Nebraska born and Texas raised beauty Laurie Allyn has a story cynics would rather not believe, realists can respect and dreamers find inspirational.


The oldest of her parents’ three children, Laurie’s dream of becoming a jazz singer was looked upon by her band director fa- ther as something young women should not aspire to be. However, it is ironic that her introduction to jazz at age 16 came from some of her Dad’s very own music students. Nevertheless, before long young Laurie Allyn would become a jazz singer. Then, in the prophetic words of Ulysses S. Grant, “Man proposes and God disposes.”


After graduating from high school in Waco, Texas and a year at Baylor Uni- versity, Laurie went to Kansas City, Mis- souri with a girlfriend and got a job at a


10 Kalon Women Magazine


television store. While working there she won a contest where the prize was tick- ets to “Jazz at the Philharmonic.” She was picked up and escorted to the con- cert by the legendary Jazz impresario and producer, Norman Granz. Although, she never mentioned her desire to be a singer to him at that time, they stayed in touch for many years.


Later, Laurie was at the Air Force Base in St. Louis base visiting a friend, when she told the piano player she was im- pressed with his playing and he sug- gested she sing something. When she finished, a composer named Tommy Wolfe told her she should consider sing- ing professionally. Before long she was sitting on a piano in the historic Crystal Palace singing every song that Tommy wrote.


Oct/Dec 2014


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