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Richard “Pistol” Allen

As an associate from the Funk Brothers, drummer Richard “Pistol” Allen could be heard on several Motown classics such as for example Marvin Gaye’s number 1 R&B/pop single “I Heard It With the Grapevine” in addition to on songs from Dennis Coffey’s Scorpio album. Given birth to Howard Richard Allen in 1932 in Memphis,TN, he relocated to Flint, MI, to consider at work at AC Delco through the middle-’50s. Allen started playing drums in Detroit-area dance clubs, where he fulfilled Motown drummer Benny Benjamin, who quickly became his coach. Allen was employed by label creator Berry Gordy in 1961. At age 69, Richard “Pistol” Allen passed away in Detroit on June 31, 2002, following a very long bout with malignancy. He appears within the Al Slutsky documentary Standing up in the Shadows of Motown, released by Artisan Entertainment in November 2002.

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