Gary Allan’s Clothing Store, The Label, Is a Perfect Fit

Gary Allan is known as one of the hardest-working men in country music, who just happens to have a great sense of fashion. So it wasn't too surprising when the singer-songwriter opened a clothing store, called The Label, in the heart of Nashville last year. While he insists he has no plans to abandon his music career for a job in fashion, the 46-year-old says the boutique fits perfectly into his hectic life.

"I thought it was a great idea and it was easy to put together," he told The Boot and other reporters at a recent media event. "I've got lots of designer friends in California that I've had since I was 15 or 16. I know that everybody pays a stylist to fly someplace ... I've probably got 10 or 15 designers – that would be ten or 15 different stores that you'd have to go to, so to me it's just trying to pull it together."

Gary counts plenty of celebrities who have shopped in The Label. "We've had ZZ Top in there recently, but the people spending the most money are Journey. Those guys are really good in there. We've had Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain – he's been in there a bunch. We've had Guns N' Roses – we're pretty much getting everybody that goes through [Nashville's] Bridgestone Arena. We've got enough word of mouth now that everybody's stopping in, which is really cool."

The country music star may have delved into retail, but he has no plans to add anything else to his resumé, including acting. "I'm living my dream," the California native explains. "As long as I'm doing this, I don't think I would (act). Every time I have had a chance to do something ... there's a lot of sitting in a trailer, waiting. There's not much instant gratification there. You're making a piece of art, but you don't even get to be there when the people see it. It's not my thing."

Gary's next album, Set You Free, is scheduled for release early next year. He will spend much of the next few months on the road, in support of his upcoming CD. Keep track of his schedule here.