Rustee Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rustee Allen
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| Born | March 3, 1951 Monroe, Louisiana, US |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | Rock, soul, funk, R&B, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Bass guitarist |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Associated acts | Sly and the Family Stone |
Rustee Allen (born March 3, 1951) is an American musician. He is famous for playing the bass guitar. He was a member of the popular funk band Sly and the Family Stone. He played with them from 1972 to 1975. Rustee Allen took over from the band's first bass player, Larry Graham.
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Early Life and Music
Rustee Allen was born in Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California. He started learning to play the guitar when he was twelve years old. Later, he joined a local band. In this band, he played the bass parts on his guitar.
He even drew a mustache on his face to look older! This helped him play in bars with blues guitarist Johnny Talbot. He also played with the Edwin Hawkins Singers. There, he met Freddie Stone, who was the brother of Sly Stone. Freddie was the guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone. Freddie then asked Rustee to play bass for Little Sister. This group was connected to Sly and the Family Stone.
Joining Sly and the Family Stone
The original bass player for Sly and the Family Stone, Larry Graham, once said he wanted Rustee to replace him if he ever left. In 1972, Rustee got his chance. He became the new bass player for Sly and the Family Stone.
Rustee played on two of their albums:
- Fresh (released in 1973)
- Small Talk (released in 1974)
He also played on the song "Organize" from the album High on You (1975).
Other Music Projects
After Sly and the Family Stone broke up in 1975, Rustee Allen joined the band of Robin Trower. This was a hard blues-rock band. He played on two of their albums:
- In City Dreams (1977)
- Caravan to Midnight (1978)
Rustee Allen has played bass for many other artists. These include George Clinton, Lenny Williams, and The Temptations. He also led his own jazz fusion band called Second Wind from 1977 to 1978. Since 1994, Rustee Allen has played bass for Bobby Womack.
In 2006, Rustee performed with Sly & the Family Stone. This was at the 48th Grammy Awards. Rustee is also working on his own solo music. His solo CD is called Simple Rules. It was released on July 15, 2018, on his own label, Rustee Nailz. He had his first solo show in Oakland, California, on the same day.
Recent Appearances
Rustee Allen was in a documentary film. It was called On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone. This film came out in January 2017.
