Detroit's Steve Allen is a bassist who has devoted most of his career to the Rance Allen Group, a family rhythm & blues and gospel band. Leader Rance Allen has kept a fraternal rhythm section together for nearly four decades. Brother Tom Allen is on drums, and Steve Allen's daughter, Myrna Allen, has also been featured on some vocal tracks later in the group's history. The bassist also contributes occasional background or otherwise supporting vocals, as well as getting in on songwriting collaborations with his siblings. When the Rance Allen Group started out in the '60s, it was a completely traditional gospel group, but that philosophy did not continue for long. The Allen brothers were the first group of this nature to bring in the influences of rock, jazz, and soul music. This aesthetic set the stage for the entire contemporary Christian music movement; while there would still be an Andraé Crouch or an Amy Grant without the Rance Allen Band, they certainly would sound different.

Steve Allen and his brothers scored a rhythm & blues hit in 1979 with I Belong to You on the Stax label. The group went on to record for other labels such as Gospel Truth and Capitol. Unlike some gospel bands that stuck to more traditional musical approaches, the Rance Allen Group developed an audience of fans from the soul music scene as well. Their towering Afros gone gray, the Rance Allen Band continued releasing projects in the '90s such as the Miracle Worker CD. All the Way was released in 2000 on the Tyscot label, and was praised by critics as possessing not an ounce less of energy and drive than the band's classic '70s sides. The new recording introduced gospel audiences to Detroit vocalist Deitrick Haddon, a Rance Allen discovery who works with the group beautifully. Steve Allen has also worked as a session bassist on gospel recordings. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi