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Cat Country Presents: Grammy Award nominee Jimmie Allen at Wind Creek Event Center on June 3

Cat Country Presents: Grammy Award nominee Jimmie Allen at Wind Creek Event Center on June 3

For multi-platinum selling, trailblazing Country star and current GRAMMY Award nominee Jimmie Allen , a simple phrase sums up his view on life and music: Never give up.

A native of Southern Delaware – the “slower, lower” part of the state, he explains – Allen has carried that mantra with him through good times and bad

whether than meant living in his car or receiving his first ACM nomination for New Male Artist of the Year in 2019, a CMA Awards nomination for New Artist of the Year in 2020, subsequently winning the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year

the first Black artist to win that category since its inception, and a win with which he hopes “open[s] some doors for more Black artists to have success in country and more Black artists to feel comfortable enough to do country if that’s what they want to do” – as well as the CMA New Artist of the Year Award in 2021.

GRAMMY.com has hailed Allen as one of “5 Black Artists Rewriting Country Music” and he has amassed 1 billion career on-demand streams. Allen’s current nomination for Best New Artist at the 64 th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2022 is his first ever GRAMMY nomination; he is also the only Country nominee in an all-genre category.

He is also a Male Artist of the Year nominee at the 57th ACM Awards – which he will co-host alongside Dolly Parton & Gabby Barrett – and was nominated for Outstanding New Artist nominee for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards.

With the 2018 release of his debut album Mercury Lane – named in tribute to the street he grew up on and the origin of his incredible journey – on BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, a lifetime of never giving up brought him full circle.

“I didn’t quit, I never will,” he says. “Stuff ain’t easy, and you shouldn’t quit either.

There’s a big difference between busting your ass and sitting on it.”

For Allen, musical dreams and a love of true-to-themselves artists like Alan Jackson, Aaron Tippin, Montgomery Gentry, and Jason Aldean brought him all the way to Nashville and beyond, -from traveling around the world to places like Japan, Germany and the UK; to performing a tribute at the Kennedy Center Honors for Garth Brooks, the national anthem at the Indy 500, appearing on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, returning to American Idol as a mentor after being cut from the same competition a decade ago, and other once-in-a-lifetime moments.

But it was actually a nightmare which turned this promising singer into the artist he is today. After a series of bad breaks Allen was forced to live in his car, too proud to ask for a bail out.

For months he worked multiple jobs and finally saved enough for an apartment, but hit then another snag – country music wasn’t ready for him. “People were just trying to help,” he says now.

“But they wanted me to change my sound and told me I had to lose my boots.

The turning point came when I stopped listening, and finally let my music be a natural reflection of who I am.”

Since then Allen has been following his own compass, and it’s leading somewhere special. In 2017, he caught his big break and signed a record deal with BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records and a team who embraced his individuality.

“I don’t regret the hard times,” he explains about his trials. “I think each thing you do adds a layer, whether it’s a layer of toughness, perseverance, motivation, or just a layer of wisdom. At the end of the day you come back to what you know, and what’s embedded in you.” What’s embedded in Allen is a powerful, soulful sense of groove –

“If my body don’t move in the first four seconds, it ain’t for me,” he says – a love of deep messages and a knack for razor-sharp hooks.

Those driving forces formed the bedrock of Mercury Lane – a cutting-edge mix of country, rock, R&B, and pop, produced by Ash Bowers and Eric Torres, that received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone raving that it “challenges the narrowly defined model of what constitutes a next big thing in country music” and The New York Times hailing it one of 2018’s strongest, calling it a “conventional country album, filled with songs about the small details.”

With Mercury Lane , Allen made history as the first Black artist to launch a career with two consecutive No. 1 hits on country radio, with “Best Shot” claiming the No. 1 spot for three weeks and his second single “Make Me Want To” hitting the top spot in March 2020.Allen’s hard-earned dreams are finally becoming reality, but he shows no signs of limiting himself. He followed up the success of Mercury Lane with his July 2020 collaboration project, Bettie James , which further established Allen as Country’s next superstar.

The star-studded seven-track project combined his deep love of family and genre-spanning taste in music.

Named in honor of Allen’s late grandmother, Bettie Snead, who passed away in 2014 and his late father, James Allen, who passed away in 2019, Allen hand selected artist that touched the life of Allen, his grandmother and father in some way, allowing their legacies to weave seamlessly throughout Bettie James .

