Deborah Allen (born
Deborah Lynn Thurmond on September 30 1953 in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
) is an American
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer. Since 1976, Allen has issued nine albums and charted 14 singles on the
Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, most notably the 1983 crossover hit "Baby I Lied" which reached #4 on the country charts and #26 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Allen has also written top ten singles for
Janie FrickeJanie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
,
Patty LovelessPatty Loveless is an American country music singer....
,
Tanya TuckerTanya Denise Tucker is an American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, and
The WhitesThe Whites are an American country music vocal group consisting of lead singer Sharon White, her sister Cheryl, and their father Buck. In the 1980s they scored hits with songs including "You Put The Blue In Me," "Hangin' Around," "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling," "Pins and Needles," "If It...
.
Allen was born Deborah Lynn Thurmond in
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
and was strongly influenced by
Patsy ClinePatsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
.
Deborah Allen (born
Deborah Lynn Thurmond on September 30 1953 in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
) is an American
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer. Since 1976, Allen has issued nine albums and charted 14 singles on the
Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, most notably the 1983 crossover hit "Baby I Lied" which reached #4 on the country charts and #26 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Allen has also written top ten singles for
Janie FrickeJanie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
,
Patty LovelessPatty Loveless is an American country music singer....
,
Tanya TuckerTanya Denise Tucker is an American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
, and
The WhitesThe Whites are an American country music vocal group consisting of lead singer Sharon White, her sister Cheryl, and their father Buck. In the 1980s they scored hits with songs including "You Put The Blue In Me," "Hangin' Around," "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling," "Pins and Needles," "If It...
.
Early Life & Rise to Fame
Allen was born Deborah Lynn Thurmond in
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
and was strongly influenced by
Patsy ClinePatsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
. It was at the young age of 17, that Allen decided to pursue a country music career, and she then moved to
Nashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
, the hometown of Country music. Here, she followed the basic tradition of what most rising country stars did, and became a waitress at the local IHOP restaurant. While working here, she met
Roy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter and musician, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly / country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records...
. Orbison liked Allen's voice, and he decided to hire Allen as a background singer. She also worked at the
OprylandOpryland could mean:* Opryland USA - defunct theme park located in Nashville, Tennessee* Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center - formerly known as "Opryland Hotel", located in Nashville, Tennessee...
theme park. She soon landed a gig as a singer and dancer in
Tennessee Ernie FordErnest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country & western, pop and gospel musical genres.- Early years :...
's tour. It was soon evident that Allen wanted to pursue a
soloIn music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career.
Allen finally got the chance to pursue a singing career in her own right. She served as an opening act for
Jim StaffordJames Wayne "Jim" Stafford is an American comedian, musician, and singer-songwriter, prominent in the 1970s. Stafford is self-taught on guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ and harmonica....
. In 1979, Allen was handpicked by
Jim ReevesJames Travis Reeves was an American country and pop music singer-songwriter popular in the 1950s and 1960s who also gained a wide international following for his pioneering smooth Nashville sound. Known as Gentleman Jim, his songs continued to chart for years following his death at age 40 in a...
' wife to sing on some of Reeves' unfinished duet tracks. These songs were "
Don't Let Me Cross Over"Don't Let Me Cross Over" is a song made famous as a duet by Carl Butler and Pearl, a husband-and-wife country music duo. Originally released in November 1962, the song needed just four weeks to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.The song eventually spent 11 weeks at No...
", "
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight"Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" is a popular song, published in 1925, written by Benny Davis, Joe Burke, and Mark Fisher.The song is considered a pop standard, and has been recorded by many people, among them Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Glenda Collins, and a Jim Reeves/Deborah Allen duet....
", and "Take Me In Your Arms and Hold Me". All three songs were released as singles for Reeves' old record company,
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
, and all three made the top 10 on the Country charts.
