Allison Lynn Bio

For many years, Allison Lynn led an eclectic career singing all kinds of music, from music theatre to jazz to gospel to big band. 

But in 2005, Allison felt at a crossroads in her career. She started to pray for guidance. That summer, she attended Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Nashville, TN, and God touched her life in a deep and profound way. She returned to her home in Toronto, ON, and started a gospel music ministry, singing at churches, festivals, and special events.

Within months, God was calling again, and Allison and her husband, Gerald Flemming, decided to make the move to Nashville. After many months of legal work, Allison was awarded an 01 (Artist) Visa, allowing her to live and work in the United States for a 3 year period.

Whether singing a fully staged concert, or leading a sing-along in a small inner-city church, Allison Lynn brings a message of God's unconditional love and faithfulness for all to hear.Allison's new CD,REAL BIG FAN is rooted in Southern Gospel, with a twist of jazz. Produced by Aaron Minick, the songs are a mix of gospel classics, originals by Allison and her husband, Gerald, and new songs by Daryl Williams, Joel Lindsey, and Wayne Haun.Allison writes the blog, ADVENTURES OF A STARVING ARTIST and is currently accepting bookings for 2008.

www.allisonlynn.com
www.allisonlynn.blogspot.com

.

Who in Southern Gospel music has not fallen in love with the Booth Brothers? From their smooth harmonies to their impeccable song selection, any CD or performance is almost guaranteed to move you. But there's more than just good music going on. When the Booth Brothers were awarded 'Group of the Year' at last year's NQC, the roof nearly blew off Freedom Hall. That reaction doesn't come simply from good music. This is a group that knows about connecting with their fans, and putting the Gospel in front of everything they do.

I sat down with Jim Brady to discuss his own thoughts about the music and the message.

ALLISON LYNN: The Booth Brothers are known for pushing the boundaries of Southern Gospel, yet always remaining rooted in a traditional sound. What were your musical influences growing up? What kind of music do you listen to now, besides Southern Gospel?

JIM BRADY: Growing up my early influences were The Cathedrals, The Talleys and The Gaither Vocal Band, which I still enjoy. Today, I listen to a larger variety of music ranging from The Eagles to Michael Buble' and a lot of other things in between.

We do push the boundaries a little at times, because we love to explore new things musically and we want to keep things interesting, but we try never to forget that much of our core audience prefers the traditional sounds. So our goal has been to stay true to our roots and do it with a fresh approach.

A.L.: Last year, I attended my first NQC, and I was really impressed with how accessible you were to your fans. The Booth Brothers seemed to be everywhere! How important is that fan-artist relationship to you?

J.B.: In other genres of music the audiences are not able to spend time talking with the artist, but we truly love mingling and interacting with the fans. It is very important to us to be accessible to the people, to listen to their stories and get an idea of what they are dealing with in life. This really helps us in writing and choosing songs that will minister to their needs.

A.L.: I spent a wonderful afternoon recently, listening to 'Hymns Pure and Simple'. What do you think is the appeal of a classic hymn sung in a simple way?

J.B.: When I was young, I traveled with my dad and family in evangelism and these songs remind me of those sweet times. This is how the majority of churches sang these songs when I was growing up, straight out of the hymnal. I'm sure when others listen, they also go back to some wonderful memories of singing these songs. I feel great songs don't need complicated arrangements, they stand on their own.

A.L.: 'He Saw It All' has been an unprecedented success for the Booth Brothers, and I imagine you'll be singing it for the rest of your career! How has singing that song changed for you since the first time you sang it in 2005?

J.B.: People loved this song from the very beginning, but the neat thing about singing it now is the excitement from the crowd when the track kicks off, and many times before it's over the whole audience is singing along.

A.L.: Your schedule lists dates as varied as Nashville to Norway. Do you have any great road stories you'd like to share? What's the secret to surviving on a bus with Michael and Ronnie?

J.B.: Earlier this year, we were stranded in a snow storm for four days. It was like something from an old movie. No phones, no internet. We just had to sit and wait it out. We had enough fuel to run our generator on the bus at first, but a couple days in, we started to get low on fuel. We had no idea what we would do to keep the bus warm. There happened to be a truck driver behind us that said he had plenty of fuel and if we could syphon it ourselves, we were welcome to some of it. We ended up getting about 80 gallons and when we were finally able to get out, we left with more fuel than we started with! It was awesome to see how the Lord provided for us in that situation. As far as surviving life on the road with Ronnie and Michael, you gotta learn how to take a good joke! We laugh a lot on our bus!

A.L.: With such a heavy touring schedule, it must be a challenge to find time for songwriting. Do you have a routine for writing, or do you just sneak in songs as inspiration hits?

J.B.: I schedule writing days when I'm home, but while on the road, it's a little more difficult to find time to set aside for writing. I do keep my guitar and laptop handy for times when inspiration strikes.

A.L.: It's been exciting to see Ronnie and Michael stepping out with their solo projects, and now I hear your solo project will be coming out in September. What can you tell me about it? What has it been like to record this project on your own?

J.B.: I've just completed my first solo CD and I really enjoyed the creative process of putting it all together. Starting with writing the songs, followed by recording the tracks and vocals, and then down to the final mix. Since it was a solo thing, I was able to spread my wings a little more vocally and do some things musically that you wouldn't do with a group. So instead of trying to make it fit a particular style, and with a desire to simply make good music, I just let each song go in the direction that felt right. I think it all turned out well and I'm very excited for people to hear it. The release date is set for September 8th.

A.L.: What can you tell me about the new Booth Brothers project, "Room For More"?

J.B.: "Room For More" is very special to me because I have spent the last six months doing a lot of writing for this project. Unlike some of our other recordings, we went into this project with a clear direction of what we wanted the outcome to convey. We knew what we wanted to say lyrically and how we wanted to say it musically. Ronnie and Michael would come to me and say, "We need a song with this kinda feel that says ..." and I would start working on it. I was also able to enlist some great co-writers who worked with me on some of the tunes. It was challenging, but an incredibly exciting process.

A.L.: 'Welcome to the Family' is roaring up the charts, even as we speak. How does it feel to see a song you wrote have such an immediate reaction?

J.B.: It is very rewarding when people relate to something I've written and I have to say, it is exciting to see it do well on the charts. But the thing that is most gratifying for me, is when a song I've written becomes a part of someone's life and makes an impact on them for eternity.

A.L.: If you could tell people one thing about Jesus, what would it be?

J.B.: Trusting in Him will change your life forever.

For more information on the Booth Brothers, please visit http://boothbrothers.com/