Jimmie Allen Shares the Deeply Personal Meaning Behind His Annual Bettie James Fest (Exclusive)
etonline.comJimmie Allen's Bettie James Fest is more than just a music festival. ET spoke to Allen backstage at this year's festival in the country singer's hometown of Milton, Delaware, where he shared the deeply personal meaning behind the second-annual celebration — named in honor of his grandmother and his father.«My grandma and my dad made me who I am, and for me, their names Bettie and James are more important than the name Jimmy Allen, at least to me it is because it's one of those things where this place made me who I am,» Allen explained. «My grandma and my dad made me who I am, so it was very important to kinda have their name carry on because they're important to me and I want the world to know how special they were.»Holding the show in Allen's hometown also holds special meaning for the «Down Home» singer, because just as he said his grandma and dad made him who he is, so did the town of Milton.«What's special about being here for my own festival, is this is where I grew up.
This is the place that made me. I grew up literally about a mile across that soybean field over there,» he shared. «It's special every time I come back, 'cause there's not a lot of music festivals that go on that often down here, so to have a chance to bring music here, to bring different businesses -- whether it's catering companies, whether it's clothing brands, whether it's tire companies, whatever — to have them come here and be a part of my hometown, and kinda spread their business through the music fans, it's a great experience.»The festival, which features performances from Lainey Wilson, We the Kings and more, gives a chance for Allen to give back to his community too.Through the Bettie James Fest, Allen's also hoping to leave something.
Read more on etonline.com
