Biography

Permit me to introduce you to a quite extraordinary musical talent - a  singer/songwriter whose career has spanned four decades and two continents. Whose life story has known both the heights of success and the depths of tragedy. Her music and sophisticated lyrics prompt the listener to recall the golden days of such great composers as Jerome Kern and Cole Porter, while they remain completely original and uniquely her own.

London-born Ruth first emerged as the very young, beautiful and accomplished cabaret artiste - Ronnie Graham.  She wowed elegant audiences throughout London's club land, most particularly at the chic Astor Club in Berkeley Square - where - as top of the bill, she performed for an unprecedented one years residency.

Her continuing success took her to Paris, where she performed at the famous jazz venue, the Mars Club, and met the legendary Billie Holliday, who caught her show and invited her out to dinner.

During her year at the Astor, she met and fell in love with an American flyer, married her handsome serviceman and returned with him to the States.  Whilst living at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Ruth heard that the great Duke Ellington was to appear at the base with his big band.  Well, she had to go of course, and after the show she made sure she met the great man.

When "The Duke" found out Ruth was a singer, he invited her to go to New York with a view to getting a record deal.  Ruth's husband drove her to Columbia Studios in New York where she cut a dozen 'audition' tracks.  When the label executive started to talk to her about intensive touring across the States to promote her records, Ruth stopped him in his tracks by announcing that - with a baby only six weeks old at home - she couldn't possibly go on tour, and she returned to Cape Cod and her family.

After an extended period back in London, performing in the prestigious American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, Ruth has returned to the States and is living just outside New York City.  Her songs and her singing style are unmistakably American, and all the better for that!  Since returning to the States, Ruth has appeared at Carnegie Hall for Michael Feinstein, as well as the Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention.

Ruth has recorded three albums:  "The Ruth Allen Songbook", "Head To Head" and the 1990 recording "January Butterfly", which is to be released on CD for the first time in Summer 2007.

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