David "Ace" Allen

David "Ace" Allen

This excerpt from a fan's coverage of the Red Cross Bike Rally and Fund Raiser in Greer, South Carolina shows that as of September 15, 2001, good ol' boy David "Ace' Allen was still rocking on. "The Southern Rock Allstars took the stage following some bike awards, and proceeded to rock the stage with maximum intensity. . . During the band introductions, Dave Hlubek spoke to the crowd from the heart, saying he has never shed more tears than he did this past week, and calling for a bonding together of all America to wipe out terrorism. . . A second special guest was brought up to join us, former Marshall Tucker Band drummer David "Ace" Allen."

It seems only appropriate to hop over to Germany after an introduction such as this. A website based out of good old Deutschland has the makings of the definitive historical research zone for information on Southern rock. Has there ever been more accurate description of the music of the Marshall Tucker Band than this, provided by a handy computer translation program? The band's music features an "unencumbered skirt with country and also jazz elements and used additionally with saxophone and flute for the category rather rare and unusual instruments in their song arrangements." The band represents yet another page in the tattered scrapbook that is Spartanburg, South Carolina's musical history, but if the aforementioned website is to be taken as gospel, Allen had no role in the original formation. His name doesn't even come up until the early 90's, when Marshall Tucker Band recorded reunion albums such as Still Smokin'. He is not the same musician as the David "Ace" Allan that worked as a bassist with B.B. King through the '60s and '70s. Eugene Chadbourne