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Musician Jay Allen, winner of the 2022 Country Now Awards as Favorite Competition Contestant, featured on NBCā€™s ā€œThe Voiceā€ and recognized as one of Music Mayhem Magazineā€™s 2023 Artists to Watch, took to social media to share his recent experience in Tennessee, being robbed at a grocery store. 

The incident occurred in East Nashville, with the singer sharing his experience in an Instagram post, telling people what happened and reflecting on his state of mind. 

ā€œIā€™m ok, (besides being out a few bucks) but it was the feeling that I couldnā€™t get overā€¦ Even with having a muscular stature and being covered in tattoos, it didnā€™t matterā€¦ he had a gun, and I didnā€™t,ā€ posted Allen.

Allen, who was obviously shaken but not stirred by the incident, went on to talk about how the feeling of helplessness inspired him to take his safety into his own hands and become a gun owner, even after having been unsure about guns for years prior. 

ā€œI felt helpless, taken advantage of and mad at myself more than anythingā€¦ Iā€™ve always been on the fence about guns, but today Iā€™m a proud new gun owner. Itā€™s strictly for self-defense, and I will NEVER feel that way again,ā€ Allen added to the post.

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In his post, Allen shared an image of his new gun, what looks to be a SIG P365-XMACRO TACOPS, and some footage of himself shooting at the range. Followers and fans responded thoughtfully, sad about what had happened, but grateful that Allen escaped the incident unharmed, with many encouraging his commitment to defend himself.Ā 

Aside from his music career, Allen, whose mother passed from Alzheimerā€™s in 2019, has also become a philanthropist, having raised an impressive $160 million plus to fight the disease.

Like most, Iā€™m sure, I celebrate his safety coming out of an incident unharmed that many people have unfortunately not survived. Even more so, I applaud his rational response to the ugly reality and his willingness to see the importance of being able to defend his life and those whom he cares for. Too often we see people succumb to fear drawing irrational conclusions from that emotion. Violent crime predates the invention of firearms by a long shot, and the right to defend ourselves is enshrined in our Constitution. Welcome to the club, Jay Allen. Stay safe and train hard.

55 COMMENTS

  1. “SIG P365-XMACRO TACOPS”

    There are lots of good-choice carry guns, but the Sig P-365 X-Macro Tacops is a good choice for a carry gun.

    After many years of carrying a Glock 22 as my EDC, a gun that never once jammed or failed even once in any fashion in practice, or when I needed it most across several defense incidents over time, and it always performed perfectly for me, I finally retired that faithful and trusted friend as it was showing its age and wear. Had to select another EDC, and out of the many guns I have or tried out I could have selected among other Glocks or even another Glock 22 or many different brands, but my carry requirements had changed also in the mean while. So after evaluating for all aspects (e.g. reliability, capacity, hand fit, weight, conceal-ability, etc…) across multiple guns I settled on the Sig P-365 X-Macro Tacops.

    • Why would tattoos scare away a thief?
      Tattoos only show lack of critical thinking, not a tough guy, but a dumb person who didn’t bother to look up tatoo ingredients before injecting them. FYI… its heavy metals.

  2. “bUt MuH tAtS n MuSkLeS!!”

    lol. Reminds of those victims who protest “bUt I’m An AlLy?!?!”

    Better late than never and I hope he takes it more seriously than just a prop to pose for the gram with.

  3. “Even with having a muscular stature and being covered in tattoos, it didnā€™t matterā€¦”

    Maybe the robber thought he was a hipster.

    • Every violent robber or gang member is a left-wing liberal in mind, heart, and soul. This is because like all left-wing liberals they believe they have a right to decide what you can’t have and have a right to take it from you and dictate to you how its going to be.

    • He certainly looks the part, from the hipster hat in the first photo to his tap dancing shoes on the range. He might be the only man there with a range satchel.

      • One of my favorite images of a country artist is Cash sitting in the police station with his suitcase full of “pep pills”. True grit.

    • ā€œ Even with having a muscular stature and being covered in tattoos, it didnā€™t matterā€¦ā€

      Uhā€¦ the robber had a gun.

      Bullets generally beat ink and ā€œmusclesā€, or stature damn near every time itā€™s tried.

      Thatā€™s why I carry

    • The sissy lib losers think everyone is entitled to an opinion, as long as it’s the same as theirs. After having the video to “try that in a small town” pulled by CMA, Aldean admitted that he didn’t write it, and actually supports some gun control after the Vegas mass shooting. He’s certainly no worse on gun rights than Trump (sorry but true Debbie), but he’s certainly no champion of our rights either. Small Town USA spoke loud and clear on Tuesday, we’ll see what it got us. At least we’re no longer locked in the trunk of Thelma’s T-bird hurling over the edge of Progressive Canyon.

      • Pb_fan59,

        At least weā€™re no longer locked in the trunk of Thelmaā€™s T-bird hurling over the edge of Progressive Canyon.

