Event Information

Ray Apollo Allen is a powerhouse songwriter, composer, and performer who masters the music genres of blues, R&B, and gospel. He is also a songwriter and composer. He was formerly part of the Apollo Brothers, a singing group Ray formed along with his brother Butch and friend Jackie Love in the 1960s. The Apollo Brothers recorded their first single in 1975, titled Shackin Up (parts 1 & 2) and made their television debut on the Barry Richards Rock & Soul Show.

Ray continued with the group until he went solo in 1985. For six years, he sang only gospel music. In 2006, he was invited to join the Legendary Orioles with Diz Russell. He wrote and recorded The World Today, which was released in 2011 on the PARM record label. Ray has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with legendary groups such as The Drifters, The Teenagers, The Chantels, Sam & Dave, The Jones Girls, Chuck Brown, and Motown’s The Funk Brothers. He has performed at The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Constitution Hall, to name a few.