Charlie Allen Bio
Listen to: Why Ask Why
Bristol, Tennessee, is a town best known today for its motor speedway. But, historically, its real claim
to fame is as the birthplace of modern Country music. For it was there that Ralph Peer first recorded
The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers - creating what is today known as the “Big Bang” of Country
music. Charlie Allen was born there into a family steeped in Country music. Allen’s mother, Louise
Bouton was a regular on WCYB radio’s “Fun and Farm Time,” and she is a member of the Bristol Hall
of Fame. His father, Charles D. Bouton, was an artist manager.
Singing and performing was the family business, and Allen and his brothers, William and Robert,
learned from the best. Just as some mothers give their child a toy to play with, Allen’s mom gave him
a broom, and taught him to pretend that it was a microphone. Eventually, he would learn to play the
guitar, piano, steel guitar and drums. When most of his friends were getting on a school bus, Allen
was getting on a tour bus.
Allen’s uncle, Jim Harless, was also in the music business in Ft. Worth, Texas. It was there, at age
seven, that Allen began to hone his skills as a singer and performer with his family at the legendary
Panther Hall. The stage was his classroom, and his teachers were the pillars of Country music;
Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, and Jerry Lee Lewis, are just a few of the touring performers that Allen fronted for, and worked with. It was during this time that Allen signed his first
recording contract with Decca Records.
By age fifteen, Allen was fronting his own group, The Bouton Brothers. They appeared on various
television shows in the Bristol and Kingsport area, opening for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Charley
Pride and others. He also hosted his own television show, sponsored by Martha White.
Later on, Allen was signed to Parc Records, an independent label and publishing company with
offices in Orlando, Florida, and Nashville. Parc, and their affiliate, Parc Studios, boasted a stellar list
of clients such as The Backstreet Boys, ‘N Snyc, Britney Spears, and Mariah Carey, among others.
Commuting between Nashville and Orlando, Allen wrote and recorded many songs, including “Better
Said Than Done,” co-written with Earl Thomas Conley. That song garnered Allen his first critical
acclaim from Music Row’s toughest critic, Robert K. Oermann, who has been an ardent supporter of
Allen ever since. He also made fans of the nationally syndicated radio show hosts, John Boy and
Billy, who had this to say: “We believe that Charlie is destined for stardom. He has a heart as big as
Tennessee and a voice to match it.”
Allen’s latest CD, That Was Then, This Is Now, was released on June 17, 2008. Three singles, “See
If I Care,” “I Did This To Me” and “Can’t Take Him Out of Me” have paved the way for the CD, and Allen has just released his latest single, “Why Ask Why” on River Run/Spinville Records.
In a recent interview, Allen summed his career up: “When you write a song – especially when you
have a ‘hook’ that speaks to people’s hearts, well, that’s the thing that keeps you going.”
It is this real and genuine down-to-earth attitude, coupled with a phenomenal talent, that will keep
Charlie Allen’s voice on the radio for a long time to come.
We are currently booking the "That Was Then, This Is Now" 2009 Tour
We would like to include your venue whether it's a club, festival, private or corporate party in this tour.
For more information please contact:
Ty@TNTBooking.com or Rodney@TNTBooking.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 413 - Lindale, Georgia 30147
Telephone: 706-235-3475
