Kirby Allan

At 83 years old, Kirby Allan physical status not available right now. We will update Kirby Allan's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Allan moved to Hollywood during the early 1950s, where he established MAZE Records. He wrote and performed songs such as "Don't You Remember", "My Life, My Love, My All", "Never, Never, Never", "More Bounce To the Ounce", and "Mother Don't 'Llow Rock'n'Roll". He enjoyed a successful career as a nightclub singer and producer, but in the late 1950s, he traveled to Africa, and became enamored with the ceremonial sounds that were used by various tribes of Kenya, and the Gold Coast. His love for this 'Exotica' led him to 'produce' the ceremonial drumming he'd heard.

Upon returning to the United States from Africa, Allan sought out a performer with whom he could produce a sound that was similar, but which was more marketable to American consumers. It was during this search that Allan met Leon Johnson, a bongo player who would come to be known as Chaino. In the years between 1957 and 1959, Allan produced eight albums with Johnson, often at LA's legendary Gold Star Studios.

Allan's production work with Johnson featured repeated, driving rhythms, savage cries, and tribal iconography that was; "intended to trigger the pagan fantasies of the listener". Their first albums included Unbridled Passions Of Love's Eerie Spectre (1957), Jungle Mating Rhythms (1958), and Percussion for Primitive Lovers (1958).

As a marketing strategy, Allan designed LP album liner notes that told the story of 'Chaino'; "...an orphan from a lost tribe in Africa who was taken in by missionaries and brought to the U.S." Johnson was actually born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Allen's literary fiction was reason enough for one music critic to comment that "...(Johnson's)...association with Kirby Allan was a classic case of 1950s, pop marketing gone awry..," while also pointing out his opinion that; "...(Allen's)... albums can be hard to find but usually are good values."

In June 1958, Billboard gave Eyes of the Spectre a four-star review and noted;

Allan would go on to produce five more albums with Johnson. His last album of new material with him was Africana, recorded in 1959, though both Allan and Johnson had small roles as bongo players in Curtis Harrington's 1961 movie, Night Tide with Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, and Gavin Muir.

Some interest in Exotica had waned by the early 1970s, but Allan continued to oversee the production of 'Chaino' compilations, re-releases, and cover versions for those who were still interested in the genre. To further his efforts, Allan established the 'Exotica And Beyond' website, and by 2008, three of Allan's LP album covers had received positive reviews on the 'LP Cover Lover' website.

Allan moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1970, and while he remained active in the entertainment industry, he also became a real estate broker and investor. He developed an interest in local politics and he ran for mayor of Mesa, nine times.

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