The Jazz musician, Andrew Arthur Allen Jr, also known as Tex Allen has been described as a master musician and a legendary composer who has spent over fifty years in his career.
The jazz icon became accustomed to a couple of musical instruments even before he got to the age of 10. However, he is not the only person in showbiz in his family, two of his sisters, Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad are big names in the entertainment industry.
Allen Jr. often travels to Beirut to perform at a jazz festival in Olso. He still performs in Paris and Hamburg to play in Jazz clubs. His latest project American Folklorical will be featured at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston in 2022.
Here Are 10 Other Facts to Know about Andrew Arthur Allen Jr.
1. The Jazz Musician Has Three Siblings
Andrew Arthur Allen Jr was born on 2nd October 1945 in Houston, Texas to his parents, Andrew Arthur Allen and Vivian Ayers. His siblings are Debbie Allen, an actress, Hugh Allen, a real estate banker, and Phylicia Rashad who is also an actress.
His mother, a native of Chester, S.C is said to be a Pulitzer Prize-nominated artist, poet, playwright, scholar, and publisher while his father was an orthodontist.
While growing up, his family moved to Mexico from Houston. However, he has reportedly spent most of his life in New York City. He majored in music composition and trumpet while at North Texas State University.
2. He Started Playing Piano at the Age of Six
At the early age of six, Allen was already playing the piano and by the time he was ten, he was playing the trumpet. It was not long before he won a citywide contest to conduct the orchestra.
Also, as a child, the jazz musician had a flair for the technical aspect of music. he has revealed that he did arrangements, completes orchestrations off of records with his trumpet and he also wrote down all the instruments after taking all the parts off.
3. Andrew Arthur Allen Jr Was Cut-Off Broadway Production
Despite starting his career early, the composer has had more lows than highs in his career. His career span of almost 50 years has been reportedly challenging for him. He has had very few gigs and sell-out concerts are far from him also.
However, his ill luck has not been in music alone. While he was playing a Broadway production, he was cut off after the father of one of the kids in the show didn’t approve of his affection towards his son.
4. Unlike Allen, His Sisters Have Been Quite Successful in Their Careers
His sisters, Debbie Allen, and Phylicia Rashad have both spent nearly five decades in show business. The two sisters also share an admirable bond as they have both supported each other.
- Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashad became the first black actress to ever win the Tony Award for the Best Actress in a Play and also an NAACP Image Award for her role in the 2008 television adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun. Phylicia has appeared in other movies like For colored girls, Good Deeds, Creed, and many others.
The 76 year-old actress and singer has been married three times and all have ended in a divorce. She has two children: William Lancelot Bowles III and, Condola Phylea Rashād.
- Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen is the third child of the family. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy award and has won five. She also has two Tony Awards and one Golden Globe Award. Just like her sister, she is the first African American woman to win the Golden Globe Award for the movie Fame.
Both Debbie and her sister have been honored by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
She has reportedly directed more than 50 television and film productions. The 75 year-old actress has directed about 44 episodes of All of Us. Some of her works include How to get away with murder, Scandal, Empire, and Jane the Virgin.
She has been married twice and she has three children.
5. His Sister, Debbie Allen Has Been Denied Admission Several Times Because of Her Body
Allen and his siblings all studied tap and ballroom dancing and also ballet. he revealed that he was the one that taught his sister her first few steps in dance. With such a great talent, Dellie auditioned at the Houston Ballet Academy at the age of twelve. Unfortunately, she was denied admission into the school until after a year.
While at the academy, Allen’s sister reportedly experienced racism. She was refused admission after a successful audition on the grounds that her body wasn’t suited for ballet. After receiving several rejections, she decided to focus on her studies and forget about ballet.
Read Also: Bobby Fishscale- 10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know About The Musician
6. His Mother Is His Biggest Inspiration
Aside from the success of her children, Vivian Ayers Allen has also had a remarkable life in her own right. She reportedly had a strong influence on all her children’s lives. She nurtured her children’s creative talents and encouraged them to thrive in their respective careers.
While raising her children in the US, Allen’s mother has had to move them to Mexico because of racism.
Tex Allen’s mother has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Bennet College and Wilberforce University.
7. Andrew Arthur Allen Jr’s Only Brother Has a Different Career Path from His Siblings
Unlike all the Allen siblings, Hugh Allen has focused on his career in finance. He earned a BBA from the University of Texas and also an MBA in Finance from the Fuqua School of Business. With more than 28 years of experience, he has worked as the regional president at First Union and he is currently the regional director of commercial real estate for TD Bank in the Carolinas.
Hugh Allen has been married to Natalie Frazier Allen and they have two children together.
8. The Jazz Musician Has Performed on Several Stages with Different Musicians
Throughout his career, he has performed with quite a number of renowned musicians and stage performers like Gregory Hines, Jonny Mathis, Freddy Hubbard, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Melissa Walker, and many others.
He has been credited for composing the music for the Broadway play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and also slave ships for the movie Amistad.
Also, he has taught master classes at the University of St Thomas in Houston and also a music conservatory in Stavanger, Norway.
9. Is Andrew Arthur Allen Jr Married?
Based on reports, the 79-year-old musician has never been married before. Also, it seems he does not have any children either. Even if he has, he has done a good job keeping them away from the public’s eye.
10. What Is Andrew Arthur Allen Jr’s Net Worth?
Andrew Arthur Allen Jr has had an unstable career. At the moment, there are no reports about his earnings and net worth. However, his sisters have garnered a huge net worth each.
Phylicia reportedly has a net worth of about $25 million while Debbie is worth $4 million. The two sisters’ primary income is their acting careers.
