Kris Allen to release Kris Allen

Season 8 American Idol Kris Allen's new single Live Like We're Dying serves as the lead single of the singer's self-titled and highly anticipated debut album which will be released on November 17th.

The positive message is merely one reason Allen was drawn to the song. Responding to one specific lyric, "So if your life flashed before you / What would you wish you would have done?," Kris admitted that if he were suddenly on his way out, there's a big regret in his life. "I wish I would have skydived. It's random, but I have always wanted to," Allen said. "I'm really scared to, but I think that it would be the biggest rush."

Allen says that "Live Like We're Dying" is just one of many songs on his CD with producers Frampton and Kipner. "We got a couple different producers on the album, but there's a couple songs that [Frampton and Kipner have produced]. And I'm actually going to London to work with them again."

The disc features performances by Fray guitarist Joe King, as well as hip-hop producer Salaam Remi, along with writing credits for Toby Gad (who produced hits for Beyonce and penned songs for Fergie), plus Lindy Robbins, who has worked with The Backstreet Boys.

The strummy, sing-songy tune had apparently been earmarked as a single for Kris since he began working on his post-"Idol" album back in May. Allen told MTV News, "[The song] was actually one that we had listened to really early on, and we kind of just fell in love with it. Everyone did."

Kris Allen biography
Kris Allen was born in Jacksonville, Arkansas to Kimberly (née Wood) and Neil Allen. He is the elder of two sons; his younger brother, Daniel, is a college cheerleader and a cheerleading coach. Allen is a Christian and served as assistant music director at the non-denominational New Life Church in both Conway, Arkansas and Little Rock, Arkansas. Allen has participated in missionary work around the world, including in Burma, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.

Allen's interest in music began very early. He began playing the viola in elementary school and went on to play the instrument in the Mills University Studies High School orchestra, eventually winning a spot in the Arkansas all-state orchestra. Additionally, he taught himself to play the guitar at age 13, and also plays the piano and the ukulele. His musical influences, as stated in his Idol confessionals, include the Beatles, Jamie Cullum, Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Michael Jackson.

After high school, Allen moved to Conway, Arkansas to attend the University of Central Arkansas, where he was a business major and a member of Chi Alpha. He soon dropped out to pursue music professionally, performing in local bars and working as a shoe salesman to make ends meet. After marrying his girlfriend of seven years, Katherine "Katy" O'Connell, on September 26, 2008, Allen planned on going back to college to finish his degree and "get a real job. He has described his decision to audition for American Idol as a "last hurrah" before giving up his pursuit of a music career.



"Kris Allen" by Kris Allen - release date: 11/17/09..