Career peak: 1980s
In 1980, Allen was able to sign with
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
. Her debut album under the label was 1980's
Trouble in ParadiseTrouble In Paradise is a 1980 album by Deborah Allen and released by Capitol Records. This was Allen's first studio album.-Track Listings:All songs by Deborah Allen and Rafe Von Hoy.# Nobody's Fool# If I Had Known Then# Don't Stop Lovin' Me...
. Although the album wasn't too much of a success, the album did produce some minor hits for Allen, including "Nobody's Fool" and "You Make Me Wonder Why". "You Make Me Wonder Why" was Allen's highest charting single from the album, peaking at #20. She released a couple of other unsuccessful singles, including "You Look Like the One I Love" and "After Tonight". "After Tonight" only peaked at #82 on the Country charts in 1982.
Allen soon switched record companies after finding no success under Capitol. In 1983, she moved over to
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
, where she ended up having her biggest success. It all started with releasing the album
Cheat the NightCheat The Night is an EP by country and pop musician Deborah Allen. It peaked at #67 on the Billboard Charts. It features her two best-known hits of the 80s, Baby I Lied and I've Been Wrong Before.-Track listing:#Baby I Lied...
in 1983. The first single released from the album came the same year with her signature song, "Baby I Lied." On the Country charts, it was a Top 5 hit, peaking at #4. It was also a Pop chart
crossoverCrossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
, reaching #26 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in January 1984. It even went as far to become a hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Overnight, Allen was turned into a major Country Music star, from waiting tables in
NashvilleNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
, to performing at the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
. Allen followed up the success of her crossover hit quite well with the Country hit "I've Been Wrong Before," which just missed topping the Country charts in the spring of 1984. Later that year, "I Hurt For You," also from Allen's breakthrough album, became her most recent top 10 country hit, reaching #10. All her hits were co-written by Allen and her husband Rafe Van Hoy, a rarity for
Country PopCountry pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
-styled singers. In 1984, the two continued their collaboration together, with the song "Let Me Be There First", which used electronic instrumentation. In 1984, Allen also had a minor hit with the song "Heartache and a Half".
In 1987, Allen released a single penned by
PrincePrince Rogers Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He performs under the mononym Prince but has also been known by various other names, most notably the unpronounceable symbol which he used as his stage name between 1993 and 2000...
called "Telepathy". An album of the same name was also released, which showed even more electronic instrumentation. All this experimenting with
electronic instrumentationAn electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker....
led to Allen's fans lessening, and soon enough she was alienated from her Country audience. After the release of the 1987 single "You're the Kind of Trouble",
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
dropped Allen from the label.
Comeback & Life Today
Soon, Allen was left without a recording contract, with no way to make a living. However, Allen and Van Hoy were able to write as
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
s. Together they penned the
Janie FrickeJanie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
hit "
Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby"Don't Worry 'bout Me Baby" is a song made famous by country music singer Janie Fricke. The song was released in 1982 and became her first solo Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart that summer....
" and also the
Tanya TuckerTanya Denise Tucker is an American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
hit "Can I See You Tonight", among other hits.
However, during her free time, Allen was putting together a comeback album called
Delta DreamlandDelta Dreamland is a 1993 album by Deborah Allen and released by Warner Bros. Records. It marked the comeback of Allen as a singer.- Track listing :All songs written by Rafe VanHoy and Deborah Allen, except where noted.# Delta Dreamland 4:21...
. She used her own time and her own
moneyMoney is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store of value, and occasionally, a standard of deferred payment...
to put together the album. Soon, however, she was able to make a deal with Giant Records to release the album under their label in 1993. That same year, she had a Top 30 hit from the album with the song "Rock Me (In the Cradle of Love)". She also had one other charting single from the album. The album showed Allen as a new person, with a more sexier image and a bluesy new style. Her 1994 album,
All That I Am, ended up being the same result. Since the release of her two albums, Allen remained a popular
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
in Nashville.
In addition to her personal albums, Allen contributed to the soundtrack of the 1993 film "
The Thing Called LoveThe Thing Called Love is a Peter Bogdanovich comedy-drama movie released in 1993. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."The movie stars Samantha Mathis as Miranda Presley , who comes from New York City to Nashville, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe. She is not invited to perform, but...
