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Bladen County Native Lee Allen and his wife are celebrating after an album on which they collaborated earned a Grammy last weekend.
“It was amazing,” said Lee Allen of the experience.
Allen, who is a former Bladenboro resident and native, won a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album with album Infinity Plus One by Artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. Allen and his wife, Mary Frances, co-wrote and recorded the album at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville.
“It’s neat to know that all of your peers voted for you to be there,” said Allen.
He said they were also nominated in 2015 for Skidoo’s release A Perfect Quick, which Lee and Mary Frances also co-wrote. The album has had several hits, according to Allen. He said in 2015, being nominated for a Grammy award was a learning process for them. Allen said that this year, they had a better understanding of how the process works.
When asked how he became interested in making a children’s album, Allen said it was through his association with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. “He wanted to have a connection in music he can share with his daughter, Saki,” said Allen. He said over the years, the roles for himself and his wife on the albums have increased. He said the goal of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is to try and reach kids who are searching for an identity or who are searching for some type of inspiration.
“I think it is really cool to be able to share music that inspires children,” said Allen.
He said the song writing process is one that seems to naturally flow. Allen said Secret Agent 23 Skidoo will have a concept and will call or come to Allen’s home and he will say, “I’m feeling like this.” Allen said everyone in the band contributes their own influence on Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s concepts.
“We have a chemistry to work with each other. Seventy-five percent of the record was written in two days,” Allen said of Infinity Plus One.
Allens’ wife, Mary Frances has released a solo album of her own called A New Perspective, which was written and recorded at their studio House of Groove Studios in Nashville, TN and features several Nashville musicians. You can listen to A New Perspective at https://maryfrancesmusic.
Both Lee and Mary Frances perform in the national touring band Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, which began in 2002 and have since toured throughout the US. You can check out Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band’s latest album Funk Life, tour dates, and more info at http://bootyband.com.
Lee Allen is the grandson of Mrs. Peggy Allen, former Bladen County teacher and resident, and Mr. Charles Allen Sr., former Bladenboro High School Principal, and son of former Bladenboro High School band director Charles Allen, Jr. Allen lived in Bladenboro, NC from 1981-1989, then moved to Laurinburg, NC and graduated from Scotland High School. While at SHS, he was part of the Scotland High School band program and marching band drumline, then went on to study music performance at Berklee School of Music in Boston, as well as Appalachian State University in Boone. Lee and Mary Frances currently live in Nashville, TN.
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