R&B singer Gene Allison – born Versie Eugene Allison on August 29, 1934 in Pegram, Tennessee – is best remembered for his 1958 hit single “You Can Make It If You Try”, which reached Number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His singing career started at the age of seven when his family relocated to Nashville and he and his brother Leevert began singing in a church choir. When he was a teenager, he was given the opportunity to sing with The Fairfield Four and The Skylarks. Originally signed to Calvert Records to release secular recordings, he soon transferred over to Vee Jay Records and released his debut single. “You Can Make It If You Try”, written by producer Ted Jarrett, was released at the end of 1957 and became a big hit in early 1958. Two more hits followed – “Everything Will Be Alright” and “Have Faith” (both released in 1958 – and a self-titled album was released in 1959. He released several more singles during the ‘50s, but they didn’t achieve the same amount of success. He continued to release a series of singles throughout the ‘60s and into the ‘70s while still performing live. Gene Allison died of kidney failure on February 28, 2004.
