Harley Allen
Encyclopedia
Harley Lee Allen was an American
bluegrass
and country
singer and songwriter
.
, the son of the bluegrass
performer Red Allen
.
1983), "Another River" (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 Award
s for that recording in 2002, in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
and Album of the Year
categories.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Early life
He was born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, the son of the bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
performer Red Allen
Red Allen (bluegrass)
Harley Allen , better known as Red Allen, was an American bluegrass singer and guitarist known for his powerful tenor voice.-Biography:...
.
Film career
Allen appeared on several 1970s albums with his brothers as The Allen Brothers. He recorded three solo albums, "Across the Blueridge Mountains" (Folkways RecordsFolkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
1983), "Another River" (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
Man of Constant Sorrow
"Man of Constant Sorrow" is a traditional American folk song first recorded by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, c. 1913. An early version was recorded by Emry Arthur in 1928...
" from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Soundtrack
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the soundtrack of music from the 2000 American film of the same name, written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Goodman....
. He won two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for that recording in 2002, in the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together...
and Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
categories.
Personal life
Allen is married to singer Debbie Nims and they have two daughters, Katie and Maggie and a son, Aaron.Songs written
The singles/songs written or co-written by Allen are, among others, performed by:- Gary AllanGary AllanGary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...
("Bourbon Borderline", "The Devil's Candy", "I Just Got Back From Hell", Learning To Live With Me", "Tough Little BoysTough Little Boys"Tough Little Boys" is the first single released from Gary Allan's 2003 album See If I Care. The song reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in October of 2003, becoming Allan's second straight No. 1 single.-Content:...
") - Dierks BentleyDierks BentleyDierks Bentley is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip...
("My Last Name") - Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
("Rollin'") - Tracy Byrd ("Cowgirl")
- John ConleeJohn ConleeJohn Conlee is an American country music singer. Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of thirty-two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and recorded eleven studio albums...
("Pass It On", "She's Mine") - The Del McCoury Band ("Keep Her While She's There", "Never Grow Up Boy")
- Joe DiffieJoe DiffieJoe Logan Diffie is an American country music singer known for his ballads and novelty songs. Between 1990 and 2004, Diffie charted 35 cuts on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including five number one singles: his debut release "Home", "If the Devil Danced ", "Third Rock from the Sun",...
("Something I Do For Me") - Ty EnglandTy EnglandGary Tyler "Ty" England is an American country music singer and guitarist. Initially a member of Garth Brooks' band, England began his solo career in 1995, recording a self-titled debut album on RCA Records. A second album, Two Ways to Fall, followed in 1996...
("New Faces In The Field") - Alan JacksonAlan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
("Another Good Reason", "Between the Devil and MeBetween the Devil and Me"Between the Devil and Me" is the title of a country music song co-written by Harley Allen and Carson Chamberlain. It was recorded by American singer Alan Jackson on his 1996 album Everything I Love, from which it was released in late 1997 as the album's fifth single. It peaked at number two on the...
", "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") - George JonesGeorge JonesGeorge Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
("The Man He Was") - Sammy KershawSammy KershawSamuel Paul "Sammy" Kershaw is an American country music artist. A third cousin of Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw and ex-husband of Lorrie Morgan, he has been active in country music since 1991. He has released ten studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications...
("For Years") - Hal KetchumHal KetchumHal Michael Ketchum is an American country music artist. He has released ten studio albums since 1986, including nine for the Curb and Asylum-Curb labels. Ketchum's 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold by the Recording Industry...
("No Easy Road" - Alison Krauss & Union StationAlison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
("It Doesn't Matter") - Jake MathewsJake MathewsJake Mathews is a country music singer, songwriter and performer.-Career:Jake's self-titled debut CD garnered six nationally charted hits: "I’ll Do You One Better," "Try Again Tomorrow," "That’s How Long," "Rush," "I’m Gone" and "There Ain’t No Such Thing."His second CD, Time After Time,...
("That's Why They Call It Cheatin'") - Kathy MatteaKathy MatteaKathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
("Live It") - John Michael MontgomeryJohn Michael MontgomeryJohn Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "...
("Cool", "December 1943", "I Wanna Be There", "The Little GirlThe Little Girl"The Little Girl" is a song written by Harley Allen and recorded by American country music artist John Michael Montgomery. The song features harmony vocals by bluegrass musicians Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski, both members of Alison Krauss and Union Station. It was released in August 2000 as the...
") - Craig Morgan ("Paradise")
- Joe Nichols ("I'll Wait for YouI'll Wait for You"I'll Wait for You" is a single by American country music artist Joe Nichols. Released in July 2006, the single reached a peak position of #7 on the U.S. Billoard Hot Country Songs chart, and a peak of #71 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100....
", "If Nobody Believed In You") - Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
("High Sierra") - Shannon WalkerShannon WalkerShannon Walker is an American scientist and a NASA astronaut, whose first space mission was Expedition 24 on the International Space Station with take-off on 15 June 2010. She is married to a fellow NASA astronaut, the Australian-born Andy Thomas...
("That's Why God Made Me", "Mommy All The Time", "His Father's Son", "Before I Let You Go", "Walk Out Of The Rain") - Blake SheltonBlake SheltonBlake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
("The BabyThe Baby"The Baby" is a song sung by country music singer-songwriter Blake Shelton. The song became Blake's second number-one hit, where it remained for three weeks in early 2003. It was the lead-off single to his second album, 2003's The Dreamer.-Content:...
", "The Bartender", "When Somebody Knows You That Well") - Daryle SingletaryDaryle SingletaryDaryle Bruce Singletary is an American country music singer. Between 1995 and 1998, he recorded for Giant Records, for which he released three studio albums: Daryle Singletary in 1995, All Because of You in 1996 and Ain't It the Truth in 1998...
("That's Why God Made Me") - Ricky SkaggsRicky SkaggsRickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
("A Simple Life", "Spread A Little Love Around") - Josh TurnerJosh TurnerJoshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
("I Had One One Time") - Rhonda VincentRhonda VincentRhonda Lea Vincent is a bluegrass singer, songwriter, mandolin player, guitarist, and fiddle player.Her musical career started as a child in her family's band, The Sally Mountain Show, and has spanned almost four decades...
("In Your Loneliness", "When Love Arrives") - Don WilliamsDon WilliamsDon Williams , is an American country singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971,...
("Gulf Shore Line") - Mark WillsMark WillsDaryl Mark Williams is an American country music artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute and And the Crowd Goes Wild — as well...
("Still Waiting") - Darryl WorleyDarryl WorleyDarryl Wade Worley is an American country music artist. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2000, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last , I Miss My Friend , Have You Forgotten? , and Darryl Worley in 2004...
("Awful, Beautiful LifeAwful, Beautiful Life"Awful, Beautiful Life" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Darryl Worley. It was co-written with Harley Allen. It was released in June 2004 as the lead single from Worley's fourth, self-titled studio album. The song became his third and most recent No...
", "Spread A Little Love Around")