SYRACUSE, NY — Jimmie Allen, a musician on a fast rise to country music fame, will make his debut appearance at the Great New York State Fair’s Chevrolet Music Festival with a 2 p.m. show on Sunday, Aug. 25 on the Chevy Court stage. Allen made country music history when his song, “Best Shot,” became the first debut single by an African American artist to hit #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
“We love catching rising stars and we’re committed to providing a diverse lineup that reflects America. In Jimmie Allen, I think we’ve hit both of our goals and I know this is a show country music fans are going to want to circle on their calendars,” said Fair Director Troy Waffner.
Jimmie Allen joins a growing lineup of shows at Chevy Court and the Experience Stage that includes at Chevy Court:
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Bad Company, 8 p.m., August 21
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Lindsey Stirling, 8 p.m., August 23
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Dropkick Murphys, 8 p.m., August 25
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Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone, 2 p.m., August 26
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Midland, 8 p.m., August 26
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Why Don’t We, 2 p.m., August 29
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Vince Neil of Motley Crue, 8 p.m., August 29
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Granger Smith, 8 p.m., August 30
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Theory of a Deadman, 8 p.m., August 31
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The Roots, 8 p.m., September 1
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Lovelytheband, 1 p.m., September 2
At the Experience Stage:
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Grand Funk Railroad, 7 p.m., August 21
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Jackyl, 7 p.m., August 24
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Pop Evil, 7 p.m., August 25
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38 Special, 7 p.m., August 27
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Rick Springfield, 7 p.m., August 31
Over the Fair’s 13 days, the Chevrolet Music Festival at Chevy Court and at the New York Experience Stage will feature more than two dozen national touring group performances in diverse genres. Chevrolet sponsors the performances on both stages.
About Jimmie Allen
The epitome of the phrase “persistence pays off,” Jimmie Allen laid it all on the line to make his dreams a reality. Now signed to BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, Allen’s debut single “Best Shot” is a certified hit, claiming the spot as the No. 1 Most Shazamed song in the format for eight consecutive weeks, and claiming the No. 1 spot on country radio for three weeks, marking the first time a black artist has launched a career with a No. 1 hit with their debut single on country radio.
On October 12th, Allen released his hotly-anticipated debut album, “Mercury Lane,” named in tribute to the street he grew up on and the origin of his incredible journey. Featuring a cutting-edge mix of country, rock, R&B and pop, “Mercury Lane” draws upon the influence of his family and small-town upbringing of the critically-acclaimed rising star. Rolling Stone raved Allen’s debut “challenges the narrowly defined model of what constitutes a next big thing in country music in 2018.”
The Southern Delaware native’s talent for songwriting is undeniable, having written a song that was featured in a Super Bowl commercial and appearing in a Diet Coke ad with megastar Taylor Swift. “Blue Jean Baby,” off his debut self-titled EP, immediately caught the attention of country music fans and critics alike with its soulful groove— rocketing it to the top of digital playlists, across all genres. The hot newcomer has already been heralded as one of the top “artists to watch in 2018” by Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pandora, Sounds Like Nashville, NY Country Swag, Country Music Rocks and New England Country Music and has earned spots in CMT’s “18 for 2018” Listen Up program and Bobby Bones’ Class of 2018.
Founded in 1841, the Great New York State Fair is America’s third largest state fair. The Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment and is a key piece of Governor Cuomo’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. Fair attendance is up more than 40% since the beginning of more than $120 million in investments, with 1.27 million people attending the Fair in 2018. The 2019 Fair runs from August 21 to September 2. Information about the Fair can be found here.
The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available here. Find the Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and enjoy photos from the Fair on Flickr. New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
