Don Allison

Don McKinzie "Donnie" Allison
Born	Don McKinzie Allison March 26, 1962(1962-03-26) Wichita Falls Wichita County Texas, USA
Died	May 24, 2011(2011-05-24) (aged 49) Lubbock, Texas
Alma mater	Coronado High School Texas Tech University South Plains College
Occupation	Musician; Vocalist
Religion	Nondenominational Christian
Spouse	Maria Stehanie Andrade Huff Allison (married 1995-2011, his death)
Children	Zachary Wayne Allison

Don McKinzie Allison, known as Donnie Allison (March 26, 1962-May 24, 2011) was a musician and vocalist from Lubbock, Texas. He sang on Music Television and performed at the Cactus Theater in Lubbock in such productions as Jesus Christ Superstar and Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, the saga of the Lubbock rock and roll legend Buddy Holly.^[1]

Early life

Allison was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, and moved to Lubbock with his family shortly after tornadoes devastated Lubbock on May 11, 1970. He graduated from Coronado High School and attended Texas Tech University. He graduated from South Plains College, a community college based in Levelland, Texas. At the time of his death, Allison was employed by GrantWorks, Inc., in Lubbock,^[2] a planning, housing, and community development service for rural Texas since 1979.^[3]

Early career

By the late 1970s, Allison had formed his own rock and roll band called "Impeccable"^[2] and thereafter joined The Nelsons, organized by guitarist John Sprott. He became the lead singer for the P.J. Belly Blues Band, which performed at the since defunct Lubbock blues club known as "Belly's." He also created the doo wop group, The J.D.'s, which performs at the Cactus Theater.^[2]During his musical career, Allison went from being "a long-haired rocker to a short-haired cowhand."^[1]

Toby Caldwell, a former sound engineer at the Cactus Theater, located on Buddy Holly Avenue near the old-style rock and roll radio station KDAV, said, "Donnie was always very particular about what he wanted to hear in the monitor" and was constantly striving for improvement." Caldwell told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that Allison's "gentle but definite guidance in running sound, playing music, directing a band or production, and in living life through adversity, will stay with me for the rest of my life."^[1]

Death

Allison died at the age of forty-nine of a four-year battle with cancer at a Lubbock hospice. He was cremated. His survivors were his wife of sixteen years, Maria Stephanie Andrade Huff Allison, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; his son, Zachary Wayne Allison, and his parents, Wayne Allison and Jane Shawver Allison; a sister, Jana Allison Jones and husband Steve, and a brother, David W. Allison.^[4][2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "William Kerns, Lubbock musician Don Allison loses battle with cancer at age 49: Musician Don Allison lost four-year battle with cancer and died Tuesday", May 25, 2011". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/entertainment/2011-05-25/lubbock-musician-don-allison-loses-battle-cancer-age-49?v=1306287180. Retrieved September 3, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Don Allison obituary". lubbockonline.com. http://lubbockonline.com/obituaries/2011-05-27/don-allison. Retrieved September 3, 2011. 
3. ^ "GrantWorks". grantworks.net. http://www.grantworks.net/. Retrieved September 3, 2011. 
4. ^ "Memorial service for singer Don Allison planned today at Trinity Church, May 28, 2011". lubbockonline.com. http://m.lubbockonline.com/entertainment/2011-05-27/don-allison-memorial-service-planned-today-trinity-church. Retrieved September 3, 2011. 

Persondata
Name	Allison, Don McKinzie
Alternative names	Donnie Allison
Short description	Singer and musician
Date of birth	March 26, 1962
Place of birth	Wichita, Falls, Texas
Date of death	May 24, 2011
Place of death	Lubbock, Texas