        Not hurling over the cliff for now. This last election bought us a reprieve. Whether or not that becomes permanent is a different matter.

        The pessimist in me says that Democrats will regroup and redouble their efforts and be back with a vengeance in the midterm elections and the 2028 general election.

        The optimist in me says that Democrats went “all in” for the last 4 to 6 years and, of course, went so far off the charts that even some lifelong Democrat supporters left the party and are now voting for Republicans. (Or, more accurately, the Democrat Party left some lifelong supporters–about 20% of them to be a bit more precise. That 20% number is the percentage reduction in votes for Kamala versus Biden.) And Republicans will continue to win future elections as long as they bring forth quality candidates and continue their winning policies on the economy, income, jobs, business, crime, border security, energy, etc.

        • “And Republicans will continue to win future elections as long as they bring forth quality candidates and continue their winning policies”

          Probably going to have to do something about climate policy. The average person in the Southern Tier is beginning to realize Limbaugh was wrong on climate.

      • ā€œtry that in a small townā€ pulled by CMAā€œ

        Perhaps if they hadnā€™t hung the giant American flag from the balcony where the innocent black man was lynched folks wouldnā€™t have been so upsetā€¦

        ā€œThe History of the Lynching Site Where Jason Aldean Filmed a Music Video
        Henry Choate, an 18-year-old Black man, was hanged outside the Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee in 1927 after he was falsely accused of attacking a white girl.
        By Rebecca Carballo
        July 21, 2023ā€œ

        The State of Tennessee has 95 county courthouses, and they picked this one for the videoā€¦

        Signal sent, signal received.

          • .40 cal,
            ” . . . poor wittle Miner49er, trying to stay relevant.”

            Objection, counselor – when was MajorLiar EVER relevant? Or intelligent? Or educated? Or informed? Or logical? Or even just not hysterical???

            Ans: Still waiting. He’s (pardon me for assuming gender for that d*ckless waste) been an hysterical propagandist since I came to this forum; I can’t image he could grow out of it, at this stage. His perverted Leftist/fascist/TDS insanity appears to be baked in to what he refers to as a brain.

  4. Tattoos are for losers. Kinda like weed.

    What’s conservative?? A liberal who has been mugged. In this case, it is the literal truth.

      • Yes loser, it rings a bell, since you are the worst kind of bigot – the over-righteous, broken record, Grelber type (look it up if necessary)
        Why don’t you come back with something, hell ANYTHING fresh and relevant, or don’t come back. Or start your own online called The “Truth” about Debbie Downer.

          • boys,

            In principle, I agree, but . . . Debbie Dimwit is simply too stupid to get the message (cf, MajorLiar). Nope, they’ll keep coming back, confident in their arrogant ignorance. Mock them, insult them, tell them how stupid they are. Ignoring them does no good; they are like hungry mosquitoes, they will not just ‘go away’.

            Debbie Dimwit has the problem of being correct about her singular issue, that gun control is racist. What she is apparently INCAPABLE of learning is that there was weapon control back when it was (white) peasants vs. (equally white) nobles. Gun control, like ALL forms of control, is all about CONTROL – and usually centers on ‘class’, which can include race.

            It’s about power attempting to protect its power, nothing more, and nothing less.

            • Just speculation on my part, but I think DW understands all that. I suspect she thinks racial minorities in general are potentially a natural base for pro 2A politicians, and is seeking to promote the realization that a (eg) black voting the antigun ticket is like a Jew voting for the Nazi ticket.

            • She understands that the logical way for a candidate to access the black vote is to point out that voting antigun is historically nonsensical for minorities, not to mention self-destructive…

              I see a lot of folks that vote Republican and apparently don’t want the vote of color. Which is stupid.

              • XZX,

                Heartily agreed: I don’t GAS what color, gender, race, religion, etc . someone is, if we share basic values as to the subject matter, but I am painfully aware that many people do harbor such ideas – on BOTH sides. But it is far more common/virulent these days among the Leftist/fascists. They inherently hate and attack anyone who doesn’t share their sickly unique mind virus. And they are allergic to reality.

  5. Back in the day. Having a tattoo was protection against being killed in battle. Now in the 21st century people believe it still protects them from being assaulted or approached by criminals.

    Having big muscles and tattoos doesn’t stop a 22LR from entering your heart or brain or some other body organ.

    btw
    This reminds me of Raiders of the Lost Ark. A gun beats a sword and the big man holding it, every time.

  6. He was undecided if he should become a gun owner? I blame the parents, They have a crazy liberal mindset, thinking an inanimate object can be evil. A gun is a tool used for hunting or to defend yourself, nothing more, A TOOL. Many tools take instruction and practice to use safely and efficiently. You wouldn’t hand a person a Chainsaw and tell them go cut some wood if they never used one.

    • Wally1,

      Hey, look at you, trying to be logical, and everything!!!

      My friend, if someone can’t grasp the simple, physical fact that a “gun” has no will or agency, and is only as “evil” as the person who’s hand it is in, there is nothing you can do to make them see reality. Maybe, for some folks, it DOES take getting mugged/robbed/raped to understand that EVERY person is, ultimately, responsible for their own safety.