The wide array of hitmakers include Brad Paisley, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Nelly, Noah Cyrus, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Wilson, Tauren Wells and Tim McGraw. “My dad and grandmom were two completely different people, but both played a huge part in my life,” Allen says of the motivation for the project. “Since they died, I have been wanting to leave trails of their legacies throughout my music.” The result is a musical composition of love, heartbreak, perseverance, hope and faith.

His single “Freedom Was A Highway” pairs Allen with his friend and Country music superstar Paisley for a breezy, windows down track that joins Allen’s distinctively breezy grooves with a Paisley signature guitar solo. The song went No. 1 in February 2022, marking Allen’s third career chart-topping hit. Bettie James received a slew of critical acclaim for not only the music, but the historic nature of various collaborations, and the project’s subsequent place in country music history.

NPR calls the project an “announcement of [Allen’s] arrival” and a “huge step for country” while Billboard hails it “a powerful statement from a developing voice.” The EP appeared on several “Best of 2020” lists including Billboard , Rolling Stone and Sounds Like Nashville .

Rolling Stone describes “Why Things Happen” – which brings together three generations of Black country artists in Allen, Darius Rucker and Charley Pride – as “part polemic, part proclamation, and part prayer… opening up space for the artists to bear witness.” Reflecting on Allen’s wide-ranging musical sensibilities, Music Row notes of the project: “While some artists still in the early sunrise of their careers, with a handful of hits to their credit, would be focused solely on extending their chart successes, it’s clear that Allen’s goals for his music are loftier than mere chart hits and No. 1 parties-he’s striving for music that testifies to his full spectrum of creative abilities.”

Allen, who has an incredible knack for connecting with people of all backgrounds and interests, enjoyed collaborating with other artists so much while making his monumentally successful predecessor that he didn’t want to stop – so instead, in trademark Allen fashion, he kept going. The result: Bettie James Gold Edition .

Released June 25, 2021, the 16-track album doubles down on Allen’s expansive love for music across genres, with nine brand new collaborations with Babyface, Breland, Keith Urban, LANCO, Lathan Warlick, Lindsay Ell, Little Big Town, LOCASH, Monica, Neon Union, Pitbull, teamwork. and Vikina. As Hits Daily Double notes, for Allen, “it’s about being grounded in the genre’s traditions and protecting the roots as much as it’s about creating a future for country music that’s more expansive and inclusive.”

“When it comes to music I love, I don’t really get wrapped up in boundaries or genres. After we finished Bettie James , I was like man, there’s

 

 

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Bob Dylan’s Bourbon Feud: Heaven’s Door Kentucky vs Tennessee

Bob Dylan’s Bourbon Feud: Heaven’s Door Kentucky vs Tennessee

Heaven’s Door Spirits, Bob Dylan’s highly awarded collection of super-premium American whiskeys, is turning up the heat on the age-old debate of which state, Tennessee or Kentucky, makes the best bourbon.

For as long as corn’s been cracked and stills have bubbled, Kentucky and Tennessee have been turning pristine limestone water and grains into a coveted amber elixir.

Heaven’s Door’s Great State Bourbon Debate rekindles the friendly feud

Heaven’s Door’s Great State Bourbon Debate rekindles the friendly feud between these two bourbon powerhouses, inviting whiskey lovers everywhere to put their palates to the test and voice their opinion.

Heaven’s Door sets itself apart as the first brand to offer both a Kentucky and Tennessee bourbon, giving fans a unique chance to compare.

The brand’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Ascension, and Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Revival, are made from high rye mash bills with grains largely sourced local to the distillery, and barreled at the same proof, yet yield vastly different taste profiles. Heaven’s Door invites you to level set, savor and decide which bourbon pleases your palate and wins your heart.

A Tale of Two Bourbons

Many folks mistakenly believe that bourbon can only be made in Kentucky, but the truth is, bourbon can be crafted anywhere in the U.S.

What makes an American whiskey a true bourbon is a special set of rules: it has to be made with at least 51% corn, distilled at a certain proof, and aged in new oak barrels.

Kentucky and Tennessee both have storied histories of producing excellent bourbon, with differences in water and climate producing distinct flavors.

Kentucky’s limestone water and Tennessee’s pure spring water are both famous for helping yeast thrive during fermentation.v

Differences in flavor profile come from the type and provenance of the grains used, the type of yeast used, water quality, the proof at distillation and the particular wood used to make oak barrel.

Even the location of the barrel warehouse, the circulation of air between the barrels being stored and where the barrels are within the warehouse (high up or near the bottom) all conspire to give impart flavor differences.

