‘I’ve been blessed.’ Myrtle Beach High School graduate receives ninth Grammy nomination
A Myrtle Beach High School graduate is up for his ninth Grammy nomination this year for his role in music production and engineering.
Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, Zach Allen has his own producing studio, where he said he mostly works with people who are “trying to make it.”
This year, Allen is nominated in the Best Traditional Blues Album category, for “The Blues Don’t Lie” by Buddy Guy, and Best Americana Album for Good to Be by Keb Mo’.
But for now, Allen said he’s trying to take everything day by day.
“I try to compartmentalize it all to be honest with you,” he said. “I guess today I’m thinking more about like what I have to do today, just continuing to move forward.”
Allen recalled a time before his producing career when he would work the dreaded holiday shifts at Guitar Center, despite requesting that time off. That Christmas day, he said he had a “gut feeling” about the sacrifices he was making towards his career.
Flash forward to 2023, Allen says he’s created a huge network of musicians from his time spent in Nashville. After graduating from Full Sail University, a recording arts school, he worked as an assistant engineer for a producing studio before branching off on his own.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my experience,” Allen said.
Today, Zach Allen has worked with a number of different successful artists, including Kingfish, Buddy Guy, and Keb Mo’.
So far, Allen has been credited with engineering and/or mixing nine GRAMMY nominated albums.
2017 - TajMo (Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’) Winner Best Contemporary Blues Album
2018 - The Blues Is Alive and Well (Buddy Guy) Winner Best Traditional Blues Album
2019 - Oklahoma (Keb’ Mo’) Winner Best Americana Album
2019 - Kingfish (Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) Nominated Best Traditional Blues Album
2019 - Spectacular Class (Jontavious Willis) Nominated Best Traditional Blues Album
2020 - The Juice (G. Love) Nominated Best Contemporary Blues Album
2021 - 662 (Christone “Kingfish” Ingram) Winner Best Contemporary Blues Album
The 2023 Grammys will air Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. EST. You can watch them live on the CBS Television Network and on Paramount+.
Myrtle Beach, SC is ‘always going to be home.’
Allen also happens to be a from the Myrtle Beach area, and graduated Myrtle Beach High School in 2000.
Myrtle Beach is “always going to home,’ Allen said.
His father worked at the Grand Dunes Golf Club, and was apart of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendent Association. Growing up in Myrtle Beach gave Allen many good memories, and he said he was thankful to be from the area.
He spent his life doing odd jobs in music, such as playing in church, or playing gigs at local bars. But one early memory stood out.
A Beatles series in 7th Grade music class inspired him, he said.
A Myrtle Beach Middle School music teacher taught the series the same year The Beatles had their 25th Anniversary tour in America.
“It t just kind of all culminated and I just really became fascinated by the Beatles,” Allen said. “But it was still so far away from reality at that time.”
Despite his various positions in music, he could never find “the right thing,” he said. Working at the Marina Grand Dunes and learning about Full Sail University was when Allen said he finally came to a crossroad in his career.
“I just uprooted everything and just never looked back,” he said.
Allen said he wants to be a source of inspiration for young people and a connection to the producing field.
“Whether it’s doing what I do or doing whatever you’re called to do, if you find something you’re passionate about, go for it.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2023 at 6:00 AM.