W&L’s Contact Committee Host Award-winning Musician Jimmie Allen Allen will speak at W&L on May 9 at 7 p.m. in the University Chapel. The event is open to the W&L community and tickets are required.

By Erica Turman
May 3, 2022

Washington and Lee University’s Contact Committee is excited to host performer Jimmie Allen on May 9 at 7 p.m. in the University Chapel. The event is open to the university community and free tickets are available online here.

While Allen is most well-known for his electrifying live performances, he is also known for his ability to tell inspiring and thought-provoking stories. Allen has experienced homelessness and bipolar disorder and is now using his voice to effect change.

His debut children’s book, “My Voice Is a Trumpet,” was published in 2021 and is a powerful story about speaking up for what you believe in at any age.

In his talk at W&L, Allen will share wisdom he has garnered throughout his journey, the importance of leadership, the urgent need for greater diversity in music and entertainment, destigmatizing discussions of mental health and an overall message of hope and compassion in the face of unbelievable odds.

Allen is a multi-platinum recording artist and award-winning musician and songwriter who has been blazing trails since the beginning of his breakout career. He’s now a Billboard-charting musician, the Country Music Awards’ New Artist of the Year winner, and the first Black solo performer to win an Academy of Country Music Award’s New Male Artist of the Year award.

Other accolades include a 2022 Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist as the only country nominee in an all-genre category. He has also performed live at The Kennedy Center Honors, as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve coverage, and on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Hailed by Grammy.com as one of five Black artists rewriting country music, he has garnered more than one billion on-demand streams.

Read more about Allen on his website at www.jimmieallenmusic.com.