Heaven’s Door Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Ascension

Heaven’s Door Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Ascension, is a unique blend of two premium Kentucky straight bourbons aged for over five years and non-chill filtered, boasts warm and slightly sweeter notes of vanilla and baking spices. The limestone-filtered water of Kentucky, renowned for its purity, plays a key role in developing these rich flavors.

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Revival

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Revival, also aged for over five years and non-chill filtered, offers a drier profile with complex and sharp flavors. Unlike many Tennessee bourbons, Revival skips the “Lincoln County Process” – a charcoal filtering step – allowing the natural flavors of the local non-GMO grains to shine through, resulting in a lingering finish with hints of caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

“We wanted to fan the flames of this old debate

between Kentucky and Tennessee bourbon

and showcase

our outstanding expressions of both styles.

We’re excited to hear what consumers think and how they experience these two classic bourbons.”

Alex Moore

Master Blender and COO

Heaven’s Door Spirit

Heaven’s Door marries art and craft in every bottle, drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan’s restless spirit to continually innovate. By sourcing non-GMO grains and honoring each state’s natural elements, the distinct character of each bourbon is evident in every sip.

Lehigh Valley, are you Following your Heart and Need Media Attention? Reach to Publicity For Good, CEO Heather Holmes explains

Lehigh Valley, are you Following your Heart and Need Media Attention? Reach to Publicity For Good, CEO Heather Holmes explains

Publicity for Good is a millennial run communications firm that provides high-level disruptive, publicity and social media services for wide array of purpose driven clients in the food, beverage and beauty industry.

In 2016 by Heather Holmes former miss Ohio international celebrated publicist and Forbes 30 under 30 nominee publicity for good has built a reputation as the countries number one PR agency for CPG brands that have social causes built into their DNA.

Publicity For Food CEO Heather Holmes

Publicity For Food CEO Heather Holmes

Today’s conversation with Heather Homes from PublicityForGood.com has been edited for length and clarity.  For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.

 

Joe Winger: 

Heather Holmes from PublicityForGood.com.  I’m a big fan because you’ve helped us facilitate a lot of previous conversations about food and drink and nutrition and all the things we like talking about. 

What’s the most important thing that you want to share with the audience today?

Heather Holmes: 

I really want to take away the unknown or worry about getting in the media. I want to make it more accessible to amazing brands and people. 

So I definitely want to share tactical advice that if someone is reading this, they have a good story in business, they have the confidence that their story is good enough and they could absolutely make an impact and grow their business by getting in the media.

Joe Winger: 

Starting with the basics, let’s pretend I have a company, I think I want public attention. I want to reach out to someone like you.

So what should I be thinking about?  What do I present to you as a step one?

Heather Holmes: 

Step one is really the intentionality of why you want to get in the media.  What’s your goal? Are you wanting to reach more people? Are you wanting to get your story out there?

Are you wanting more sales and more people to buy your product? 

You really need to know. Where you’re going first, and if you don’t know where you’re going, or you don’t have a vision, then it’s really hard to help you. 

But if you have clarity there, then we can really pull back and help you identify your story, how you’re different, your why, and why your product and or company, would be really great to be in the media.

The PublicityForGood Team

The PublicityForGood Team

 


FlavRReport.com on YouTube

FlavRReport.com on YouTube

 


Joe Winger: 

Now, looking at the grand scheme of the campaign, what kind of a campaign should we be looking for: expectations, results?

Heather Holmes: 

After we know our outcome that we’re wanting to get more sales, more backlinks, or name in the media, then what I like to do first is work with every entrepreneur, and even if you have a product, to really reflect in “why your story matters”

Why does your product matter? 

If you’ve never been in the media before, I take people for an exercise where I have them draw on a piece of paper, them as a baby, to where they are now.

I have them write the key pivotal moments that have happened in their life that have made them start that company, because those little components are absolutely a part of your story.

I’ve been in the media 700 plus times: Inside Edition, Fox News, The New York Coast, incredible media, but it hasn’t always been about being a publicist, right?

Yes. I’m the founder of Publicity For Good, but a lot of that has been my story or building a seven figure company from an airstream.

Now I have almost two under two with a third on the way. 

So you need to have your key pivotal moments because those are things you can talk about in the media.

Then we need to look at what’s going on in the news and how we bridge the gap between your product. Relevancy.

