FUNNY STORIES
& TRIVIA
*After a long rehearsal at Delaney Bramlett’s "Rock ‘n Roll Ranch" in California, Rick was walking through the kitchen, when he smelled something good on the stove. He saw a "T-Bone" steak in a frying pan, and proceeded to scarf it down. It sure tasted good! Later, Rick learned that he had eaten Delaney’s dinner!
* While shooting "The Outsider" ( where Rick Allen played the part of an organ player) at Universal City Studios, and feeling like a movie star, Rick sat on a sawhorse and ripped the seat out of his pants. He had to walk around the set all day holding his pants shut so tourists and other actors wouldn’t see his underwear!"
* After spending the night at Dickey Bett’s cabin on the Allman Brothers’ Farm in Georgia, Rick Allen barely escaped an attack by Great Danes."
* While playing a piano solo at Madison Square Garden in a Loggins and Messina concert, the audio pick-up in the Steinway Grand fell on top of the piano strings. The amplifiers began to scream with feedback. The sound-man turned off the piano, but the spotlight was still on Rick. There were over 20,000 people in the audience. So, he kicked over the piano bench, and pretended to play a solo. Later, Billboard Magazine reported that his solo was great! That’s funny, because no one could hear it."
* During the Big Tujunga Fire in southern California, Delaney’s roadies Rick Davis and David Guerra helped Rick Allen and his family save their home from the flames".
* Rick's father, Jack Sutherland, played a role in Charlie Chaplin's classic movie, "City Lights". Almost forty years later, Rick was rehearsing in the same room where "City Lights" was filmed. The Charlie Chaplin Studios had become A&M Records. Rick's father didn't live to see his son working at the same location. Ironically, Rick's dad never thought Rick would survive in show biz.
*It was 1966 when Joey Vieira, my producer at the time, booked me into The Hullabaloo Theatre. A famous establishment located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood that he and his partners ran from 2:00 AM to 6: 00 AM Friday and Saturday nights to throw after hour concerts. And they booked some of the biggest names in the business. Anyway, Joey told me that I would be one of the opening acts for the band that was headlining that night called CTA. I would be going on first, then a comic would come on second.
All three acts had exact time limits and the comic and I both got 30 minutes. That would have been easy for me if I was with a band...but because of Joey's belief in me, he booked me as Hammond B3 player extraordinare "The Incredible Rick Allen" and there I was for the first time on a concert stage as a solo act... with 30 minutes to fill. I really don't remember too much about what I played that night, but I do remember that when I finished my 30 minute set, the 3000 people in the audience wouldn't let me off the stage. I ended up doing three encore numbers, including my rendition of "Summertime" which brought the house down and inspired a standing ovation. I was elated...but I had exceed my time by 20 minutes and the comedian behind me wasn't laughing. He was pissed off because I had only left him 10 minutes of his allocated time.
Long story short, the comic was Richard Pryor and was so funny, he kept the audience in stitches for more than an hour. By the time CTA entered the stage they were angry as hell for being kept waiting...but hey, sometimes in Rock & Roll, an opening act can steal the thunder. But not to worry, CTA became the recording group...Chicago. It's a night I'll never forget.
* While Rick was on tour with Bonnie Bramlett, drummer Big John Thomassie tried to flush crawfish heads down the toilet at a Holiday Inn in Memphis. The whole floor was flooded. Big Johnny picked up the phone and growled, "Hey. Get me a plumber".
* From a hotel in Washington, DC, while on tour with Don Preston, Rick Allen called the White House, said he was a State Senator, and got the switchboard to connect him with a Chinese restaurant."
* President Carter’s son Chip (along with the Secret Service) came to hear The Bonnie Bramlett Band with Rick on organ, Atlanta, 1978."
* Rick Allen had breakfast with Howlin’ Wolf at the Shelby Hotel in Detroit. Wolf asked Rick to work with his band."
* Rick Allen directed Ray Charles’ Rayletts’ singers Clydie King, Shirley Matthews and Vanetta Fields on a session for Liberty Records. The songs were by singer Bobby Angelle."
* Rick played on a song with Ringo Starr, but never met him. Ringo overdubbed his drums."