". She sings a rollicking version of the closing song "Blame It On Your Heart" (also covered by Patty Loveless) and the memorable
Don SchlitzDonald Alan Schlitz, Jr. is a country music songwriter. For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz has earned two Grammys, as well as four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards...
ballad "Ready and Waiting".
Deborah has also recently released two cds through Her website. "Raw" and "Hands On" are now considered collectors items.
Studio albums
| Year |
Album details |
Chart positions |
| US Country |
US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
| 1980 |
Trouble in Paradise Trouble In Paradise is a 1980 album by Deborah Allen and released by Capitol Records. This was Allen's first studio album.-Track Listings:All songs by Deborah Allen and Rafe Von Hoy.# Nobody's Fool# If I Had Known Then# Don't Stop Lovin' Me...
- Released: 1980
- Label: Capitol
Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
|
— |
— |
| 1983 |
Cheat the Night Cheat The Night is an EP by country and pop musician Deborah Allen. It peaked at #67 on the Billboard Charts. It features her two best-known hits of the 80s, Baby I Lied and I've Been Wrong Before.-Track listing:#Baby I Lied...
Released: 1983
Label: RCARCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
|
10 |
67 |
| 1984 |
Let Me Be the First
Released: 1984
Label: RCA |
52 |
— |
| 1987 |
Telepathy
Released: 1987
Label: RCA |
— |
— |
| 1993 |
Delta Dreamland Delta Dreamland is a 1993 album by Deborah Allen and released by Warner Bros. Records. It marked the comeback of Allen as a singer.- Track listing :All songs written by Rafe VanHoy and Deborah Allen, except where noted.# Delta Dreamland 4:21...
Released: February 1993
Label: Giant |
55 |
— |
| 1994 |
All That I Am
Released: July 1994
Label: Giant |
— |
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Compilation albums
| Year |
Album details |
| 1998 |
Anthology
- Released: October 13, 1998
- Label: Renaissance
|
| 2000 |
The Best of Deborah Allen
Released: August 29, 2000
Label: Curb Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973 Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of MGM and Verve Records...
|
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Peak chart positions |
Album |
| US Country Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
|
CAN Country |
| 1976 |
"Do You Copy" |
— |
— |
non-album single |
| 1980 |
"You (Make Me Wonder Why)" |
20 |
— |
| "Nobody's Fool" |
24 |
— |
Trouble in Paradise |
| 1981 |
"Next to You" |
— |
— |
| "You Look Like (The One I Love)" |
33 |
— |
non-album singles |
| 1982 |
"After Tonight" |
82 |
— |
| "Don't Stop Lovin' Me" |
— |
— |
Trouble in Paradise |
| 1983 |
"Baby I Lied"[A] |
4 |
— |
Cheat the Night |
| "I've Been Wrong Before" |
2 |
1 |
| 1984 |
"I Hurt for You" |
10 |
17 |
| "Rockin' Little Christmas" |
— |
— |
non-album single |
| "Heartache and a Half" |
23 |
25 |
Let Me Be the First |
| 1987 |
"Telepathy" (with PrincePrince Rogers Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He performs under the mononym Prince but has also been known by various other names, most notably the unpronounceable symbol which he used as his stage name between 1993 and 2000...
) |
— |
— |
Telepathy |
| "You're the Kind of Trouble" |
— |
— |
| 1992 |
"Rock Me (In the Cradle of Love)" |
29 |
50 |
Delta Dreamland |
| 1993 |
"If You're Not Gonna Love Me" |
44 |
61 |
| "All the Loving and Hurting Too" |
— |
— |
| 1994 |
"Break These Chains" |
66 |
— |
All That I Am |
| "Wrong Side of Love" |
— |
— |
| 1999 |
"Is It Love Yet" |
— |
— |
The Best of Deborah Allen |
| 2009 |
"There's a Last Time for Everything" |
— |
— |
non-album single |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |
^ "Baby I Lied" also peaked at #26 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #10 on the AC chart.