Joe Winger: 

People may not know you are a former Miss Ohio International. Can you tell us a lesson you learned from being a former Miss Ohio International that you’re using in today’s work?

Heather Holmes: 

It’s really all about your platform and reaching new audiences. 

When I was building my company I decided I wanted to get into pageants. I wanted to meet a community of like minded people that wanted to make a difference in the world. 

It was a way for me to have a platform because at the time I was talking about why you absolutely can build a profitable business. But also make a difference in your community and make a difference amongst your team. And really just build an incredible legacy. 

So that was why I did the pageants. 

I did a bunch of publicity and again, it made me relevant and timely because that was what got me in the media because I was Miss Ohio and I was only Miss Ohio International for a period of time.

So it gave me that relevancy. So you have to be relevant. 

You have to bridge the gap between what’s happening in the news, or we often use Awareness Days, National Nutrition Month, National Social Media Day, and you have to position your product or yourself as the solution. 

[For example], we were talking about an incredible juice brand, but most pitches I see are very promotional, right?  It needs to be how you or your product simplifies people’s lives. How are you adding value? Or you don’t have a product you need to inspire people.

Joe Winger: 

You’re growing a 7- figure business.   What’s it like growing a huge business while you’re taking care of your kids and for a while you were living out of your Airstream

Heather Holmes: 

We lived out of a 23 foot airstream for 3 1/2 years. I went from dating to engaged, to married to [my first child] Rose, who’s almost two, who lived in our airstream with us. 

The year the pandemic [hit] was our first million dollar year.

I think a lot of the reason why it was that year is because when March hit, everyone was so scared that we lost about 40% of our business, number one. 

Number two, we had to hustle and grit to make it. There was no choice of failing. All the distractions were gone. 

When you’re in an Airstream, all you have is your laptop, but we had no external distractions, and then everything else was closed.

So the only focus we could do was our business and we had to scale out of necessity because we didn’t want to lose what we had put so much time in. 

Fast forward, we now have 22 acres where we live and we have two under two, we have one on the way, we’re a full time team of 40, and it’s not easy.

I say transparently, it’s a hot mess. There are so many miracles that happen every day, but life is one, right?  I can’t turn off my founder hat and publicist hat and then “Oh, I’m a mom”. It’s all one. 

So yes, I might have Rose [my daughter] on a call with me from time to time, but I’ve learned that the more you step in and embrace your life, who you are and the realness, sometimes people opt out and that’s okay.

And this is my legacy.

I like these missions that we’re doing good work to us is way more than a business. We want to grow your brand and mission and we take it so seriously. 

So it’s not perfect. It’s not perfectly scheduled. I’m a full time mom, all the time on the weekends when the kids are sleeping, we’re working.

We know where we want to go, and these clients and ambitions that we’re aligned with and supporting are helping people with their health. 

Joe Winger: 

What an incredible story to share.

Heather Holmes: I have so much to share. Like I was adopted when I was a week old to having two under two and another one on the way and building a business and building a homestead.

It’s so crazy. Austin, who’s my husband, the first week we were dating, we’re all about intentionality.  I have the journal and we mapped everything out. 

This year, we were going to get engaged then married. Austin and I,l we will have been together almost five years.

We’ve had a kid every year. Rose will be two in June.

We want to build a business. We want to impact our clients, brands, and scale their business. We want our team to get better and flourish in their personal lives too.

This is our mission and I’ve seen so many miracles happen from getting in the media on a personal level. 

I was talking to [a business owner client] and her business grew by 40% from getting in the media. 

One of my favorite cookie brands, a mom had an incredible heart story. She went on our local news and she brought in $12,000 worth of sales, just the local people wanting to support her.

On the flip side, when people Google my name, it’s like my social currency, there’s all these articles. So I have so much peace in that.  Our kids will see the good work we’re doing. 

Joe Winger: 

You’re talking to an audience of foodies. What is your favorite meal? 

Heather Holmes: 

We just had Indian food last night that my husband made and it was so good. 

We used to live in San Diego and I think San Diego has the best food. It’s all fresh. We’ve traveled a lot. We’ve been to Bali, their food is pretty incredible too. Where we live [now] we’re right outside of Asheville and Charlotte.  So they have some good restaurants, but like I’m not in the phase right now where I’m the foodie like I used to be. 

[At our house] we have chickens and we have fresh eggs. So I’m obsessed with fresh eggs every morning. You’re living a good life when you can go get your eggs and have them at home with some goat cheese.