      Different strokes, for different folks.

  7. Hope he takes time to get some actual training from a qualified instructor. Last thing the country needs is another YouTube trained firearms expert running around thinking he is John Wick.

    • Good for him. Tats & muscle’s matter little when a criminal has a gat now adaze. I got jumped on Chiraq’s infamous EL circa 1985 when I worked at a health club downtown. I smashed homey into the brick staircase leading to the subway. Chased him & his gang away totally unarmed.Criminals weren’t always armed then. I was 31 then. At 70 I would never go there without a gat,pepper gel thing & a knife. Even had a knife & pepper at the election polling place last week. And tats ain’t chit! I see boyz covered in them at my health club. I usually outlift & out train the soy boyz. Ummm… John Wick is a piece of fictionšŸ™„

  8. I have carried for years and have never had any issues and I hope to never have but you just do not know for sure. Better to carry and never have to use than to not have a gun and need one. Only has to happen once.

  9. I went to the DollarGeneral yesterday armed as usual. The aisles are like a corn maze, barely enough room for two carts to pass. A robbery, etc. would turn into what they call Close Quarter Combat or in the case of DollarGeneral it’s Really Close Quarter Combat, don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes does not apply.

    Apparently the Musician never watched The Good, Bad and the Ugly and took from it the numerous examples in the movie where the character with the Gun is in charge for the time they have the Gun.

    Speaking of Musicians on a Sunday Morning must always include Kris…connect the h…

    h ttps://youtube.com/watch?v=gPGuUHNT7U4&feature=shared

    • Personally, I was very proud of Kris when he came out against the war of lies in Iraq.

      ā€œKristoffersonā€™s disdain for the Gulf War was on clear display during a New Zealand television interview. In May 1991, Kristofferson toured with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings who performed as the supergroup The Highwaymen. During the tour, the group appeared on the local current affairs show Holmes. Host Paul Holmes asked the musicians what was ailing the United States. Kristofferson gave a three-part answer. He spoke of ā€œflag waving and choreographed patriotism that we had back in Nazi Germany, a half a century ago.ā€ Kristofferson said that the U.S. had a ā€œone party system, which is in control of all three branches of our governmentā€ and described a ā€œlap-dog media that is cranking out propaganda for the Administration that would make a Nazi blush.ā€

  10. Debbie, thanks for the link.
    I didn’t realize he died in September at age 88.
    and I agree with:
    “‘Cos there’s something in a Sunday,
    Makes a body feel alone.”

  11. FWW,

    Yup. Worked the polls this past Tuesday. Fourteen hours. We were told firearms were forbidden to poll-watchers even though voters could be armed. So, I figured: “Hey! I’m a voters and a poll-watcher. That means half of me can be armed.” So I carried my G43 in my right-side cargo pocket. My left side remained unarmed.

    Problem solved!

    • COOL. BTW in Cook county,ILL they were aggressively checking ID. More than last time. Dunno about illegal voting but not in my town!

  12. Well Jay, ” Im’a gonna go gits mah gun.” is to late.
    Besides according to Dacian/Miner49/Albert AJ Hall having a gun would have only gotten you killed.
    Best just to let the bad guys have what they want.
    And WTF Jay, your CMA must not amount to much, most of the rich and famous have other people do their shopping for them. That’s why you never see Bill Maher in a store. He’s smart.

  13. Good for the musician who is the subject of this article. (I cannot type his name because that triggers moderation jail.)

    Maybe his situational awareness will improve significantly now and enable him to avoid the next would-be armed robbery.

    I certainly hope someone educates him on the potential risks and benefits of trying to draw a handgun for self-defense on an armed robber who already has his/her own handgun pointing at him.

  14. For reference a stupidly simple comment consisting ONLY of the musician’s name (that is only two words) triggered moderation jail.

  15. My daughter is a violinist. Over the years, I have tried and tried to convince her to get into country-western music, or even blue-grass. THAT is where the money is. But no…she is a classical music snob. Good thing she is in high-demand as a violin teacher.

    Me, I always thought I would retire to a life of playing pubs on the weekend and working in my shop during the week. God, however, had other ideas. Guess, I’ll go with his.

  16. Smart move for Allen. As a musician, I know that instruments and equipment can be a high-dollar draw for robbers, and some crazies can hate you because they donā€™t care for your style of music. And loading zones for venues are often dark, seedy areas in crime-prone zones. Personally, firearms have saved my life several times, mostly without having to fire in those situations. Iā€™ve finally worked out pistol, holster, and wardrobe combos that work whether traveling (not commercial air), setting up, or performing.

  17. Help me out here.. Where in the Constitution is the right to self defense enshrined? Unless it is under the right to life (which is not enshrined in the Bill of Rights). I am not saying we don’t have a right to self defense, I just didn’t know it was enshrined in the Constitution or Bill of Rights.

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