Annisteen Allen

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Annisteen Allen (born November 11, 1920 in Champaign , Illinois as Ernestine Letitia Allen , † August 10, 1992 in Harlem , New York City ) was an American blues and rhythm and blues singer. As a soloist she recorded for King (from 1951 to 1953), Capitol (1954/55) and Decca (1956/57).

Life

Allen grew up in Toledo (Ohio) and recorded his first songs in 1945, the interpretation of which was influenced by Ella Fitzgerald , "Miss Annie's Blues" and the standard " Love for Sale ". She then sang in the late 1940s with Big John Greer , Wynonie Harris and Lucky Millinder , with whom she toured; 1945/46 released for Syd Nathan's label Queen Records under the title Annisteen Allen & Her Home Town Boys with members of the Millinder Band; This was followed by recordings of songs such as "More, More, More", "Let It Roll", "Moanin 'The Blues" and "I'll Never Be Free" for Decca Records and RCA Victor . In 1953 the King label released "Baby I'm Doin It", an ironic answer to the hit "Baby Don't Do It" by the 5 Royales . Although the single hit # 8 on the R&B sales charts, the King label dropped the deal in 1954 because it was sued for copyright infringement on Baby, I'm Doin It. Allen moved to Capitol and toured with Joe Morris and His Blues Cavalcade and The Orioles . In 1955 she brought out the successful track "Fujiyama Mama", which was soon covered by Eileen Barton and in 1957 by Wanda Jackson . At the end of the decade she released a few singles for smaller labels like Todd , Warwick and Wig Records before she retired from the music business and took a job in the administration of a hospital. On free weekends in 1961, she recorded an album with King Curtis and his band for the Tru-Sound label , which was released under the title "Let It Roll" under her maiden name Ernestine Allen.

Discographic notes

Studio albums:

  • "Let It Roll" (1961)

Compilations:

  • Annisteen Allen 1945-1953 ( Classics )
  • Fuyijama Mama (CAPITOL / PATHE MARCONI, 1986)
  • Fuyijama Mama - About to Blow My Top (Rev-Ola CRBAND 8, ed. 2006)

Lexigraphic entry

  • Komara, Edward (ed.) (2006), Encyclopedia of the Blues , Routledge

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Billboard March 14, 1953, p. 47
  2. ^ Billboard October 17, 1953, p. 19
personal data
SURNAME Allen, Annisteen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Allen, Ernestine Letitia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American blues and rhythm and blues singer
DATE OF BIRTH November 11, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Champaign , Illinois , United States
DATE OF DEATH August 10, 1992
Place of death Harlem , New York City , New York , United States