James Allan (born 21 September 1979) is the lead singer and guitarist of the Scottish rock band Glasvegas, and a former footballer.

Born in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, he attended the city's St Mungo's Academy.^[2] His sister Denise is the band's co-manager.^[3] Their cousin is Glasvegas bandmate/guitarist Rab Allan.^{[citation needed]}

Allan played as a winger for Falkirk, Cowdenbeath, East Fife, Queen's Park, Gretna, Stirling Albion and Dumbarton,^[4] making 116 appearances in the Scottish Football League.^[5] He was part of the Cowdenbeath squad that won promotion as runners up in the 2000–01 Scottish Third Division.

During his football career, Allan decided to write songs and form a band. After touring Scotland for several years Glasvegas released four singles, before eventually being signed to Columbia. His songs deal with social issues such as psychopathic fathers ("Daddy's Gone"), murder ("Flowers & Football Tops") and the challenges of social work ("Geraldine"). He also wrote about homosexuality ("I Feel Wrong").^[6]

On 8 September 2009, a Tuesday, bandmates Rab Allan and Paul Donoghue announced that James Allan had been missing since the previous Friday, which resulted in a no-show at the Mercury Prize awards ceremony.^[7] However, he made a call to the band's manager on 9 September 2009 that he was safe and well in New York,^[8] where Glasvegas were about to embark upon a US tour supporting Kings of Leon. It is thought that the lack of communication sourced from Allan being without a mobile phone for six months, according to bandmates.^[9]

Allan cites Elvis Presley and Phil Spector as his main influences.^[10] He also says that Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen is one of his inspirations.^[11]