Though he's not a household name, Gary Allan has carved out a comfortable niche for himself in country music. The California-born artist has helped further the dusty, laidback "Bakersfield Sound" by avoiding many of the pickup truck and beer-soaked cliches that many of his peers lean on, and emphasizing his tender heart and honky-tonk roots instead. That has certainly worked to his advantage as since breaking through with his first Top 10 single in '96, Allan has been a constant presence on the country charts.