Lee Allen (musician)
Encyclopedia
Lee Allen was an American tenor saxophone
player born in Pittsburg, Kansas
.
A key figure in the New Orleans rock and roll scene of the 1950s, Allen recorded with many leading performers of the early rock and roll
era. He was semi-retired from music by the late '60s, but in the late '70s, returned to music intermittently until the end of his life.
, Allen played saxophone from his childhood. A combined athletics and music scholarship from Xavier University
led to his relocating to New Orleans in 1943.
He fell into the city's thriving music scene, performing or recording with dozens of musicians in the early days of rock music
and rhythm and blues
. In 1947, he joined the Paul Gayten
Band and later, the Dave Bartholomew
's Band. Notable are his recording with singers Fats Domino
and Lloyd Price
; Allen also was the sax soloist on most of Little Richard
's epochal hits from 1955 and '56. His own instrumental
song "Walkin' With Mr. Lee", on the Ember
label, was a minor hit in 1958 due in part to its frequent play on the television program American Bandstand
.
By the mid-1960s, Allen saw the city of New Orleans no longer the recording mecca it was for almost a decade so he soon followed drummer Earl Palmer
's lead and moved to southern California in 1965, performing only occasionally on tours with Fats Domino. He found work at an aircraft manufacturing plant by day and also fell easily into the healthy and thriving R & B scene by night . The rockabilly
revival of the late 1970s found younger musicians seeking Allen's distinctive saxophone. He recorded with the Stray Cats
, and was an invaluable mentor and eventual member of The Blasters
. Allen recorded with them on all of their albums (excepting the Rollin' Rock debut) from their second and all subsequent releases on Slash/Warner Bros. He also toured with them from the early '80s until he died in 1994. He played three shows in October 1981 with the Rolling Stones: on October first at the Metrocenter (Rockford, Illinois
), and on the third and the fourth at Folsom Field
(Boulder, Colorado
). According to Ian McLagan
, who played keyboards with the Stones on the 1981 Tattoo You
tour, Allen was so bewildered by playing with the Stones for over 80,000 people in attendance "he [Allen] completely choked up". Audio recordings of the shows confirm McLagan. Allen was replaced by Ernie Watts
for the remainder of the tour.
After Allen's death, Blasters member Dave Alvin
dedicated the song "Mister Lee" to Allen.
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
player born in Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, in southeastern Kansas, United States. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and in southeastern Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,233.-History:...
.
A key figure in the New Orleans rock and roll scene of the 1950s, Allen recorded with many leading performers of the early rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
era. He was semi-retired from music by the late '60s, but in the late '70s, returned to music intermittently until the end of his life.
Biography
Raised largely in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Allen played saxophone from his childhood. A combined athletics and music scholarship from Xavier University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana , located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education...
led to his relocating to New Orleans in 1943.
He fell into the city's thriving music scene, performing or recording with dozens of musicians in the early days of rock music
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
. In 1947, he joined the Paul Gayten
Paul Gayten
Paul Gayten was an American R&B bandleader, pianist, songwriter, producer and record company executive.-Career:Gayten was born in Kentwood, Louisiana, the nephew of blues pianist Little Brother Montgomery...
Band and later, the Dave Bartholomew
Dave Bartholomew
Dave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century...
's Band. Notable are his recording with singers Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
and Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...
; Allen also was the sax soloist on most of Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
's epochal hits from 1955 and '56. His own instrumental
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which features very little or no singing.Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
song "Walkin' With Mr. Lee", on the Ember
Ember Records
Ember Records was the name of two record labels of the 1950s and 1960s, one American and one British.-1950s to 60s:In the late 1950s, the eccentric avid jazz fan Jeffrey Kruger, owner of the famous Flamingo Jazz Club, was looking for a new challenge...
label, was a minor hit in 1958 due in part to its frequent play on the television program American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
.
By the mid-1960s, Allen saw the city of New Orleans no longer the recording mecca it was for almost a decade so he soon followed drummer Earl Palmer
Earl Palmer
Earl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
's lead and moved to southern California in 1965, performing only occasionally on tours with Fats Domino. He found work at an aircraft manufacturing plant by day and also fell easily into the healthy and thriving R & B scene by night . The rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
revival of the late 1970s found younger musicians seeking Allen's distinctive saxophone. He recorded with the Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
, and was an invaluable mentor and eventual member of The Blasters
The Blasters
The Blasters are a rock and roll music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin and Dave Alvin , with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had...
. Allen recorded with them on all of their albums (excepting the Rollin' Rock debut) from their second and all subsequent releases on Slash/Warner Bros. He also toured with them from the early '80s until he died in 1994. He played three shows in October 1981 with the Rolling Stones: on October first at the Metrocenter (Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
), and on the third and the fourth at Folsom Field
Folsom Field
Folsom Field is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Colorado, at Boulder, Colorado. Opened in 1924, it is the home field of the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pacific-12 Conference; until July 2011, Colorado was a member of the Big 12 Conference. The horseshoe-shaped stadium...
(Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
). According to Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
, who played keyboards with the Stones on the 1981 Tattoo You
Tattoo You
Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. The follow-up to Emotional Rescue, it proved to be a big critical and commercial success...
tour, Allen was so bewildered by playing with the Stones for over 80,000 people in attendance "he [Allen] completely choked up". Audio recordings of the shows confirm McLagan. Allen was replaced by Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts
Ernest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
for the remainder of the tour.
After Allen's death, Blasters member Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin
Dave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
dedicated the song "Mister Lee" to Allen.