One of my favorite male country singers (right up there with Urban and Aldean) is Gary Allan. I’m always impatient for him to release new music. So when it was announced that his upcoming CD, Get Off on the Pain, has been delayed from a February 2nd to a March 9th release, I was a little disappointed. But as the old saying goes, good things are worth waiting for.
Born Gary Allan Herzberg on December 5, 1967, Gary grew up in La Mirada, CA. His favorite activities were surfing and music. His parents, Harley and Mary, always had guitars around the house, and young Gary soon became a skilled player, inspired mostly by traditional country artists like George Jones.
By the time he was thirteen, Gary was playing the honky tonk circuit with his Dad. After high school, he played in a band called the Honky Tonk Wranglers for a few years. In 1993, he was introduced to Byron Hill, a songwriter/ producer. That was the catalyst that set Gary’s music career in motion. Byron got hold of a talent scout, Jim Seal, and the two of them worked hard to land Gary a record deal. While there was plenty of interest, funding was a problem, and Gary’s promising career hung in limbo.
Meanwhile, the aspiring singer earned a living selling cars. He had the innovative idea to stick his demo tape in the glove compartment of some of the more expensive vehicles he sold. One couple was so impressed that they tracked Gary down and promptly wrote him a check for $12,000! This unexpected windfall allowed him to finance some recording sessions. His demo tape set off a bidding war between three major record labels. Ultimately, he wound up signing with Decca (which was absorbed by MCA in 1998). His first album, Used Heart For Sale, was released in 1996. The disc gave Gary his first Top 10 hit, “Her Man.” Hits continued to come for Gary, including “Smoke Rings in the Dark,” “Man to Man,” “Right Where I Need to Be” and “Tough Little Boys.”
As most country fans know, life has not always been a picnic for Gary. In October of 2004, his third wife, Angela, committed suicide in their home. His beloved father, who’d worked so hard to help get his son’s career off the ground, died of cancer in September of 2008. And just this year, Gary found himself in court, facing a longtime stalker named Katherine Walker. Representing herself, Walker insisted that it was him stalking her, not the other way around. “You scare me,” Gary told her in the courtroom. She was found guilty and ordered to stay away from the singer forever.
Gary’s music has certainly been an outlet for all the grief and sorrow in recent years. His Tough All Over CD (in my opinion, one of the best country albums of the decade) was full of raw emotion and grit. It contained the radio hits “Best I Ever Had” and “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful,” as well as superb album cuts like the title track, “Just Got Back From Hell” and “Putting My Misery on Display.” I am baffled as to how that CD did not win a CMA or a Grammy!
Gary’s current Get Off on the Pain tour is sponsored by House of Blues. He has rotating opening acts, including Jack Ingram, Justin Moore and Eli Young Band. Gary will be at Turning Stone Resort and Casino, in the Showroom, on January 28th. (BTW, my husband and I saw him play in that venue a few years back, and we both agreed that the concert was INCREDIBLE!!!)
Here is the track listing for Gary’s upcoming CD:
1.“Get Off On The Pain” 2. “I Think I’ve Had Enough” 3. “Today” 4. “That Ain’t Gonna Fly” 5. “Kiss Me When I’m Down” 6. “We Fly By Night” 7. “When You Give Yourself Away” 8. “Along The Way” 9. “She Gets Me” 10. “No Regrets”
One of my favorite male country singers (right up there with Urban and Aldean) is Gary Allan. I’m always impatient for him to release new music. So when it was announced that his upcoming CD, 
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