‘Catch of the Day’ – Gary Allan – “Do You Wish It Was Me” [AUDIO]

Today we feature an artist who was born in the country music hotbed of La Mirada, CA, and raised in Whittier, CA, a suburb located 30 minutes east of Los Angeles. An artist who's family was definitely behind his career choice, leading to him being offered a recording contract while still in high school.

Gary Allan was born into a musical family. To insure their family would focus on music, his mother always made sure there were guitars throughout the house. At thirteen, Gary began playing local clubs with his father, and by 15 he was offered his first recording contract, by A&M Records. His parents rejected the deal so Gary could finish high school, and so that he could further develop his style. After graduating high school, Allan's band The Honkeytonk Wranglers continued playing local venues, selling out performances consistently. Promoters grew quite aware of Allan and his band, offering him jobs in larger venues, but it would require the band to play cover songs of established artists and Allan refused, preferring to play his originals.

In 1993, Allan was introduced to songwriter and producer Byron Hill. Allan was scheduled to play a showcase of local talent in Downey, CA and Hill brought in an executive from a "major record company" especially to hear Allan's set and all were blown away by his vocals. When nothing came from that meeting, Hill began to send Allan songs which already existing demo tracks in order to save funding, of which Allan had little. At one point, during his "day job" as a car salesman, Allan left a tape of his demo work in the glove compartment of a truck he sold to a rich couple. When the couple discovered it was Allan on the tape, they sent him a check for $12,000 to help finance his dream.

The independent funding allowed Allan to go to Nashville and record a true, 4-track demo with Hill as the producer. When the demo made it's way around, several major labels showed serious interest in signing Allan. Two showcases were set up, the first for Decca Records, and a second for RCA Nashville. Decca was so impressed with the first showcase they offered Allan a contract under the condition that he cancel the second showcase. Feeling the "bird-in-the-hand" principal was the way to go, the RCA showcase was cancelled, and Allan signed with Decca in December of 1995.

Allan would record two albums for Decca, 1996's Used Heart For Sale and It Would be You in 1998. The merger of Decca, Polygram Records and MCA Records into the Universal Music Group in 1999 led to the closing of Decca Records and Allan's shift to MCA Nashville.

Allan's association with MCA began with 1999's Smoke Rings In The Dark has released 7 albums with MCA, all of which have been certified gold or platinum. Of Allan's 9 albums, only It Would Be You failed to sell 250,000 or more copies. The albums have produced 12 top-10 hits and 4 #1 chart toppers. He is currently in the studio working on album #10, a project that is at this point without a title or a release date. In late 2015, Allan released the single "Hangover Tonight", which failed to crack the top-40. His next release, certain to be the second single from the new project, is in our spotlight today. Gary Allan and "Do You Wish It Was Me" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.