Johnny Allen

American pianist and R&B arranger (born Uchee, Ala., Sept. 20, 1917, died Detroit Jan.29, 2014). Grew up in Chicago and arrived in Detroit in 1936. Was an arranger for [l=Motown], [l=Stax] & several labels owned by [a=Don Davis (2)]. He got national fame in 1972 sharing a [i]Grammy Award[/i] with [a=Isaac Hayes] for their arrangement of [i]Theme From Shaft[/i]. His contributions to Detroit’s musical culture spanned some seven decades. He was also hired by Rev. C.L. Franklin to teach his daughter, [a38863], to play the piano.