my old band too, but you know, the older I get, man, there's so many friends and so many family members that I've been wanting to create music with. That's so cool that you look at it that way that I have a chance to do it now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, jimmy Allen. Wow, jimmy Allen, living loving life in Delaware via Nashville, but Delaware's your home. I get it, and I wish I had thought of that last week we got beaches here.
Speaker 3:We got oceans, we got the bay, we got fishing, we got whole crabs that we eat.
Speaker 1:My God, it sounds so good. You know, uh-oh, wipe the face. There you go. What happened? Spit up.
Speaker 3:Oh no, I got my spit cup tonight. It's my Magic Kingdom coffee cup. Oh that, I got my spit cup. Tonight is my Magic Kingdom coffee cup.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's right, you and Disney. When was the last time you were at Disney? I?
Speaker 3:don't know. Two months ago, three months ago, what was that? I don't know.
Speaker 1:I have no idea what the hell you just did.
Speaker 3:But it's there.
Speaker 1:That's right, I can't do that, but I remember you were going quite often Disney. Disney is your home man. That's like your second home.
Speaker 3:Listen, disney's lit and shout out to Universal because Universal is stepping up the epic universe. Yeah, that place. Listen, listen, disney, y'all know I love you. Y'all got to get your shit together because Universal is coming. They're on. They are doing what the Cowboys want to do. They're making a comeback, okay.
Speaker 1:Tyler's over here shaking his head, shaking his head.
Speaker 3:Listen, listen. They are making a listen. Anybody watching right now. Whether you're a theme park fan or not, do yourself a favor and go to epic universe and, mind you, the you know normally like quick service food would just go up to the counter and you order it yeah yeah, that is normally okay yeah man, the quick service food is just as good as sit down restaurants, bro, cool like oh yeah, I love it, I'm going, uh, I need to go back. I need to go back here soon, for sure.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you'll be gone next week, so you got cousins down there.
Speaker 3:I do got cousins that I told you. Black people got family everywhere, everywhere. I like that, I like that it's all good.
Speaker 1:It's all good, you know, and I wish I had known that you were in Delaware. I was there last weekend and when I asked you I was, I was in George, georgetown, seaford, yeah, and you're like 20 minutes from there.
Speaker 3:Seaford, oh boy, seaford. Well, we went down to.
Speaker 1:Rehoboth. Okay, and then what's the beach? If you go the other way, it's.
Speaker 3:Lewis Beach.
Speaker 1:Lewis Beach, dewey Beach, dewey Beach, and it was crazy.
Speaker 3:Dewey is the party scene. See, Dewey is where you go when you're 20 and got a fake ID.
Speaker 1:I noticed that. I noticed that 21 to 29.
Speaker 3:Man, I rode through Dewey one night. I felt like a babysitter.
Speaker 1:They had lines to get into these places and I said to my wife we don't belong here.
Speaker 3:People are 20 to like 29.
Speaker 1:Oh God. And cops on every corner.
Speaker 3:you know, I'm like yeah, dewey's fun man I remember a lot of my days in my twenties going out there. But see, when you get older, like me, you know we go to Rehoboth or we do go to Dewey's during the day. Yeah, I got you Between noon and like 3 pm.
Speaker 1:Now do they have rental property in Dewey oh?
Speaker 3:absolutely.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:That whole, that whole place is pure rental property. There's some people that own some stuff down there, but yeah, you can, you can, you can always find a rental.
Speaker 1:That's cool. No, no, and not that I would stay there. I think when we drove through there last week, it was like no, we're never coming back here, we'll go to Rehoboth.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, dewey's fun, it's a cool place, and that whole strip just from Rehoboth to Dewey, to Bethany, to Fenwick, and then you hit Ocean City, maryland. It's just all like right there, man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my boss, sam, said, if you drove another hour you'd be in Ocean City.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's not even an hour. Honestly, you can get there in about 35 minutes. The only thing that really stops you is the lights, but it's literally a straight shot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I noticed it was a straight shot. The road was very straight.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's all water. If you're driving that way, you got the bay. Yeah yeah, the bay on the right, the ocean on the left.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, it was beautiful, except for all the people so yeah and as we said minutes ago, or many minutes ago, the fact that, uh, not really a people person when it comes to crowds if that makes sense.
Speaker 3:So I told you I love people, but I don't like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know uh, jimmy, allen, uh, thank you, thank you so? Much for taking the time last minute. I know I reached out to you today. You were so generous by taking my call um, even though you were fishing. You took two minutes away from that to talk, to skip.
Speaker 3:I mean that's, that's cool that's cool, man listen, man skip's my guy now you're my guy man.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you very much. You know everything you've been through um the good, the bad, whatever. It's all behind us. It's all behind us and Jimmy Allen is, you know you're going to be right back doing what you, what you do, the best. Well, it's a. March TV and fishing and playing softball and and bowling and uh, you know and maybe giving Patrick Mahomes a phone call.
