Meet Allyson Galloway

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allyson Galloway a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Allyson, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

In my life family and friends have struggled, some with addiction, some with alcoholism but through it all I still wanted to take care of them.
I was raised in the Catholic Church and above all else you were taught forgiveness. I have learned all my life to forgive those around me for the mistakes they’ve made. I want to help my family to realize that reality isn’t always inevitable.
We can overcome Poverty and become who we were meant to be. There are multiple reasons for the addictions they have, and I can’t begin to tell you half of them, but I do know sometimes they feel like there is no way out, and I don’t want anyone to feel like we do. I strive to make music for the ones who feel alone and who feel broken because I’ve been broken and alone too many times.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Born into Chaos, built for the Stage:
Meet Allyson Galloway

A Voice Born from Struggle

Allyson Galloway didn’t come from spotlight or luxury—she came from survival. Raised in Frayser, one of Memphis, Tennessee’s toughest neighborhoods, her early life was a constant battle. Her mother struggled with addiction, her father was often absent and gripped by alcoholism, and home life was a mix of hunger, chaos, and heartbreak. “I never thought I would amount to anything,” she admits. But deep down, Allyson always had a spark—and music was her escape.

Country Roots and Choir Stages

Even through the turmoil, music was always close. Her grandparents, who eventually took her in, only allowed country music in the house. Legends like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley shaped her earliest understanding of storytelling through song. “My life lessons all came from country music,” she says. At school, she shined in every Christmas play and choir performance, stealing moments in the spotlight to feel seen, heard, and valued.

A Life-Changing Encounter

Two years ago, Allyson’s life changed with a single moment. While shopping at an Urban Outfitters in Knoxville, she ran into country-rap artist Jelly Roll. They spoke briefly and took a photo—but what happened next wasn’t expected. “When he walked away, all I could think about was how much of my life I had wasted doing nothing important,” Allyson recalls. She attended one of his concerts shortly after and found herself in a crowd of 20,000 fans singing the same words and crying the same tears. That night, she knew—this was where she belonged.

From TikTok to a Music Career

At the time, Allyson had 30,000 followers on TikTok. She started singing live, often in raw, unfiltered moments. One morning, she sang “Save Me” by Jelly Roll live from her messy home, hair uncombed—and it exploded. “I tried TikTok because it was fun. Who knew it would blow up like this?”
Today, she’s built a loyal community of followers who see themselves in her journey. They’re not just fans—they’re people who’ve been through darkness and find hope in her voice.

Music for the Broken Ones

Allyson’s music isn’t manufactured, it’s real. Her songs speak directly to “the broken ones,” people who’ve experienced loss, addiction, poverty, and pain. Songs like The Broken Ones and Nobody Wins are heartfelt anthems of survival and healing. One of the most powerful moments of her career came when a terminally ill man reached out. He told Allyson that he wanted her music to play in his final moments. For seven months, he listened to her daily during chemotherapy. She never forgot his name or his story.
“I just want someone to know they aren’t alone,” she says. “Whether you listen to country, rap, or pop—we are all human, and we bleed from similar veins.”

A Family Woman with a Fierce Drive

Behind the scenes, Allyson is a wife and mother of two, balancing the chaos of motherhood with the demands of chasing a dream. Her son was born when she was still a teenager. She graduated high school shortly after, waited tables, and even studied nursing before leaving college with only a few classes to go. She worked at AT&T in sales and customer service for four years before finally diving headfirst into music.
“Once I decided to do music, everything else fell into place.”

What’s Next for Allyson Galloway

Now, Allyson is pouring her soul into a new album that tells her story through each track. She plans to hit the road for tour, connect with more fans face-to-face, and continue building a career based not on glitz—but on grit.
“I do this for the people like me. For the ones who never thought they had a voice.”
Her message is clear: it’s never too late to chase a dream, no matter where you come from or what you’ve been through. Allyson Galloway is living proof that you can turn pain into purpose—and your story into a song.

[email protected]
TikTok handle: @allysongallowaymusic
Instagram handle: @allysongallowaymusic
Twitter handle: @allysongalloway
Facebook handle: @allysongallowaymusic

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

resilience- Overcoming obstacles has been one of the hardest challenges because there is no one rooting for you more than yourself. You have to rebel against the negative and continue the growth regardless.

confidence- Stay true to who you are, and confidence will come with time.

persistence – If you quit you will never know what would have happened.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Andrew Williams has guided me through the past few years in music and has welcomed me to co-produce with him as well and co-write on all of my songs. He has been an inspiration like no other and I can’t thank him enough for being my friend through this.

Contact Info:

• Website: tiktok@allysongallowaymusic
• Instagram: allysongallowaymusic
• Facebook: allysongallowaymusic
• Linkedin: ally gal
• Twitter: allysongallowaymusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@allysongalloway
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Chaz Mazzota