Casee Allen and Neal McCoy release new single

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jana Kramer's name.

Nashville country recording artist and Coshocton native Casee Allen's all-time hero has always been country superstar Neal McCoy.

According to Allen, there is nobody bigger than him and he's the best entertainer he has ever seen.

Allen had his first encounter with McCoy at the age of 8. Nearly 24 years later, Allen and McCoy have collaborated to record a song written by Allen called "I Blame It All On My Roots."

While a student at Central Elementary in Coshocton, Allen said he was going through some troubles with his home life which adversely affected his behavior and work at school.

To help him keep his grades up and stay out of trouble, one of his teachers pulled him aside and told him she could somehow get in touch with McCoy and make sure he at least got an autograph from him.

To Allen's surprise, the teacher came through. He was called to the principal's office one day where he received the autographed photo and more.

"He sent like an Easter basket that had all his records including one that had not been released yet," Allen recalled. "It was just getting ready to come out and he also sent me to tickets to a show at Secrest Auditorium in (Zanesville) Ohio to which I went and meet him."

Allen said after receiving the basket, the principal handed him the phone and said there was a call for him which was played over the school's PA system.

On the phone, to Allen's disbelief, was McCoy.

Allen wasn't sure it was McCoy on the phone and asked him to prove it was really him. McCoy began to sing the first line of an about to be released song called "If You Can't Be Good, Be Good At It."

"I will never forget it as long I as live. It lit a fire under my belly that had nothing to do with music," Allen said. "When that happened I didn't want to be a singer. At that age I probably wanted to Bret Farve."

Allen said his upbringing wasn't great, but he had a few people such as his aunt and uncle that he loved and adored. McCoy's interest in him was a very bright light at this point in his life.

"It stuck with me for life," Allen said.

In 2013 when McCoy performed at the Tuscarawas County Fair in Dover, Allen went to see him. McCoy wasn't doing a meet-and-great that night so Allen stood outside McCoy's tour bus.

"I wouldn't let the bus move and finally after harassing security enough they got him to come out after they told him who was out there. I sent in the newspaper article from 1998 (when Allen received the call from McCoy at school) and he comes back out."

Allen told McCoy he was moving to Nashville and what he hoped to accomplish there. During their conversation, McCoy asked him if he was any good and tried to talk him out of the move, saying Nashville was hard.

"I said to him, 'No, I'm adamant about it, so don't be surprised when you roll up someday on your bus and I'm your opening act somewhere. I'm writing songs now too so I will keep your name in mind when I go to start letting people cut my songs,'" Allen recalled.

That moment has come full circle for Allen. The two have stayed in contact and even performed some show together. Now they have released a new single call 'I Blame It All On My Roots."

Allen wrote the song several years ago and has performed it during his live shows for the past five years. He has sent it to a handful of people in the Nashville record industry, asking about recording it and was turned down.

"It was just such a catchy song during our live show that I just kept pushing, pushing, pushing and pushing and would always get shot down with no it's a bar song, it's a loud song, it's good for your show but it's not good for radio," Allen recalled. "I went to record it for a second time and that's when I sent it to Neal (McCoy) and here we are."

Allen said he sent the song to McCoy, just to ask him what he thought about it. McCoy responded the next day saying he loved the song and agreed to record it with Allen.

"I remember the night when he was leaving Nashville after recording it, the engineer sent me a rough version of it and I remember thinking this doesn't happen to a Coshocton, Ohio, boy but, here we are. Somehow it is happening and it's been a long time coming," Allen said.

"The song is basically about why we are the way we are. It's where I come from. I blame it all on my roots," Allen said.

Allen said his inspiration to write the song came from the first line of one of the most popular country songs of all times, Garth Brook's "Friends in Low Places." He saod there are references to Brooks throughout the song because Brooks is another one of his favorite artists.

"I Blame It All On My Roots" is available for pre-sale/pre-save on all major music streaming apps. Allen said pre-sales give independent artists a chance to be counted in the charts. The full version of the song will be available on Aug. 19.

Allen also has also a couple of items coming up. Although he couldn't release the details, he has another project lined up for September along with his first national TV appearance. He also has a role in a holiday movie with Mario Lopez and Jana Kramer.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Casee Allen and Neal McCoy release new single