Gary Allan Herzberg, better known as Gary Allan, is a country music artist from the United States. He spent years in California with his band, the ‘Honky Tonk Wranglers,’ singing authentic country music in pubs and bars. He was quite popular on the circuit and was offered opportunities to perform in larger bars and venues, but the offer came with a catch – he was required to give up singing old country music. Allan despised the idea of compromising his music in order to achieve fame and turned down these lucrative offers. His first step toward stardom came with his signing to Decca Records in 1996, when his debut album ‘Used Heart for Sale’ was released. He has released nine studio albums to date, and the majority of his singles have charted at the top of various country music charts and Billboard. Allan was raised in a musical family, and his mother actively encouraged him to pursue a career as a singer and musician.
Childhood & Adolescence
Gary Allan Herzberg was born in California. He grew up in a musical environment, a talent that his mother encouraged him to develop. He began playing with his father when he was in his early teens.
At the age of 15, Allan was offered his first recording contract by A&M Records, but his parents declined, advising him to finish his education first. However, he was more interested in music than in studies in the first place.
He graduated from La Serna High School in Whittier, California, and continued to perform in bars at night while also maintaining his band, the ‘Honky Tonk Wragglers.’
Career of Gray
Allan was introduced to producer Bryon Hill by Jim Seal in a California bar in 1993. Hill was so taken with his talent that when he became the head of A&R at BNA Entertainment, he wanted to sign him.
While pursuing his musical career, Allan took a job at a car dealership and was noticed for his singing ability by a wealthy couple who presented him with a check for $12,000. He used the money to record additional demos.
Decca signed Allan in 1995, and the following year his debut album, ‘Used Heart for Sale,’ was released on the label.
The album was named the ‘Best of the Month’ by The Stereo Review. It featured the chart-topping single ‘Her Man’.
Allan released his second album, ‘It Would Be You,’ in 1998. He co-wrote the album’s songs, with the title track becoming the album’s biggest hit. People Magazine had already dubbed him ‘Country Music’s Sexiest Star.
Allan began his acting career with the television mini-series ‘Shake, Rattle, and Roll,’ in which he starred as ‘Eddie Cochran’. He then landed a role in the CBS television series ‘Pensacola: Wings of Gold.’
‘Smoke Rings in the Dark’ was released in 1999. It was a departure from his previous work in that it featured more background singers and a greater emphasis on stringed instruments. It was platinum-certified.
Allan’s fourth studio album, ‘Alright Guy,’ was released in 2001 and featured hit singles such as ‘The One,’ ‘Man to Man,’ and ‘Man to Me,’ among others. He was nominated for the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award in the following years.
In 2003, he released his fifth studio album, ‘See If I Care,’ which featured hit singles such as ‘Tough Little Boys,’ ‘Nothing On But the Radio,’ and ‘Songs About Rain.’
Allan released a tragic and personal album, ‘Tough All Over’, in 2005, following the death of his wife. The album debuted at number three on Billboard’s 200 chart and number one on the magazine’s Top Country Albums chart.
Allan released ‘Living Hard’ in 2007, which included the famous track ‘Watching Airplanes’. The song reached No. 2 on the country charts and No. 1 on the Mediabase Chart. ‘Learning How to Bend’ was another album chart-topper.
Allan’s follow-up studio album, ‘Get Off on the Pain,’ was released in 2010. Its chart-topping single ‘Today’ had been released a year prior. The album’s title track debuted at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the United States.
Allan’s ninth studio album, ‘Set You Free,’ was released in 2013. Its chart-topping single, ‘Every Storm,’ reached the top spot on the Country Airplay chart. Other chart-topping singles from the album include ‘It Ain’t the Whiskey’ and ‘Pieces’.
Significant Work of Gray
Allan’s greatest hit is considered to be the chart-topping single ‘Nothing On But the Radio’ from the album ‘See If I Care. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earned him an ASCAP Award.
Personal History and Legacies
Allan has had three marriages throughout his life. He married his first wife Tracy Taylor in 1987, but divorced and remarried. His second marriage to Danette Day, a model, lasted just one year.
After divorcing his second wife, Allan married Angela for the third time in 2001. Three years later, she committed suicide.
Estimated Net Worth
Gary Allan is a country music artist from the United States with a net worth of $10 million. Gary Allan was born in December 1967 in La Mirada, California. In 1996, Allan signed with Decca Records. In 1996, he released his debut studio album Used Heart for Sale, which was certified Gold in the United States.