Gwyn Jay Allen
Encyclopedia
Gwyn Jay Allen is a British
jazz
musician
and actor
.
He was born in Loughborough
to Sierra Leone
se immigrants, but lived for 18 years in Freetown
before moving back to England. Early in his career he played the guitar and sang at Tube
stations. In 1992 he landed a job at the London Hilton on Park Lane
, playing percussion and singing backing vocals. In 1997 he was one of the finalists on the ITV
talent show Stars in Their Eyes
, where he impersonated Louis Armstrong
singing We Have All the Time in the World
. Allen has toured with the groups The Sound of the Platters and The Jazz Quarterbacks. He has also played the part of Cab Calloway
in a 1996/1997 West End
production of the musical The Blues Brothers
which also toured the UK. In 1999, during a visit to Sierra Leone, he was held hostage for one day by one of the warring parts in a Sierra Leone civil war. Allen was recommended to fellow Britons Basement Jaxx
by a recording studio he had worked for, which led to recording several songs with them, live performances and eventually a solo single released in 2000 through Basement Jaxx's label, Atlantic Jaxx
. In 2002 he was the opening act
for American gospel singer Kirk Franklin
at a concert Franklin held at Royal Albert Hall
. Allen has also produced a live recording CD together with his band called I Love Louis. The recording session took place at the Dorchester Hotel
in London, where his band had played for many years. Allen has also written a musical together with Clarke Peters
called Satchmo, choreographed and played the lead in Strangers, and produced and co-written Less Stife More Life. He has worked as a session vocalist and percussionist for Sony Music, Virgin Records
and Real World Music. As a television actor he has been on EastEnders
, The Bill
, Men Behaving Badly
and Casualty
. Currently he combines his day-time job as an interior decorator and architect
with occasional performances. Allen is married and has two sons.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
He was born in Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
to Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
se immigrants, but lived for 18 years in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
before moving back to England. Early in his career he played the guitar and sang at Tube
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
stations. In 1992 he landed a job at the London Hilton on Park Lane
The London Hilton on Park Lane
The London Hilton on Park Lane is a hotel situated on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. It is tall and has 28 storeys and 450 rooms. It was completed in 1963 and was designed by William B. Tabler Architects. It is a concrete framed building, and it is...
, playing percussion and singing backing vocals. In 1997 he was one of the finalists on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
talent show Stars in Their Eyes
Stars In Their Eyes
Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
, where he impersonated Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
singing We Have All the Time in the World
We Have All the Time in the World
"We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme and popular song sung by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the title theme being the instrumental "On...
. Allen has toured with the groups The Sound of the Platters and The Jazz Quarterbacks. He has also played the part of Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
in a 1996/1997 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of the musical The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
which also toured the UK. In 1999, during a visit to Sierra Leone, he was held hostage for one day by one of the warring parts in a Sierra Leone civil war. Allen was recommended to fellow Britons Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
by a recording studio he had worked for, which led to recording several songs with them, live performances and eventually a solo single released in 2000 through Basement Jaxx's label, Atlantic Jaxx
Atlantic Jaxx
Atlantic Jaxx is a record company founded and owned by electronica / house music duo Basement Jaxx.- Artists include :* Afrofiesta* Gwyn Jay Allen...
. In 2002 he was the opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for American gospel singer Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
at a concert Franklin held at Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. Allen has also produced a live recording CD together with his band called I Love Louis. The recording session took place at the Dorchester Hotel
Dorchester Hotel
The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...
in London, where his band had played for many years. Allen has also written a musical together with Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters
Clarke Peters is an American actor, singer, writer and director best known for his role as Detective Lester Freamon on the HBO drama The Wire.-Early life:...
called Satchmo, choreographed and played the lead in Strangers, and produced and co-written Less Stife More Life. He has worked as a session vocalist and percussionist for Sony Music, Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and Real World Music. As a television actor he has been on EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992...
and Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
. Currently he combines his day-time job as an interior decorator and architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
with occasional performances. Allen is married and has two sons.