Rance Allen |
Rance Allen of the Rance Allen Group has been pastor at Toledo, Ohio’s New Bethel Church for 26 years. The church membership will honor his years of service in a black-tie affair called The Legend’s Ball at 7 p.m. Aug. 26, 2011, at The Pinnacle, 1772 Indian Wood Circle in Maumee, Ohio. Tickets are $50 and available by calling Marquita Hardison at (419) 508-6586 or Tina Franklin at (419) 206-0288.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Rance Allen Group. According to a news release, Tyscot Records released the Top 10 CD, The Live Experience II: Celebrating 40 Years of Music and Ministry. Outside of including two medleys of their past hits, the 11-song set was recorded live at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple. It’s comprised of future classics such as the first radio single, “You That I Trust,” and “Angel.” Making cameo appearances on this musical merry-go-round are Shirley Caesar, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and The Christianaires’ Paul Porter.
The Rance Allen Group was born in their grandfather’s Monroe, Mich., church in the 1960s. They began recording for Stax Records in 1971 where they made a strong of gritty, R&B-flavored gospel and message songs for the Gospel Truth imprint. They toured with the big R&B artists of the day such as Isaac Hayes and Barry White, and literally took the gospel to the world. From there, the group recorded for a variety of labels and scored their first #1 gospel album in 1991 with the Phenomenon CD that featured the crossover R&B smash, “Miracle Worker.” Allen closed out the 1990s performing in a variety of gospel-oriented touring play productions, but the group signed with Tyscot Records in 2002 and kicked off a new string of hits such as “Do Your Will,” “Closest Friend,” “For Your Feet,” and the Kirk Franklin duet, “Something About the Name Jesus.” For more information, visit www.tyscot.com.