Rising Stars: Meet Brenda Lynn Allen

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Lynn Allen.

Hi Brenda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
First of all, I want to say thank you to Nashville Voyager for inviting me to be a part of your publication. What an honor! I appreciate y’all!

I was born and raised about 40 miles south of Nashville in the Muletown capital of the world, Columbia, Tennessee, of all of the places my parents could’ve moved to when they decided to raise kids in the south as opposed to Detroit, Michigan, where they grew up, they chose Columbia, and I am so glad that they did.

I know in my heart that it was no accident that I was planted here. I was introduced to quite a variety of music at a young age. My Dad used to play chromatic harmonica in nightclubs up north. He played music from the 20s, 30s, and 40s… mostly jazz/pop standards. Music was a part of my daily life growing up. Dad would play his harmonica and listen to records of artists such as The Ink Spots, Dean Martin, and Al Jolson. My Mom would play the piano and teach me songs like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” She would also listen to “oldies” on the radio.

Which, at the time, was music from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. My older brother took weekly piano lessons and would practice his classical music often. He also introduced me to 80’s rock. My younger sister and I used to make up our own songs and choreography to go with them and perform our masterpieces for our parents and neighbors. When I was seven years old, we had a family movie night and watched the musical, “Little Shop Of Horrors.”

Yeah, somehow, it was ok for us kids to watch a movie about a killer plant from outer space. That movie night changed my life. After I watched it, I couldn’t get the song, ‘Suddenly Seymour’ out of my head. I fell in love with the voice of Ellen Greene, who performed half of the duet. I started singing it to myself and felt an overwhelming excitement. I ran to my parents and asked them to listen. Dad looked at Mom and said, “She’s got something.” I knew from that moment on that I was going to be a singer.

My grandfather passed away about a year after the self-discovery of my voice. I was sorting through a dusty box of his old records and found two Patsy Cline albums. I didn’t know who she was, but I found out really quickly that I loved her voice. I made it my job to learn as many Patsy Cline songs as I could.
My parents were very encouraging of my dream to be a singer but were never pushy.

They didn’t have to be because I was pushing myself and enjoying it. I quit saying that I wanted to be a singer and began telling myself and others, “I AM a singer.” I performed at local fairs and talent shows, and I often performed in my classrooms at school. When I was 13, I got a guitar, and my Dad taught me enough chords to accompany me. In my early 20s, I started writing my own songs.

Fast-forward a few years… I took a job as a Recreation Assistant in a long-term care/rehab center. It was a part-time position that was advertised in the local newspaper. The lady who was interviewing me for the position happened to be a friend of mine who I graduated high school with (in a small town). She told me that she would hire me under one condition… that I would sing for the residents. I knew at that moment that I was in the right place and doing the right thing.

I worked in the field of long-term care for several years as a Board-Certified Activity Professional. I was able to share my music with others in groups as well as one-on-one at the bedside. For several years, I was able to balance a full-time job that I loved while performing my music in Nashville and throughout Middle Tennessee several nights a week. I would often travel on weekends for out-of-town shows.

I have written songs that were inspired by the people that I was so fortunate to have worked with in the healthcare center, and I continue to use my platforms to educate others about the positive impact that music has on mental health. For most of my adult life, I have played music professionally. I have had a great team of people around me and have had the honor of working with some of the very best musicians in the business. The bands I have put together for shows have included some of Nashville’s top session players and some hall-of-fame members.

I have opened for and/or shared stages with artists such as Rhonda Vincent, Buddy Jewell, Doug Stone, Ronnie McDowell, Leona Williams, The Bellamy Brothers, TG Sheppard and just a few months ago, I had a show with The Coral Reefers (Jimmy Buffet’s long-time band) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Radio was always something that looked like a lot of fun to me, but I used to shoot that desire down because I was playing so many gigs and tending to the many behind-the-scenes tasks related to the business. I didn’t see how it could fit into my already full schedule. During the pandemic a few years ago…when none of us were getting on the stage, I was presented with an opportunity to host a radio show on one of Columbia’s local FM stations.

For nearly two years, I was living on the airwaves five days a week. During that time, I interviewed over 200 artists, shared their music, shared my own music, and found a love for radio. I found that it worked hand in hand with my own artistry. I still appreciate that opportunity. I met so many amazing people, and it changed the trajectory of my life.

In 2022, MuleTown Sound Inc. was started by Jack Plant, Makky Kaylor, and myself. Together, we launched the Southern Roots Radio Network. We are a music broadcasting platform based out of Columbia, Tennessee. This is the perfect platform for all 3 of us to utilize our talents and skills.