And honestly, I love Livermuth. Crazy. So I’d say some Livermuth fried in a cast iron with some eggs and goat cheese. It’s the simple things that I really do love.

Joe Winger: 

Heather Holmes with Publicity for Good. As we wrap up, whether it’s a potential client, a potential vendor, someone wanting your help with publicity, what are the best ways to find, follow you, websites, social media, etc?

Heather Holmes: 

You can go to PublicityForGood.com You can find me on social media as well. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherdesantis

https://www.instagram.com/heatherdesantis

https://www.instagram.com/publicity.for.good

https://www.facebook.com/heatherdesantis

Lehigh Valley is in the “FORVR Mood” with Jackie Aina for Limited-Edition Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky

Lehigh Valley is in the “FORVR Mood” with Jackie Aina for Limited-Edition Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky

Crown Royal and FORVR Mood Co-Founder, Jackie Aina, Partner to Release Limited-Edition Candle Inspired by Popular New Flavor Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky

Jackie Aina, from FORVR Mood, Partners with Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky

With bottles flying off the shelves nationwide, Crown Royal Blackberry Flavored Whisky has proven to be one of the brand’s most popular flavor offerings.


 

FlavRReport.com on YouTube

FlavRReport.com on YouTube


This is an innovative whisky blend deserving of a partner just as creative to kick off the summer. Jackie Aina, a well-respected creator and entrepreneur, whose brand, FORVR Mood, garnered a wait list of over 45,000 customers prior to its launch in 2020, was a natural choice for the brand.

Aina’s love for the new flavor inspired her curation of the limited-edition Crown Royal Blackberry x FORVR Mood candle.

Appropriately titled, Berry On Top, this delicious scent is crafted with notes of blackberry, complemented with whisky accord and vanilla.


 


Limited quantities of the candle will be available online at Forvrmood.com *while supplies last

This exclusive new scent will be unveiled at the Crown Royal Blackberry Stand!

The Crown Royal Blackberry Stand is an adult twist on your traditional lemonade stand , where creativity meets cocktails and spotlights business owners, via the collaboration with Jackie Aina and FORVR Mood.

With the entrepreneurial spirit of a traditional lemonade stand at its core, the Crown Royal Blackberry Stand will provide a platform for rising founders via the brand’s partnership with 501(c)(3) organization, Black Girl Ventures Foundation.

Attendees that visit the stand are invited to sip signature cocktails and shop the exclusive Berry on Top candle as they learn more about Crown Royal charity partner Black Girl Ventures Foundation.

Black Girl Ventures Foundation is an IRS § 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing underrepresented founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.

Crown Royal’s partnership with FORVR Mood and Jackie Aina is rooted in the support of Black Girl Ventures Foundation.

To further their efforts, Crown Royal will be donating $50,000 to Black Girl Ventures Foundation from the Crown Royal Generosity Fund*, where half of the donation will support the BGV Pitch Program.

More information on the organization’s mission, programming, and ways to support the Black Girl Ventures community will be found at The Crown Royal Blackberry Stand.

“Our new Blackberry Flavored Whisky is one of our most flavorful yet!”

Hadley Schafer

VP of Crown Royal

“…It was important that we found the perfect partner to not only celebrate this exciting new release but also one whose passion for creativity and entrepreneurship aligned with our vision for The Crown Royal Blackberry Stand,” said Hadley Schafer, VP of Crown Royal. “This collaboration with Jackie Aina and FORVR Mood not only highlights this flavor profile in such a fun and unexpected way but also makes a meaningful impact by supporting the next generation of 21+ business owners.”

For more information about The Crown Royal Blackberry Stand featuring Crown Blackberry x FORVR Mood By Jackie Aina in Los Angeles on June 14th and 15th, and more juicy Crown Royal news visit @crownroyal on Instagram to sign up for the Crown Royal newsletter.

“Finding new ways to flex my creativity to craft something that I know my supporters will love is exciting for me,”

Jackie Aina

“So, when I was approached by Crown Royal for this partnership it was a no-brainer for me, especially after seeing all the hype for their new Blackberry Flavored Whisky and learning they’re supporting a cause close to my heart with Black Girl Ventures. I’m excited to partner with a brand that shares my values!”

Crown Royal Blackberry Whisky has an ABV of 35% and is available nationwide for a limited time at a suggested retail price of $26.99 for a 750mL bottle.

*Crown Royal Generosity Fund is a donor-advised fund, administered by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, a nonprofit entity organized under IRC §501c3.

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