Barclay Allen

American jazz pianist, composer and bandleader. Born : September 27, 1918 in Denver, Colorado. Died : December 07, 1966 in Del Mar, California. He organized his own orchestra in high school. After high school graduation, he continued playing in night clubs and hotels throughout the country. For three years, he was musical director at KLZ radio in Denver, Colorado and played summer location dates at Cosmopolitan Hotel. In 1946-7, he was musical director at KLAC, where he developed his Rhythm Four with Allen on piano, Stan Black on guitar, Merle Mahone on drums, and Sid Fridkin on bass. Allen also found time to play piano with Kay Kyser's Orchestra, among others. In 1947, he was pianist with Freddy Martin's Orchestra. and featured in Martin Block's MGM musical short of Freddy Martin's Orchestra titled "Musical Merry-Go-Round #1" (1948). In February of 1948, he formed his own 12-piece orchestra, using the Rhythm Four as the nucleus of the group. Barclay maintained his small group as an integral band-within-a-band. In 1949, while returning to San Francisco from a Nevada engagement late one night, he fell asleep at the wheel of his car. His car plunged over a cliff and when he was discovered the next morning his neck was broken and he was in a coma. Doctors gave him a few hours to live but he made it 17 years. Completely paralyzed, Allen spent the next two years in bed. In 1952, Allen recovered movement of his neck and arms, and celebrated by making a record. He continued to compose, including 29 copywritten songs in 1965.