Dexter Allen

Dexter Allen is a shining example of how Mississippi blues builds upon the wealth of the state’s deep gospel traditions. “My sound has a gospel and blues foundation with a mix of funk and R&B,” notes Allen—born out of his time playing in gospel groups from his childhood through his 30s, only striking out on his solo blues career in 2006 after serving for five years as Mississippi blues legend Bobby Rush’s lead guitarist and bandleader. Now creating his own space, Allen is sure to delight audiences with his impeccable guitar riffs and dynamic sound that bring the musical roots of Mississippi alive.

Born in 1970 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, 30 miles south of Jackson, Allen began learning to play guitar and bass from his uncle, Porter Dixon, around age eight. By age 12, he joined his father Willie Lee Allen’s gospel quartet, the Christian Travelers, which toured the region on the weekends and performed at the Christian Open Door church, where Dexter’s father was the pastor. Allen also soaked up the blues via “fish fries” hosted on the weekends by his maternal grandmother Ruth Dixon, who sold beer and fish while playing blues and soul records. “Coming up as a child, that’s where I heard a lot of B.B., Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Little Milton, and John Lee Hooker. Prior to that I only heard the gospel my dad would listen to. It was an asset to me as a young musician. I could see that both musics had the same structure—you were playing the same I, IV, and V chord progressions.”

After graduating from high school, Allen joined a young gospel quartet, the Robinson Brothers, playing keyboards, drums, guitar, and singing background vocals. The group incorporated contemporary R&B sounds by groups like Earth, Wind & Fire and the Commodores. He later joined the Dixon Brothers, who recorded gospel for Jackson’s Malaco label. Dexter moved to the Jackson area in 1995, where he formed the R&B band AirTight and found work as a guitarist at St. Luther Missionary Baptist Church. It was there he connected with Bobby Rush, who was a member. “When I got with Bobby, he asked, ‘Do you ever play any blues?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘I’ve heard you in church—you’re playing the blues, but you just don’t know it,’” recalls Allen. “It was an easy transition to playing blues and R&B—the licks were very similar.” Rush schooled Allen in more traditional guitar styles, but the most valuable lessons were via watching Rush on stage. “Man, we had an entertaining show, and I learned the significance of entertaining people, not just playing to them. I can shred [guitar] like the rest of ’em, but that’s not my focus.”

With two decades of a solo career under his belt, Dexter is a blues name in his own right. His live shows are notable for playing out in one continuous groove, which he attributes to his time playing with Rush. Allen has released six albums so far, and his seventh will be released at the end of this year. He has received multiple Jackson Music Awards, a Jus Blues Award, appeared in the James Brown biopic Get On Up and other films, and has toured extensively through the U.S. and Canada. His most recent accomplishment? A 2024 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album as the producer for Bobby Rush’s album All My Love For You. Dexter carries with him the legacy of his peers, and those who came before him. Every time he steps on stage, he gives the audience a taste of the sounds of Mississippi, from blues, to gospel, and so much more.