Harley Allen

Harley Lee Allen

(1956-01-23)January 23, 1956
Dayton, Ohio, United States

March 30, 2011(2011-03-30) (aged 55)
Brentwood, Tennessee, United States

Country, bluegrass

Singer-songwriter

Guitar, mandolin

1970s–1990s

Folkways, PolyGram, Rounder

Early life[edit]

Allen was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of bluegrass performer Red Allen.

Career[edit]

Allen appeared on several 1970s albums with his brothers as the Allen Brothers: Allengrass (Lemco Records), Sweet Rumors (Rounder Records), Clara's Boys (Rounder Records), Are You Feeling It Too (Folkways Records), Red Allen Favorites (King Bluegrass Records). He recorded three solo albums, Across The Blueridge Mountains (Folkways, 1983), Another River (PolyGram, 1996) and Live At The Bluebird (2001).


He was most known for providing background vocals on the song "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. He won two Grammy Awards for that recording in 2002, in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and Album of the Year categories.


Allen performed on two bluegrass tribute albums for the British rock band the Moody Blues: Moody Bluegrass: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues (2004), and Moody Bluegrass TWO... Much Love (2011).[2][3] The latter album was released after Allen's death.

Personal life[edit]

Allen is survived by his three brothers, Ronnie, Greg and Mark Allen; his sister, Delores Allen; his wife, Debbie Nims; their two daughters, Katelyn and Maggie; and son, Aaron.[4]

Death[edit]

Allen died of lung cancer on March 30, 2011, at his home in Brentwood, Tennessee.[5]

("Bourbon Borderline", "The Devil's Candy", "I Just Got Back From Hell", Learning To Live With Me", "Tough Little Boys")

Gary Allan

("My Last Name")

Dierks Bentley

("Rollin'")

Garth Brooks

("Cowgirl")

Tracy Byrd

("Pass It On", "She's Mine")

John Conlee

("Like My Dog")

Billy Currington

("Keep Her While She's There", "Never Grow Up Boy")

The Del McCoury Band

("Something I Do For Me")

Joe Diffie

("New Faces in the Field")

Ty England

("Another Good Reason", "Between the Devil and Me", "Everything I Love", "I Slipped And Fell in Love", "I Still Love You", "Life Or Love", "Meat And Potato Man", "The Angels Cried", "Who I Am")

Alan Jackson

("The Man He Was")

George Jones

("For Years")

Sammy Kershaw

("No Easy Road")

Hal Ketchum

("It Doesn't Matter")

Alison Krauss & Union Station

("That's Why They Call It Cheatin'")

Jake Mathews

("Live It")

Kathy Mattea

("Cool", "December 1943", "I Wanna Be There", "The Little Girl")

John Michael Montgomery

("Paradise")

Craig Morgan

("I'll Wait for You", "If Nobody Believed in You")

Joe Nichols

("High Sierra")

Linda Ronstadt

Shannon Walker ("That's Why God Made Me", "Mommy All The Time", "His Father's Son", "Before I Let You Go", "Walk Out of the Rain")

("The Baby", "The Bartender", "When Somebody Knows You That Well")

Blake Shelton

("That's Why God Made Me")

Daryle Singletary

("A Simple Life", "Spread A Little Love Around")

Ricky Skaggs

("Seven Wonders")

Darden Smith

("I Had One One Time")

Josh Turner

("In Your Loneliness", "When Love Arrives")

Rhonda Vincent

("Gulf Shore Line")

Don Williams

("Still Waiting")

Mark Wills

("Awful, Beautiful Life", "Spread A Little Love Around")

Darryl Worley

("Stray Dogs & Alley Cats")

Lonesome River Band

("Merry Christmas,Ho Ho Ho")

Ronnie Bowman

("Nobody Hops A Train Anymore")

Melonie Cannon

The Allen Brothers ("Wildwood Flower Blues")

Britt Ballenger ("Make You Mine", "A Simple Life")

("Mama's Room")

Sister Sadie

The singles/songs written or co-written by Allen have been, among others, performed by:

Harley Allen discography on Folkways