Milton native Chris Lovenguth was hanging out with a friend at Paradise Grill when he saw Jimmie Allen, his wife and his young daughters pull up to the restaurant on a boat, late Sunday afternoon.
Allen surprised guests of the Long Neck venue with a performance.
This may have been the first time Allen performed publicly since he was released from his record label last month after two lawsuits were filed against him by two women who claim the singer sexually assaulted them.
Allen has admitted he had a sexual relationship with the first woman, an ex-manager. But he has denied assaulting her.
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Once Allen arrived, Lovenguth noticed the performer was trying to help his little girls out of the boat, so he went over to give him a hand.
He talked to Allen for about 10 to 15 minutes, before anyone else recognized him.
Lovenguth said his son, Adam, played little league baseball with Allen. The “Best Shot” singer told Lovenguth he missed his son, and asked how his old teammate was doing, the proud father explained.
Lovenguth wanted to know how Allen was holding up.
“(Allen) seems to be doing good. He’s relaxing a little bit. He’s going back on tour in September, he told me,” Lovenguth told The News Journal/Delaware Online.
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Jimmie Allen performs ‘Down Home’ for fans
When Allen was done talking to Lovenguth, other people began crowding around the music star, taking photos with him.
Nashville singer-songwriter Brian MConnell, who lives in Longneck during the summer, was performing when Allen showed up to Paradise Grill.
McConnell said some fans encouraged him to let Allen play a few songs during his set. He played a few more, before inviting the superstar singer to take his spot. Allen played two tunes, including his hit “Down Home,” he said.
Multiple videos and photos have been shared from Allen’s performance on social media.
Lovenguth said the performance was positive. “There wasn’t anybody I saw that was bashing his name, or saying anything like that about him.”
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‘He took pictures with everybody’
McConnell, who worked as a personal assistant and tour manager for Van Halen, said it’s a big deal for a superstar like Allen to give an impromptu performance and take pictures with a bunch of swarming fans when he’s trying to spend time with his family.
“I know rock stars who would just walk out and leave. But [Allen] stayed. He took pictures with everybody. It just kind of shows his character,” McConnell said.
‘Innocent until proven guilty’
Lovenguth said he stands with Allen, who hasn’t been charged with sexual assault. “He’s innocent until proven guilty,” he said.
McConnell doesn’t know Allen but as another member of the Nashville music scene, he’s aware of the allegations against him. “I let God be the judge,” he said. “I’m not gonna judge anybody.”
Former Eagles star takes photo with Jimmie
In late June, Allen posted a photo of himself on social media fishing in Lewes. The comments section was overwhelming with praise and excitement from fans.
Over the last few days, People have since been posting lots of photos of Allen sightings in Delaware.
On June 23, Allen shared a photo of himself with NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, a former Philadelphia Eagle, from The Battle Downtown Celebrity Softball Game in Michigan.
