Person Record

Images

1 of 1977 Tim Allan

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Metadata

Name

Allan, Tim

Othernames

Timothy J. Allan

Role

Banjoist

Spouse

Nida

Places of residence

Canada/Florida

Titles & honors

National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Class of 2002
American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame Class of 2015

Sphere Of Activity

For over 50 years Canada's Tim Allan has devoted innate talent, impeccable performance ability, and unselfish educational efforts to the betterment of the tenor banjo around the world.
Stage struck from the age of five when he performed as part of a kindergarten rhythm band, Tim Allan's musical life saw him segue from mandolin to ukulele to tenor banjo - all before the age of 13. A serious music student, unlike many banjo players Allan learned to read music and studied music theory, ultimately applying the highest musical standards possible to his unique and ever evolving tenor banjo style.
While still in his teens, Allan began a professional performance career which has taken him from hotels and night clubs to concerts and theaters to luxury cruise ships and television, radio and recordings. With multiple critically acclaimed recordings to his credit, few of today's banjo-centric performers enjoy the worldwide reputation of musicianship and professional respect, which through decades of hard work, has become synonymous with Tim Allan.
Remaining an omnipresent musician and entertainer in Toronto's lively nightlife scene, during the 1970s and 80s Tim accomplished many unique career highlights which included winning the Canadian National Open Banjo Championship for two consecutive years.
In 1978 Allan began a 14 year run as a regular on Canada's immensely popular Tommy Hunter television program while simultaneously being featured as the headline artist at banjo concerts and festivals around the United States and Canada. 1984 also saw Tim as the essential musical element in the dedication of Toronto's Sunrise Park in honor of Ernest Seitz, the composer of The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise.
In addition to performing, Tim has enjoyed teaching since he started giving ukulele and mandolin lessons to his neighbors for $2 at the age of 13. For nearly 40 years, Allan has been a regular contributor to both ALL FRETS and the Resonator magazines, transcribing literally hundreds of popular songs into chord diagram form for the tenor banjo. As an extension of that effort, Tim has also compiled and published numerous educational folios of songs as well as playing instructions and advise. Many of his books include companion audio recordings, allowing the student to actually play newly learned songs along with their arranger.
As the new century took hold, Tim Allan was more active than ever. A winter home in Florida afforded him the opportunity to provide private lessons to the many banjo students who winter near the banjo mecca known as Snook Haven Resort. For the past ten years many of those students have joined Allan on his annual Banjos Aweigh cruises, learning and playing the banjo in opulent surroundings of luxury cruise ships. Additionally, each year since 2002 has found Tim taking his musical and educational prowess to an international audience during annual performance tours of Germany and Switzerland.
A 2002 Hall of Fame inductee for his role as a performer, Tim Allan, through a lifetime of selfless sharing of musical knowledge and gifts with others, has also earned a well deserved honor as a banjo educator. Whether performing or teaching, Tim Allan is a unique and irreplaceable force in today's world of the four-string banjo. Johnny Baier, American Banjo Museum