I co-host a show on the network with songwriter/singer Makky Kaylor called Swanky Southern Nights. Our show is a blend of country and jazz or, as we say… “a top-shelf southern blend of jazzy goodness.” For years, I have been mixing traditional country music and jazz standards into my stage shows, but I never saw them branded so perfectly until I met Makky Kaylor and was introduced to his trademarked brand, ‘The Swanky South.” I am so grateful that he asked me to be a part of it. I have plans to record an album that fits our brand in the near future.

I sometimes laugh when I think about my interests as a child and then observe what I am doing now… The living room was my first stage, and now I sing in some of the most beautiful theatres. At eight years old, I would interview my friends for my “radio show” that I recorded on a cassette tape, and now I’m interviewing some of the best artists in the music business. I spent my allowance on party supplies and decor to create shows in the backyard for our neighbors to attend and have since coordinated more events than I can remember.

Growing up, I spent time nearly every week visiting elderly neighbors. I loved getting to know them, and I always seemed to learn something new. So, I guess it just makes sense that I enjoyed my work in the healthcare center. I was always making up songs and singing them for my siblings. Now I make them up and sing them for whoever wants to listen!

Music, to me, is a calling. It chose me. I am just the receiver of it. That is how I write songs… that is how I learned to sing, and that is how I practice living. I knew at an early age what I was going to do when I grew up, and even though there were periods in my life when I wasn’t taking action to MAKE my dreams happen, I never let the dreams go, and I knew without a doubt that giving them up for any reason was not an option.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say that the biggest obstacle I have overcome is myself. I have done it several times and will have to practice it again tomorrow.

I make it my daily practice to get out of my own way so that I can see the path that God has lit up for me. I have found that when I do this, things work out even better than I could’ve imagined. I used to be really tough on myself. My internal dialogue was not always very nice to me. Experience has taught me that self-love isn’t simply about DOING nice things for ourselves but by truly being our own best friend and bringing compassion and grace to even the toughest situations.

Yes, I have certainly had struggles… we all have. But as I reflect on my life at this very moment, all I can see are the many opportunities and blessings that came about because of them. I bless the tough times because they made me who I am and brought me to where I am today. The struggles taught me to bask when I feel at ease… the sad times made me appreciate the happy times so much more. The darkness taught me the importance of being the light that we were all created to be and to share that light with others.

At this point in my life, I try not to try so hard but instead… get into a mindset of allowing things to unfold. I definitely put in the work but I try to act on inspiration versus motivation…things seem to move faster that way and it certainly makes the journey more joyful.

Thanks. What else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer, songwriter, and radio show host, educator, online content creator, and business owner. I guess to sum it all up… I am a creative professional who feels called to create… and I respond with a “yes” to that call every day.

I am proud of our amazing team at MuleTown Sound Inc. (Southern Roots Radio). Shout out to Jack Plant, Makky Kaylor, and Dave Chase! It is an absolute joy to work with such talented and compassionate people who put their hearts into their work. Our platform is an unlimited creative space for us to share all of our talents, interests, and skills. We are based in Columbia, TN, and definitely shine a spotlight on our amazing ‘Muletown,’ but we also reach out and travel to other towns across the country doing stage shows and covering special events.

Last year, we were a part of a music event in Laurel, Mississippi, with people from HGTV’s ‘Home Town,” and we were also a part of the grand opening for the largest Buc-ee’s (Sevierville, TN). We will be traveling a lot more with our newly crafted live stage show, “Swanky Southern Nights Live.” The show is a special live version of our weekly worldwide broadcast, “Swanky Southern Nights,” which I co-host with Makky Kaylor.

(You can download the free Southern Roots Radio app and hear our show every Sunday at 7 pm CT and again on Mondays at 8 pm CT). Our team believes in collaboration… not competition. Our company is “Stubbornly Independent”. This is not only a nod to our awesome Muletown but also our way of thinking and being. We dreamed of a music-based creative platform that would make a positive impact in the lives of others as well as our own… we are living that dream.

I am so very proud of the wonderful people that I have and continue to connect with on this journey…whether that be in person or through social media… I appreciate every single one of you!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like that some of the most talented people in the entire world are in Nashville. I like that so many nice people are moving to Middle Tennessee. I like that I live close enough to the city that I can be there in an hour… and what I don’t like? I don’t like that at certain times of the day it could take 2 or 3 hours to get there, ha!

Pricing:

• Sponsor for Swanky Southern Nights on Southern Roots Radio $500/month
• Sponsor for 4-hour weekly music block on SRR $300/month
• Title sponsor weekend programming $1200/month
• For other sponsorships that are available, contact us through the website.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.southernrootsradio.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/brendalynnallenmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brendalynnallenofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SouthernRootsRadio

Image Credits
David Chase