During my first day @ the CMA Festival in June '11 I was meeting men in country music, my second day seemed to be filled with women. One of the lovely songbirds I was fortunate to meet was the talented and beautiful Deborah Allen. I had heard her in nearby interview booths in the Media Room with high chirpy charisma, vocal chords per-
forming and laughter loud enough to penetrate through other interviews going on.
So, when finally meeting her I knew this was not going to be a quiet, tight-lipped interview!
I was not disappointed! Deborah has one of those
personalities and energy levels that makes you smile. When she is in the room a glow follows her. Yes, Deborah was born with star appeal.
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and artist Deborah is someone not writing and performing an album straight out of nowhere....... this talented lady has written or co-written over 1000 songs for well-known country artists, like Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Patty Loveless, Tanya Tucker, Iasac Hayes, Brooks & Dunn and LeAnn Rimes! She had been hired by George Kline to work on his talent/dance show "The Elvis Hour." Not only well-versed, but this woman was one of the wedding singers for the recent nuptical event for Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton's wedding. With many many other credits under her belt I felt I was in presence of a country legend even though she didn't appear to be anywhere near legend age!
Her newest album, "Anything For Love," is due out right around the corner, August 18. Her up-and-growing hit "Amazing Graceland" will power this album out right at the same time people will be thinking Graceland......... it will be during Elvis Week in Memphis starting Aug. 10. Allen remembers as a child driving past Graceland all the time with cousins and friends. So, it's no coincidence that she felt led to write a ballad as a tribute to Elvis, his music dear to her musical heart. She wrote this song just after feeling Elvis' spirit as she walked through Graceland recently.
When I asked her how to describe her music, her smiling response was, "It's somewhere between Memphis & Nashville." This is felt in her two chart-climbing ballads "Amazing Graceland" and her cover single "Anything For Love." She has already been touted by critics with a better-than-ever vocal sound right now.
She gave me a great acappella performance with a fun song, "It Better Be Big." This number was about getting (or someone who better get) a big engagement ring (they) had earned. I questioned her about how she could be so full of ideas for so much songwriting. Her answer? She asked me to hum any tune......... putting little me on the spot...... I did......she hummed with me, and created words that just came off the tongue with the sound of my "tune." Amazing!
Finally, I asked her what she felt was her favorite or best talent and she said, "Definitely, songwriting. It gives me longevity."
Deborah Allen is beautiful, sweet, fun, happy, talented and me thinks she will be around for many many more years, giving her many reasons to feel that longevity working. I can't wait for the CD to come out!
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