Watch Jimmie Allen Sing the National Anthem at the Indy 500

Country music hitmaker Jimmie Allen just delivered his rendition of the National Anthem at the Indy 500, and fans can check it out below. Allen was announced as the racing event’s Star-Spangled Banner singer, and fans were thrilled about it. Allen follows fellow country stars Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Brett Young, Carly Pearce, the Eli Young Band’s Mike Eli, and Danielle Bradbery, all of whom performed the National Anthem together at the 2020 Indy 500.

IMS President J. Douglas Boles previously commented on the big event, saying, “The National Anthem is a signature pre-race moment, and this year’s rendition carries extra meaning as we prepare to welcome fans back to the Indy 500 and honor our frontline heroes.” The 2020 Indy 500 was held without an audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 race will mark the 105th anniversary of the Indy 500.

Allen, 36, was born in Milton, Delaware, later moving to Nashville, Tennessee as an adult. He auditioned for both America’s Got Talent and American Idol but did not make it far in either competition. However, while at American Idol, Allen met Colton Dixon and Scotty McCreery, who was crowned the winner that same season. Allen and McCreery struck up a friendship and eventually toured together after Allen released his debut album, Mercury Lane.

Allen released an EP of collaborations in 2020, titled Beattie James, pairing the singer with fellow country stars like Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker, and the Oak Ridge Boys. The album also features a collab with rapper Nelly and a duet with Noah Cyrus. In 2021, Allen made history by becoming the first black solo performer to win New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards. He also performed a “Freedom was a Highway” with Brad Paisley, the song they did together for Beattie James.

Speaking about the project to Songwriter Universe, Allen explained, “I’ve been wanting to do a collaborations project for a while, as a tribute to my grandmother, who died in 2014, and my dad, who died in 2019. I wanted to get some of their favorite artists and some of mine on the EP, and start to leave a trailway to legacy through my music.” He went on to explain that his father and grandmother were fans of many of the artists he ended up working with, but that Paisley and the Oak Ridge Boys were their favorites, respectively.