Speaker 3:Hopefully I'll get the exact date, but the stand-up special is coming this year too, Really.
Speaker 1:You know what. I want to talk to you a minute when we get done, but I want to say thank you for joining us here on Skip Happens tonight. Thank you. I mean, Tyler was pretty pumped to come over and bust down you a little bit. How's Mr Conversation over here?
Speaker 3:He's the man of three words. Man, How's it going?
Speaker 1:How's it going? How's it going, but, Jimmy, you're awesome. Thank you for joining us here on skip happens. You took the time out to do this. You didn't have to do it, but you did it, and you know we need more people like you. You know it's awesome. The music when can is the music going to be available If somebody's watching this and they want to get their hands on the new music?
Speaker 3:The new music will be available end of this month.
Speaker 1:End of this month.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they can just stay tuned in to the socials.
Speaker 1:Socials.
Speaker 3:You know, and yeah it's, uh it's. I'm super excited for the songs, whether it's you know, beer 99, small tone anthem.
Speaker 1:Another song called drop it like a tailgate oh, now he's revealing the titles drop it like a tailgate all right, all right, give us another one it's a, it's a bunch.
Speaker 3:You know and know a song called breaking up. You know, uh, gemini is a, is a fun project that. When people ask me how long it took to write, I'm 40. So I would say it took 40 years because it is you know, from different moments um in life, uh, the good moments and the bad moments.
Speaker 1:Definitely good stuff. Real quick you have a Bucky's down there.
Speaker 3:No, I keep hearing about this place. I was actually at the Salt Bowl Turnovers weekend and my guy, mike Deal, shout out to Mike Deal, he's head of marketing for Mike and Rawlings and Worth. He had this chair that looked like a. You know them fold up chairs that you can but it was a couch. And I said where did you get this from? He said bucky's. I said I keep thinking about this place called bucky's and it was like man. And then, you know, other guys came over talking about it. Oh man, it's like a mix between, like, walmart and Wawa. I don't know if I need that place, because there's never been a time where I was at Wawa where I needed something from Walmart. I just feel like there's a lot going on. They didn't talk about they serve ice cream you serve. I don't know how I feel about buying ice cream in the same place. I pump gas, shout out to Bucky's, everything they're doing. I hear it's a great place. I'm going to go check it out one day, apparently.
Speaker 1:You'll see it on the road.
Speaker 3:My booking agent had an idea for me to do, like a Bucky's tour, like where you go through Bucky's and just like go sign stuff. But I'm going to have to.
Speaker 1:It's pretty big. We don't have those here either. That's why I thought, maybe if we go a little bit further south, maybe. Way further south, way further, all right.
Speaker 3:Never mind Way further south.
Speaker 1:All right, all right.
Speaker 3:I think it's like what is it Like Tennessee, kentucky? Is there like one in Nebraska area? Oh, you know the places where tornadoes normally go.
Speaker 2:No, wait a minute, tornadoes go to nashville now tornadoes are here in syracuse.
Speaker 1:Tornadoes have been in delaware yeah, man, I know it's wherever the people decide all right, uh, jimmy allen, you are the freaking best man. You are just one phenomenal person.
Speaker 3:Um appreciate you very somebody, somebody said Dallas has the Buc-ee's what.
Speaker 1:Who said that? Wait a minute? I didn't see that.
Speaker 3:Who said? Who said beavers can't fly?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, you're cracking me up. You are cracking me up, I love you man.
Speaker 1:I love you, jimmy Allen, we all love you and we look forward to the music coming out the end of the month are coming out at the end of the month. Uh, keep an eye on his socials and uh. So yeah, and uh, he's gonna let you know when they come out. Thank you everybody for watching. By the way, make sure you follow jimmy on all his socials. I know you probably already do, uh, but if not, make sure y'all do that. And if you would, I I'd like to ask you to subscribe to skip happens as we talk to a absolutely subscribe to skip happens.
Speaker 3:I just started this new thing on my YouTube called the Random, where every day I just film different selfie clips of what I'm doing and where I'm at, and then I clip them together, make them anywhere between 10 minutes and 15 minutes, and I post them on my YouTube page. So it's not a reality show, it's not really a documentary, it's just.
Speaker 1:Is it like a short? So you, it's just. Is it like a short, you know?
Speaker 3:how you can do. It's a long one. The last one I just put out was 11 minutes, but it's fun. You'll see music stuff, meet the kids, fish and bowling Love it, it is fun.
Speaker 1:You're fun and we'll subscribe to your YouTube page. You subscribe to my YouTube page. We're going to be happy. Subscribe to your YouTube page. You subscribe to my YouTube page.
Speaker 3:We're going to be happy.
Speaker 1:That's it, jimmy Allen, everybody. Once again, thank you for being on. Skip Happens tonight. I want you to stay there. I want to talk to you for a second, but thank you. Thank you for watching everybody. Peace out, see ya, yes.
