Grammy-nominated gospel act The Rance Allen Group was formed Monroe, Michigan in 1969. The group was named after lead vocalist Rance Allen (born on November 19, 1948) who was a Pastor when he formed the group. Rance Allen was the group’s vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter. He was joined by his brothers Thomas (drums) and Steve (bass). One other brother – Esau (percussion) – would also play with the group from time to time. The Rance Allen Group’s self-titled debut album was issued in 1972, followed quickly by their sophomore album Truth Is Where It’s At, which was released the same year. As the band’s audience grew, they began to perform with many famous gospel artists including Andrae Crouch, Marvin Winans, BeBe and CeCe Winans, the Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin and many others. They continued to release albums including Straight from the Heart (1978), I Give Myself to You (1984), Phenomenon (1991), Miracle Worker (2000), Amazing Grace (2012) and more. Over the course of their 50 year career, the Rance Allen Group was nominated for five Grammy Awards. In 2012, they performed at the White House Celebration of Gospel Music for President Barack Obama. Rance Allen died on October 31, 2020. He was 71 years old.
