Rustee Allen facts for kids

Rustee Allen (born March 3, 1951) is an American musician. He is famous for playing the bass guitar. From 1972 to 1975, he was the bass player for the popular funk band Sly and the Family Stone. Rustee Allen joined the band after their first bass player, Larry Graham, left. Larry Graham then started his own band called Graham Central Station.

Early Life and Musical Start

Rustee Allen was born in Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California. When he was twelve years old, he started teaching himself to play the guitar.

Playing the Bass Guitar

Rustee joined a local band. In this band, he was asked to play the bass parts. He used the bottom four strings of his guitar for this. Even though he was very young, he started playing in bars. He would draw a mustache on his face to look older! He played with a blues guitarist named Johnny Talbot.

Joining Other Bands

Later, Rustee Allen played with the Edwin Hawkins Singers. This is where he met Freddie Stone. Freddie was the brother of Sly Stone. He was also the guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone. Freddie hired Rustee to play bass for a group called Little Sister. This group was connected to Sly and the Family Stone.

Time with Sly and the Family Stone

In 1972, Rustee Allen got a big chance. The original bass player for Sly and the Family Stone, Larry Graham, left the band. Larry had even said that if he ever left, he wanted Rustee to take his place. So, Rustee became the new bass player for the Family Stone.

Recording Albums

Rustee Allen played on several important albums with the band. These include Fresh (released in 1973) and Small Talk (released in 1974). He also played on the song "Organize" from the 1975 album High on You.

After the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone broke up in early 1975. After that, Rustee Allen joined a hard blues-rock band called Robin Trower. He played on two of their albums: In City Dreams (1977) and Caravan to Midnight (1978).

Other Music Projects

Rustee Allen has played bass with many other famous artists. These include George Clinton, Lenny Williams, and The Temptations. He also played with a group called Lighthouse for the Blind.

Leading His Own Band

From 1977 to 1978, Rustee led his own band. It was a jazz fusion group called Second Wind.

Recent Work

Since 1994, Rustee Allen has been playing bass for Bobby Womack. In 2006, he performed with Sly & the Family Stone again. This was at the 48th Grammy Awards. Rustee Allen released his own solo CD called Simple Rules. It came out on his own music label, Rustee Nailz, on July 15, 2018. He had his first solo show in Oakland, California, on the same day.

Later Years and Documentaries

Rustee Allen appeared in a documentary film. The film was called On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone. It was released in January 2017.