Time is precious, and fast-rising country artist Jay Allen would firmly attest that it’s even priceless. Four years ago, the resilient singer lost his mother to Alzheimer’s, a brain cell condition that destroys memory and significant mental functions. When his heart was suddenly shattered into a million pieces, he made the difficult decision to look onward and use his voice to find a cure.
With the understanding that life can change in a blink of an eye, the Iowa native penned “No Present Like The Time” alongside esteemed songwriters Micah Wilshire and Nate Kenyon. While the eye-opening ballad is a tribute to his late mother, it serves as a reminder to live in the present.
“‘Cause it can fade in a minute | No matter how you spin it | That clock keeps tickin’ | It can stop on a dime | Be careful how you spend it,” sings Allen. “In a blink, it’s gone, goodbye | ‘Cause there’s no time like the present | There’s no present like the time.”
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On the heels of “Blank Stares” and his latest single “No Prayer Like Mama’s,” the emotionally-soaked melody is set to go to Country Radio. Allen exclusively told Celeb Secrets that having a track on Country Radio is a significant milestone that his mother would be proud of.
“It’s wild because I never thought I’d have an opportunity to go to Country Radio. To be honest, I spent the last four years being a philanthropist. Raising money and awareness for Alzheimer’s,” said Allen with a frog in his throat. “Four years of healing and fighting against that disease. Despite what I went through, I came out stronger on the other side and a better person. Hopefully, fans can take those life lessons, don’t hold grudges, and make the most out of life… time is a crazy gift. My mother introduced me to country. She couldn’t fall asleep at night without listening to Country Radio.”
The promising artist continued to recall the small alarm clock that sat on his mother’s bedside table. She would crank the volume up to ten to fall asleep peacefully, shamelessly disregarding her husband’s rest. She infused her deep love for the storytelling genre within Allen, which ultimately drove him to Nashville, TN.
Before pursuing a career in the honky tonk town, Allen was a farmer and music director. However, his most recent appearance on NBC’s “The Voice” allowed him to push his philanthropic initiative forward and hone in on his artistry full-time. During the Season 22 premiere – Allen performed Cody Johnson’s “Til You Can’t,” which left Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani to turn their chairs. Before picking Stefani as his coach, Allen delivered a snippet of his 2018 original “Blank Stares.” To date, the track has raised well over $100 million to help fight Alzheimer’s.
“Because of ‘The Voice,’ I really got to hit like a refresh button on my career,” he shared with CS correspondent Tiffany Goldstein. “Now I get to really delve into being an artist. I’m thankful for how it went down, because I have something to say. It’s something to offer people. How can I take what I’ve gone through, turn it into art, and then use it to benefit others?”
Following the hit competition show, Allen signed an exclusive booking deal with APA and is now touring the country sharing his captivating pipes. He considers himself a “weekend warrior,” an artist that performs daily and lends a helping hand.
“I will always be a philanthropist. Everything I do will tie back to bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s,” declared the vocalist. “I’ll always do charity events. I have tied every show I’ve played to a charity event over the last four years. We bring in sponsors to pay for the overhead cost because it costs money to put on a show. Then everything that we make that night from the show, we give back toward the charity of their choice. Whether it’s the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter or towards caregivers.”
I’m proud to say that last night we raised $20K to help provide care for people with Alzheimer’s in Athen, TX #ENDALZ pic.twitter.com/aslpQSVsxQ
— JAY ALLEN (@JayAllenMusic) March 6, 2023
Most recently, Allen brought his undeniable talents and heart of gold to Athen, TX, where he raised $20K to help individuals provide care for Alzheimer’s patience. His acts of kindness have not gone unnoticed, as he was presented with The Caregiver Award by the National Alzheimer’s Association. Similar to Dolly Parton, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, and Kenny Chesney, who have dedicated their livelihood to humanitarian work – Allen is shifting society in the right direction by advocating for a cure.
While keeping Alzheimer’s his main priority, the heavily tatted artist plans to roll out an album and develop a new sound that leans more alt-rock-country.
“I’m really excited to show that more lighthearted, fun, rock and roll, edgy side,” he noted. “I will always be tied to being a light in this pretty dark thing called Alzheimer’s. It’s a terrible disease that’s hard to talk about, and I will always be that guy that makes it cool to talk about being sad – I promise you that. I’m about ready to show what’s next. My goal is to have songs that lean towards that alt-rock sound, but still work on country radio. I think there’s a way to tie all three together.”
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He confirmed that fans could expect a total of 12 songs in 2023 and a collaboration with his wife, Kylie Morgan, the newcomer behind the viral track “Bridesmaids.”
“We’ve started to have those conversations. Now that I’m in a place where I can release more music and different types of music, she started pitching me songs that she thinks might be good for me. We’ve written songs and demoed songs together. So, there are definitely songs out there already that could be released,” he revealed, full of excitement. “Kylie and I met eight years ago, and we’re both completely different types of artists with different niches. But people are starting to see us together and we’re starting to play shows together. So, there are definitely plans to do a lot in the future.”
Until country music fans taste new music, they can catch Allen on his headlining tour. The breakthrough artist will wrap up his nationwide run on June 16 in Salt Lake City, UT. For more information and upcoming appearances, visit jayallenofficial.com.
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