Background
He was born in Uchee, Alabama, and grew up in Chicago before moving to Detroit in 1936.
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Johnny Allen
Edit ProfileCareer
A self-taught pianist, his chief influence was Earl Hines. From the early 1940s, he worked as musical director at the Club Congo, a nightclub in the basement of the Norwood Hotel, where he led a 12-piece band that played at dances and accompanied visiting acts such as Billie Holiday and the Mills Brothers. He first worked for Motown in 1959, and wrote arrangements for the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes among others
He later worked for the Stax label, working with leading musicians such as the Staple Singers, the Dramatics and Isaac Hayes.
Allen continued to perform with small jazz groups in Detroit until he was in his nineties. He died at Henry Ford Hospital of complications from pneumonia, at the age of 96.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
January 29, 2014 (aged 96) -
Nationality
American