“The Allen Family” are a bluegrass and old time music playing family.

We are the latest of a line of Allen Family bands. The Allen family started in North Carolina in the late 1800’s, moving to Missouri in the 1930’s, New Mexico in the 1940’s, California in the 1960’s and Pete then in 1989 started a family in England.

The Allen Family’s youngest member is Geary 16, playing guitar and banjo, is a close follower of Earl Scruggs style on banjo and Doc Watson and Merle Travis on guitar. Toby 19 plays double bass and also plays many other instruments including guitar, clarinet and flute and is a highly accomplished jazz and rock musician, also working with “Lapis Lazuli” and “Cairo”. Ruby, 21 sings in her own unique style and says Johnny Cash is her biggest influence. Josh 23 who sings and plays guitar, banjo and fiddle in the old time way. Josh is a student of the styles of Tommy Jarrell, Mike Seeger and others. Pete 59, from New Mexico, started his musical career around 1970 playing fiddle, guitar and singing in a trio called the “Allen Brothers” with his brother Phil Allen on banjo and Earl Pitman on bass. Pete was also a founding member of a bluegrass band with Robert Earl Davis, of “The Earl Brothers”. In 40 plus years of playing, Pete has the great fortune and opportunity to have played bluegrass, country, blues and Cajun music with some of the best players in the US that include Phil Allen, Jim Nunnaly, Robert Earl Davis, Steve Potteir, Ida Guillory (Queen Ida), Al Lewis (Al Rapone), Clarence (Gatemouth) Brown, Bela Fleck and David Byrne to name just a few.

Pete gave up his touring with his own band “LeRue” to raise a family and then the family turned into a band…!