BIOGRAPHY AND DISCOGRAPHY

 

Notable mainly as a vocalist for hire by a few Detroit based bandleaders, Paul Williams and Todd Rhodes, delivering strong performances on record for both yet wasn’t able to translate that into a viable career on her own.

Born in 1926 Allen was the perfect age to be one of rock’s rising stars as the 1950’s dawned and she had the vocal presence and attitude required to hold her own against most any female talent but in spite of her strong guest spots for Williams in 1950 and Rhodes a year later she didn’t get many more opportunities, turning instead to club work around Chicago in the mid-1950’s and a sporadic single before fading from view.

Her one risqué release on King with Rhodes ensured she’d have some lasting notoriety at least but she passed away without much recognition in 1991, a month shy of her 65th birthday.

 
CONNIE ALLEN DISCOGRAPHY (Records Reviewed To Date On Spontaneous Lunacy):

WHAT’S HAPPENING
(Savoy 734; March, 1950)
A stellar vocal by Allen makes up for the rather compromised and lightweight efforts of Paul Williams and his usually top-notch band, as Allen provides all of the sassy cockiness of this record in both her singing and her ad-libbed shouts. (6)

YOUR DADDY’S DOGGIN’ AROUND
(King 4509; February, 1952)
If they’d written more biting lines for Allen to deliver with her no-holds barred vocals, this might’ve been truly great, but while she’s still good they shortchange her by giving her the least interesting role to play while the band gets the better parts, musically and vocally. (6)

ROCKET 69
(King 4528; April, 1952)
Though the song’s notoriety stems from the sexual implications of the lyrics, Allen’s performance is hardly selling the material properly, exuding no sly racy humor in her delivery which undercuts its effectiveness despite good backing by Todd Rhodes. (6)