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Joe would take him out for a walk that would end up at the corner bar where Joe would sit Allen on a stool, drop a quarter in the jukebox and step outside with his friends to drink a little bit of wine. While waiting there, Allen would hear all the greats… Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed as well as Ethel Merman, Howard Keel, Dewayne Eddy, Elvis, The Moonglows and the Spaniels. Those days laid the beginnings of a lifelong passion for music.
Growing up in the tough west side neighborhoods of 1950’s Chicago, he didn’t have much. Many times, Allen’s Uncle
As a teen, baseball was his claim to fame, but there was a different dream calling. Allen Kirk has been a natural since the day in 1965 when he sat behind Dirty Red’s drum kit and started playing favorite soul hits.
Allen paid his dues on Halsted Street backing up many of Chicago’s greatest at the Kingston Mines. Across the street at B.L.U.E.S. he worked with Sunnyland Slim, Bob Stroger, Steve Freund and Sam Burkhardt and legendary blues drummer Robert Covington. It was Robert who took Allen under his wing and schooled him in the blues shuffle. Allen filled in for Covington behind Sunnyland and later again took Robert’s place when he left Mississippi Heat .
From the sizzling shuffles of Magic Slim & The Teardrops, the hard biting grooves of James Solberg, the sweet and soulful sounds of Deitra Farr to the funky rhythms of Johnny Rawls, Allen has mastered the art of staying in the pocket. In 2003, Allen was the drumming force behind Magic Slim and the Teardrops’ W. C. Handy Band of the Year Award.
Currently based in Minneapolis MN, Allen can be found performing both locally and on the road with a variety of artists from Johnny Rawls to the Twin Cities’ John Lindberg & Jimi "Prime Time" Smith. He enjoys carrying on the tradition of teaching the younger drummers how to play the blues.
Chicago Blues Fest 2007
Story and photos courtesy of Gary Eckhart
Blue Monday Monthly
www.myspace.com/bluemondaymonthly
I do, I was playing baseball, basketball or fishing and that was everyday. There was no guns, no knifes, no drugs just good clean fun.
I recently accompanied Allen Kirk on a trip to the Chicago Blues Festival ( At his invite of course). Allen was performing on the Main Stage playing drums for Johnnie Mae Dunson and her son Jimi "Prime Time" Smith. On the seven hour trip to Chicago Allen reflected on his life growing up in Chicago, in his youth everybody had guitars and drumsticks. They would gather at various locations and play all day and half the night. Allen told me it's was a very special time in his life and in the world musically.
For those that don't know Allen he is a W.C Handy Award winner, and has played drums with some of the best, James Solberg, Johnny Rawls, "Big Time" Sarah, the list is long and talented. After checking in at the hotel, we made a beeline down to Grant Park were the fest was being held. The best way to 
put this is that Allen knows all the big time blues men and women. Hi Allen "Eddie Shaw", Hey Allen "John Primer" whats going on brother, J.C "Blue Jay" Williams. I met Willie "The Touch" Hayes, Melvin Smith ( Bass player for Koko Taylor) and Koko Taylor and this was in the first hour. Who is this guy I asked myself "The Pope of the Blues". It was obvious that Allen had been a big part of the Blues scene in Chicago and is a person who demands and gets respect. How was I treated, like a king. I got a back stage pass and pit pass for the show. There were two acts on the main stage, Johnnie Mae Dunson with her son Jimi "Prime Time" Smith on guitar, John Lindberg on bass ( John is one of the best bass players around and is in demand big time), Roosevelt "Hatter" Purifoy on keys, John McGhee (Allen’s long time friend and has played with some of the top acts in the world), John Jokum on harp and of course as James Solberg puts it, The great Allen Kirk on Drums. Johnnie Mae Dunson is 87 years young and can still burn rubber. She wrote and played drums with Jimmy Reed and the crowd absolutely loved her. Her son son Jimi "Prime Time" Smith is one bad man on that guitar and vocals and it's plain to see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The performance was awesome.
Billy Branch and The Sons Of Blues reunion was next and that requires a story all in itself, look for it in the future. After the show Allen took me to the West Side, let me tell ya this it was an experience I will never forget, a positive one that's for sure. This little trip to Chicago I will never forget THANKS ALLEN. On the way home I asked Mr. Kirk, when do to you practice He Replied' What Practice. Well you must get a song list, same answer, what song list. Allen does all this stuff off the cuff AMAZING a true PRO. We talked about putting a little tour bus package together on the way home, A Trip to Chicago with Allen Kirk. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it.
