CMA Fest: Jimmie Allen Says It ‘Puts a Little Fuel’ in His Tank to See the Fans

Jimmie Allen returned to CMA Fest for the third year in a row, taking time out of his schedule to perform for the thousands of fans who traveled to Nashville to see their favorite artists perform. For Allen, his favorite part of the event is the chance to meet so many fellow country music fans.

“It’s in the middle of the year. By this time, things start to get a little redundant, where we see the tour bus, we’re in a different city and we see the venue, but we don’t know what city we’re in,” Allen told PopCulture.com. “So a lot of times, you can get exhausted, and get tired and slowly start to complain, and forget why you’re doing it. But every time you come to CMA Fest, you see all these music listeners that have donated their time and their hard-earned money that they spent making, away from their family, to come here and see us.

“And seeing them is just like putting a little fuel back into your vehicle,” he added. “You remember why you do it. You get excited, and it gives the boost we need to get through the rest of the year.”

One thing Allen has noticed since his inaugural CMA Fest performance is how much his fans have increased over the last few years.

“I’m still trying to understand why they even like my music!” Allen said with a laugh. “I’m very thankful though. ‘Cause my thing is, my goal was never about a bunch of notoriety. I wasn’t trying to get rich. I just wanted to be able to do something I love for a living and support my family. So it’s been working out. [I’m] very appreciative of everyone that comes to the show, listens to the songs on the radio, buys merch. It’s amazing and I’m always thankful.”

Now that summer is here, the Delaware native is not only looking forward to meeting more of his fans, but being able to travel with his son, Aadyn.

“The only thing he cares about is as long as we can still go to Disney,” Allen quipped. “He really wants more time with me, so luckily, it’s summer time, so I’ll be able to take him out on the bus. We just try to spend as much time with him as possible.”

Find all of Allen’s upcoming shows at his official website.

Photo Credit: Getty images/ Danielle Del Valle