Allan Scott – Drug Addict, Dropout, Christian Artist?

An Interview With Allan Scott – Drug Addict, Dropout, Thief Turned Singer, Songwriter & Worship Leader!

Allan Scott is releasing his latest single “God In Me” to radio stations nationwide. Allan looks like the boy next door, young– good looking (according to my seventeen year old daughter and all her friends), and grounded in Christ. However, still water above, disguises the world below the ocean.

Thirty-two year old Allan Scott is not your average Christian recording artist. He accepted Christ at only three years of age. Up to the age of eighteen, he described his home life as dysfunctional, experiencing several parental divorces. He began using drugs at about thirteen, dropped out of high school at eighteen and went through rehab. However, the drug use increased.

He told me he always felt rejected. “I was always getting picked on in school. I got expelled from a school for drugs, and I remember going to a new school, and telling myself what I was going to do to be accepted. That may have started me off partying, but I eventually became a trash can. Eventually, it was no longer about being accepted, just about how high I could get.”

He found himself at twenty-one, homeless and a user of crystal meth (Crystal Meth and Homeless was when I was 19, at 21 things did come to a head, but I was not homeless at the time. I had moved back to my hometown and had been living there for about 3 years- with increased drinking etc). It was at this time he described his life as “coming to a head.” “I realized I was caught in a cycle and I couldn’t get out. I remember being intoxicated; I went down on my knees and asked God to help me. About two to three months later I was arrested. A couple weeks later while I was still in jail, I realized everything that had happened was an answer to my prayers.

“I was at a place where the cycle of my current lifestyle could stop. I was in jail for a while, and went to rehab where I had a Christian counselor, which is quite amazing in a secular rehab system. He was taking me to church every Sunday, and I remember this one Sunday being really touched and moved. I cried for about forty-five minutes after the service. That was twelve years ago. Since then the Lord has done some amazing things in my life. I’ve been without drugs or alcohol since then. I can now use this as a vehicle to help other people.”

Today, he is clean and about to release his new single “God In Me.” The song was produced by Ed Cash.  Cash also produced hits for Toby Mac and Chris Tomlin.

I asked him to fill in the gap over the last twelve years. How did you get to the release of your new single “God In Me”?  He said,“ I found the Lord again while in prison.  I had a passion to play music.  I began hearing music in my head, so I began to write down the lyrics in my jail cell. I could hear the tunes. The jail had an acoustic guitar that was available whenever they let the prisoners out for “rec” once a day, and I would bang out the melodies really quick. I only had an hour a day to get what was in my head down.”

“At twenty-three, I started playing on my church worship team. I started leading worship at about twenty-four. I’ve been traveling ever since.”

For those of you who think you must read music to record music, that is not so much true! Allan considers himself as musically illiterate. He can only read chord charts, but cannot read notes.

His current single “God In Me,” is officially released today. Allan said, “When I had first written the song, it had a completely different chorus. I had written the words first for the verses, but the chorus just wasn’t great. So, I worked it over a period of time and came up with a completely different chorus.

Allan is an independent Christian recording artist; he is not represented by a major record label. Yet, he is no stranger to radio airplay. Some of my favorites songs of his are; “Perfect Love (Christ Alive), and “Redeemer”. Allan’s style reminds me of Chris Tomlin. “God In Me” should serve Allan and Christian listeners well. It will be officially released on May 4, 2013. Support an absolute genuine Christian, and up and coming Christian artist. I’m excited for Allan who has a great career before him. He is a great songwriter, singer, role model, and mentor. I’m proud to support him!