Gary Allan
Gary Allan | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Gary Allan Herzberg |
Born | La Mirada, California, U.S. | December 5, 1967
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels | |
Website | garyallan |
Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967)
Personal life
Gary Allan Herzberg was born on December 5, 1967, in
After graduating from La Serna High School in Whittier, California, Allan continued to play in the bars with his band, the Honky Tonk Wranglers. Many of the venues they played were packed, and promoters often tried to move them to larger clubs. The moves would have required him to stop playing some of the older country music, such as covers of George Jones songs, so Allan refused.[4]
In 1987, Gary married his first wife, Tracy Taylor. They have since divorced. He married model Danette Day on November 28, 1998, in South Carolina and they divorced in June 1999.[6] His third wife, Angela[7] (whom he wed on June 5, 2001), died by suicide on October 25, 2004.[7][8][9] In December 2021, Allan became engaged for the fourth time to Molly Martin.[10]
Nashville connection
Allan was introduced to songwriter/producer
From demo to deal
In the meantime, Allan took a job selling cars. He left a demo tape in the glove box of a truck purchased by a wealthy couple. When the couple discovered that he was the singer, they wrote him a check for $12,000.[5] This independent funding allowed Allan to go to Nashville to record some of the songs that were on that early demo tape with Byron Hill as producer.[11] On September 11, 1995, they worked at Javelina Studios for a couple of days on the four songs that Hill immediately showed to labels. Allan's recordings brought serious responses from several labels including Mercury, RCA, and Decca.[11] A meeting was then held at a Nashville hotel among Hill, Allan, and friend of Allan's, who was a program director for a radio station in California.[11]
The meeting was to arrange two showcases in
Career
Used Heart for Sale
His first deal, with Decca Records Nashville, produced his debut studio album Used Heart for Sale in 1996.[1] The album was named "Best of the Month" by Stereo Review.[12] It advanced to the Top 20 of the charts. Its first single, "Her Man" (previously recorded by Waylon Jennings) gave Allan his first Top 10 country hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Other tracks from this album, however, proved less successful.
It Would Be You
Allan's second studio album,
Allan was named as "Country Music's Sexy Star" by
Smoke Rings in the Dark
In 1999, Allan released his third studio album
Alright Guy
The singer's fourth studio album Alright Guy was released in 2001.[1] It contained the singles "The One", "Man of Me", and "Man to Man", the latter of which became his first number one hit on the U.S. Billboard country charts.[14] That same year, Allan married for the third time, to Angela, a flight attendant whom he met on an airplane.[15]
See If I Care
Despite his previous success and eight years in the music business, Allan was nominated for the
Tough All Over
In 2003, Allan and his wife, Angela Herzberg, moved to
Tough All Over sold over 99,000 copies in its first week, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and at No. 1 on Top Country Albums.[18] It was subsequently certified gold by the RIAA as of December 20, 2006, and contained the Top 10 singles "Best I Ever Had" (written by Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell) and "Life Ain't Always Beautiful," co-written by country singer Cyndi Thomson (under the name Cyndi Goodman).[19]
Greatest Hits
Allan's first Greatest Hits collection was released on March 6, 2007. A Number One album on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts, the album reprised the greatest hits from his first six albums, as well as two new songs. One of these, titled "A Feelin' Like That", was co-written by David Lee Murphy and Ira Dean (the latter a former member of Trick Pony); the single peaked at No. 12 on the country singles charts.
Living Hard
The album
Get Off on the Pain
A new single, entitled "Today", was released on June 12, 2009. It served as the lead-off single to the album Get Off on the Pain, which was released on March 9, 2010.
The title track was the album's second single. The song debuted at No. 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the highest-debuting single of his career.[20]
"Kiss Me When I'm Down" was released as the album's third single. That song debuted at No. 52 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Set You Free
Allan's ninth studio album,
Ruthless
In March 2015, Allan released a new single entitled "Hangover Tonight". This song was slated to serve as the lead single to his upcoming tenth studio album, entitled Hard Way.[23] Two more singles, "Do You Wish It Was Me?" and "Mess Me Up", followed in 2016 and 2017. The commercial failure of these singles caused delays in the release of an album.[24]
On July 31, 2020, Allan released another new single called "Waste of a Whiskey Drink" through EMI Nashville.[25] His tenth album, Ruthless, was released on June 25, 2021.[26]
Political views
In 2003, Allan told CMT that he believed
Sound
Allan's voice is described as "raspy and unpolished."
Discography
Studio albums
- Used Heart for Sale (1996)
- It Would Be You (1998)
- Smoke Rings in the Dark (1999)
- Alright Guy (2001)
- See If I Care(2003)
- Tough All Over (2005)
- Living Hard (2007)
- Get Off on the Pain (2010)
- Set You Free(2013)
- Ruthless (2021)
Compilation albums
- Greatest Hits (2007)
- Icon (2012)
Number one singles
- "Man to Man" (2003)
- "Tough Little Boys" (2003)
- "Nothing On but the Radio" (2004)
- "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)" (2013)
References
- ^ a b c d e f Loftus, Johnny. "Gary Allan > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
- ^ "Gary Allan plays with two country artists you should know".
- CMT. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Paulik, Laurie (2002). "The Edgier Side of Tradition". Mountain West Music. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dawson, Dave (October 27, 2004). "Dave's Diary: Gary Allan Interview". NuCountry.com. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ People Magazine, December 14, 1998, Vol. 50 No. 22
- ^ a b "People Features Gary Allan". GaryAllan.com. September 23, 2009. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ "News : Headlines : Gary Allan Talks About Wife's Suicide : Great American Country". Gactv.com. April 12, 2007. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ "Angela Herzberg Suicide Memorial – Suicide.org! Angela Herzberg Suicide Memorial – Suicide.org! Angela Herzberg Suicide Memorial". Suicide.org!. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- Country Music Television. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gary Allan Archived November 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. – Byron Hill Music
- ^ a b Kling, Reno (July 1998). "Hardcore Gary Allan and his dream J-200 guitar". The Amplifier. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Paulik, Laura. "Review of Gary Allan's CD "Smoke Rings in the Dark"". Mountain West Music. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ CMT. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Dampier, Cindy (April 12, 2007). "People Features Gary Allan". People. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- CMT. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- CMT. November 29, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ a b Dawson, Dave (October 23, 2005). "Dave's Diary – Gary Allan Update". Nu Country. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^ "Gary Allan Discography – Tough.. All Over". Billboard. October 11, 2005. Archived from the original on March 21, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- ^ "News : Gary Allan Releases New Album, Get Off on the Pain". CMT. March 9, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Gary Allan Album Recorded with 'Fresh Approach'". Garallan.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ "What Movie Caused Gary Allan to Stop Surfing? | Electric Barnyard". Country925.com. January 27, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ "Gary Allan Promises 'Feel-Good' New Album". Soundslikenasville.com. July 26, 2017.
- ^ "Gary Allan Previews New Album 'Ruthless' With Pulsing Song 'Temptation'". Rolling Stone Country. May 7, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Gary Allan Releases New Single "Waste Of A Whiskey Drink" | Gary Allan
- ^ "Allan gets "Ruthless"". Country Standard Time. May 5, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ "News : Gary Allan: Music, Awards and Politics". CMT. October 8, 2003. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
- ^ Gary Allan Spent the Pandemic Busy on a Boat — and Came Back to Get Vaxxed People.com
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (May 29, 2006). "Rascal Flatts and Gary Allan: The Yin and Yang of Stoicism". The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2007.