Gail Allen

American actress, singer, dancer, songwriter, radio news director, publicist, and animal rights activist Allen is the daughter of actress Irene Hervey (1909–1998) and her first husband, musician Bill Fenderson. They divorced when Allen was a small child, but her mother later married actor and singer Allan Jones (5), who adopted Allen as his own daughter. In the late 1940s, she married bassist Chick Parnell. Together they performed with The Page Cavanaugh Trio until 1952, and wrote together "Except For Lovin’ You." They divorced in 1954, but remained amicable and collaborated on songs in later years. After the divorce, Allen continued to pursue a career in show business, performing with her father Allan and her brother, singer Jack Jones. In the late 1950s, she joined the revue of Billy Barnes, performing in Hollywood and Miami. But Allen wanted to spend more time with her children, and decided to get off the road. She got married to James R. Christensen in 1962, and gave birth to their daughter in 1963. Allen continued her music career as a lyricist, writing songs such as "Pretty," and "Touch the Earth." Her collaborators included Bob Florence, Jeri Southern, and Joyce Collins. She was still writing lyrics in the 1970s, and she later worked as a radio news director and on-air reporter at stations in San Bernardino and Ontario, California, but over the years, she increasingly focused on animal rights. Born: 18 May 1930 in Santa Monica, California, USA Died: 13 August 2020 in Burbank, California, USA