A Few Moments with Deborah Allen
It seems as if even Deborah Allen shakes her head in wonder when she thinks back on her amazing, multi-faceted career. Starting in Memphis, she worked with Elvis’s pal, George Klein, as a WHBQ-Cutie on his television show. These days, she hosts her own radio show on Sirius/XM’s Prime Country channel. Between now and then, she has been a singer, songwriter, producer, and above all a fan. She still loves making music. We caught up with her en route from Eugene, Oregon, where she’d just played a sold out show with Pam Tillis, to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. She shares a few of her stories here and saves some more for the Country Cruise.
So much music has come from Memphis, but very little of it has been country. What did you listen to when you were growing up?
We got the Wilburn Brothers’ TV show and the Porter Wagoner Show, so I heard country music, but I was very influenced by Memphis R&B and Soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll, too. My parents ran an upholstery shop and we upholstered Elvis’s limo. When I was three years old, I camped out in Elvis’s limo! Every girl’s dream! But I loved it all. Al Green, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis. What I heard was a mish-mash of different styles, and it all went to make up my style. So many of those songs that Porter and Dolly and the Wilburns’ guests sang had so much substance. I learned so much from them.
What gave you the incentive to move to Nashville?
George Klein was very supportive. He said I needed to be in Nashville. Stick my toe in showbiz. The person who really changed my life in Nashville was Shel Silverstein, who wrote “Boy Named Sue,” and so many great hits. He came down to see me. I’d been to Russia with Tennessee Ernie Ford and I’d worked out at the Opry, and I was singing in downtown Nashville. I asked him, “What do you think?” He said, “You got a great voice, but there’s a lot of great singers. Have you ever thought about writing songs?” He said, “Remember, the sun doesn’t shine on the same dog’s back every day.” He was telling me to make sure I could do more than one thing. He changed my life.
You met Roy Orbison and his cowriter, Joe Melson, at IHOP?
I did. I was by myself in a dark red dress, red fingernails. I saw this strange looking guy in a booth. I thought, “He’s GOT to be in the music business.” I slid into the booth, and I said, “Excuse me, you must be in the insurance business.” Joe Melson says, “We’re in the music business.” I said, “That’s great. I’m a singer!” I was so innocent, so naïve in many ways. They opened up and were so supportive. I didn’t have a phone but I heard that Joe was trying to get in touch. They wanted me to sing back-up on one of Roy’s sessions. I’d have done it just for the experience, but I got eighty-seven dollars per song.
Your first hits were duets with Jim Reeves where you added your voice to some songs Jim had recorded before he died. How did it feel, hearing his voice come through the headphones?
It was such an honor to be chosen to do those duets. The one that really moved me wasn’t one of the hits. It was “When Two Worlds Collide.” We did it at Woodland Sound with all the lights down except one over the music stand. When I heard the playback and heard and Jim and me singing together, I got chills all over. I could feel Jim’s spirit there. I knew I was singing with a legend. We did another one, “Don’t Make Me Cross Over,” that was pitched really high. I was writing a song with Dolly Parton’s sister, Freda, and we heard it on the radio. She said, “Durn, you sound just like Dolly!” I said if I’d had to have an operation to get that high, I would have.
“Don’t Worry ‘bout Me Baby” was your first Number One hit, but for Janie Fricke, not you. Even so, it must have been gratifying to know you could write a Number One hit.
It was! I was doing back-up vocals on a session. Bruce Channel (who had a big hit with “Hey, Baby” in 1962) and Kieran Kane (later of the O’Kanes) were doing back-ups with me. We were waiting around and we started that song while we were waiting. Then they called us in. I called Bruce later and said, “Let’s finish that song.” I was on Capitol Records at the time, and I sang it for the label head, and he said, “You know, artists don’t really do their own songs anymore.” I thought “Wh-a-a-a-t?” Then I played for a genius producer Don Gant and he said, “Janie Fricke’s doing a session right now.” We drove over and Don said, “I got you a hit!” They cut it that day. That doesn’t happen anymore. I got in right at the tail end of Old School Nashville, when you could do that. We’ve lost that personal aspect.
The Number One hit you wrote for John Conlee, “I’m Only in It for the Love,” was written with Kix Brooks, who was pretty much unknown then. Had he just arrived in town?
He hadn’t been in town long. I loved his personality and his spirit. I just loved hanging out with Kix Brooks. My husband then, Rafe Van Hoy, was a songwriter and he was more reclusive, but I told him that Kix was a great guy to be around and we all started hanging out together. We were thrilled when John Conlee recorded “I’m Only in It for the Love.” I really liked the horns on it. I still do that song every show. It’s a real positive song. I still love it and audiences still love it.
When you wrapped up “Baby, I Lied,” did you walk out to the car thinking, “Now THAT’s a hit”?
That record was more an evolution. I really wanted a big hit and I knew I was going to have to write it. Rafe and I knew Rory Bourke, and Rory said, “I’ve got an idea. It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t like it.” A little later, he said, “You know when I said earlier if you didn’t like my idea, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. Well, I lied.” I said, “Now THAT’s a great idea for a song.” We took the tape out to California and the arranger out there wanted a half-step modulation and bridge, so we wrote those and redid it. But yeah, when we finally finished we knew we had a winner. But it was a long process.
How did Prince get the song “Telepathy” to you?
I was recording at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Prince was recording there, too. We talked and I wrote him a letter, and he just presented me with the song and said he wanted to produce it. The record label was dubious. How much will he charge? He’d just made $60 million off Purple Rain. It wasn’t like he was desperate for the money. He just wanted to produce my record, and he didn’t charge very much at all. He’s a great guy. Truly, a great guy.
You have your own show on Sirius/XM. Do you enjoy dee-jaying?
I love my show on Sirius-XM. It’s on the Prime Country channel. I get to invite friends, sit down and talk with them for an hour. Play music. It has been an incredible experience, and I love it, and I hope it continues for a long time.
We’re looking forward to having you on the Country Cruise, and we hope you’re looking forward to joining us.
I really and truly am! It kinda reminds of the old Fan Fare when it was at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. That was when the artists got to mingle with the fans, meet them, talk to them. I enjoyed that so much, and I’m sure the Country Cruise will be like that. All these legends are wrangled under one roof out on the ocean. I think it’s a way to keep the artists and the fans close. I love change and growth, but I miss the personal contact. We’ll have so much fun!