JIMMIE Allen rose to fame on American Idol before becoming a multi-platinum country star.
Here’s the back story on the Grammy nominated singer, his relationships and musical successes.
Jimmie Allen is an American country music star born on June 8, 1985, in the town of Milton, Sussex County, Delaware.
In 2007, Allen moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in music.
However, the hunt for fame wasn’t an easy ride for Allen who was forced to live out of his car as he struggled to pursue music.
Down on his luck, he auditioned for America’s Got Talent but sadly did not make it past the preliminary round.
He then went on the tenth season of American Idol in 2011 but did not make it to the live voting shows.
Several years went by before Allen was eventually signed to a record deal with Broken Bow Records.
His first official single, Best Shot, was released in 2018 and received positive reviews across country music radio stations.
The song peaked at 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified platinum.
Allen’s debut album, Mercury Lane – named after the street on which he grew up – came out in October 2018 and peaked at 128 on the US album chart.
In 2012, Allen’s career blew up when he won the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year, becoming only the second black artist to win the category following Darius Rucker’s win in 2009.
He was one of the 15 competitors on season 30 of Dancing With The Stars in 2021 partnering with Emma Slater but was ninth to be eliminated.
In 2023, Allen was announced as one of the co-hosts for Apple TV’s original show My Kind of Country which follows the hunt for the next big country star.
Jimmie was cut from American Idol season 10 before the live voting rounds in the 2011 series.
Despite this, he met stars Colton Dixon and Scotty McCreery on the show, with the latter winning the series.
This meeting would prove pivotal for Allen’s career as he later went on to tour with McCreery – it was from there that Allen shot to fame.
Allen was then featured as a guest judge on American Idol – the show that helped launch his career – in 2022.
Allen is married to Alexis Gale.
Both Allen and Gale grew up in Milton, Delaware, but they didn’t actually meet each other until 2019 after Jimmie’s cousin’s wife introduced them.
Jimmie proposed to Alexis at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, on June 15, 2019.
The couple then got married in a secretive ceremony on June 18, 2020, and later a public wedding held at The Lake House Inn in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, in May 2021.
However, on April 21, 2023, Jimmie announced the pair would be separating while announcing they were expecting another child.
Allen wrote on Instagram: “After much thought and reflection in recent months, Lex & I have made the decision to separate.
“As we navigate this life change, we can also share that we will be welcoming another child together later this year.
“Our number one priority is and always will be ensuring that our children are healthy, happy and loved, and we remain committed to co-parenting with love and respect for one another.
“In light of our growing family, we respectfully request privacy during this time.”
According to court documents exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, the country singer and his now-ex filed for divorce in Nashville on April 28 – although Jimmie’s wasn’t officially entered into the system until Monday, May 1, 2023.
They both cite “irreconcilable differences” as the grounds for divorce and list the date of separation as the date of filing.
The pair have two daughters – Naomi Bettie Allen, born on March 1, 2020, and Zara James Allen, born October 2021.
Jimmie also has a son, Aadyn, born June 5, 2014, from a previous marriage.
In May 2023, the singer hit headlines after being accused by his former manager of a “torrential cycle” of abuse.
The anonymous plaintiff accused Allen of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, sex trafficking and emotional distress, according to Variety.
She said: “I have to tell this story because there’s no way I would let my daughter near a situation like this.
“My life has been turned inside out because of Jimmie Allen.”
Allen has denied the accusations, calling them “deeply troubling and hurtful” and admitted to having a sexual relationship with the woman, but claimed it was consensual.
He wrote an apology statement on Instagram to his wife that read: “I want to publicly apologize to my wife, Alexis, for humiliating her with my affair.
“I’m embarrassed that my choices have brought shame on her.”
He continued: “This business takes so much from you. It’s full of temptations that can cripple you and ruin everything you’ve built.
“I’m ashamed that I wasn’t strong enough to withstand them. I will no longer be a victim of my weaknesses.”
The fallout of the lawsuit has been swift and as of 19 May, 2023, Allen’s label has suspended him and CMAFest canceled his upcoming show.
