Barry Allen Rasmussen, 74, on Apr. 4. Born
and raised in Edmonton, Barry Allen (as he was known professionally)
started his music career when he joined locally established band Wes
Dakus and The Rebels. With no recording studio in Edmonton, the group
ended up working with producer Norman Petty (Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison)
who liked Allen’s backing vocals. That led to a solo deal with Capitol
Records and several nationally charting hits, the biggest being the
title track from his sophomore album, Lovedrops,
in 1966 which rose to #10 on the RPM Magazine chart. After forming his
own backing bands Southbound Freeway and Coloured Rain, Allen moved to Calgary to host “Come Together,”
a TV show recorded by CFCN at the city’s Apollo Club, that featured up
and coming local and international talent. It ran for three seasons.
Allen later toured with the show’s house band, Cheyenne Winter, opening
for acts like Steely Dan and Dr. John. In 1977, Allen put his time
behind the soundboard at Tommy Banks’ Century II Studios to use at 630
CHED in Edmonton where he was hired as the production manager. After a
few years, he went on to buy Bumstead Studios, where k.d. Lang’s first
records were recorded, and renamed it Homestead Recorders. Corb Lund,
Wide Mouth Mason, and Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar are among the acts
that went on to record there. Allen joined the Board of Directors for
the Alberta Recording Industry Association in the 1990s, and went on to
receive two Prairie Music Alliance Awards for Engineer of the Year.
Homestead also won Studio of the Year at the Western Canadian Music
Awards in 2003.
Thanks to Broadcast Dialogue.
