Career
At one point a cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, she got her start performing in the bands Hi-Octane,Trama and Maxx. During her tenure with MAXX she was courted by Alan Walden (Capricorn Records/Hustler Productions) before launching a solo career. She also sang backup on tour for Gloria Estefan for nine years.
Her first disc was the Lou Pace-produced 1986 album, Perfect Timing, and over the next few years she launched several hits on the United States Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart.
She had two Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom Chart with "Serious" (1987, #8) and "Joy and Pain" (1989, #10). 1995"s "Real", her last United States chart hit, was taken from the soundtrack to the Sylvester Stallone film The Specialist.
The United Kingdom dance act Strike used her chorus hook line from "Serious", as the basis for their club hit, "U Sure Do" released in 1994. In 2009, "He is the Joy" appeared on the Precious soundtrack.
In 2013, she made an attempted comeback by competing in Season 5 of National Broadcasting Company"s singing competition, On the inaugural day of the season, broadcast on September 23, 2013, she performed Joe Cocker"s song "You Are So Beautiful" with two of the four judges, namely Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera, hitting their "I Want You" button and turning their chairs.
Allen opted to be in Team Adam for the season.
