Rance Allen Group earns its first-ever RIAA certified gold record

Rance Allen Group members Chris Byrd, Tom Allen, and Steve Allen, along with Murdella Wallace (sister of the group’s longtime road manager, Cecilia Wallace) accept their framed gold plaques.

After six decades of music, the Rance Allen Group has earned its first RIAA certified gold record.

The Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA) closed 2023 with an armful of new gold and platinum certifications by the likes of Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Bobby Darin, and Justin Bieber. Among those new awards was a first-time certification for the Rance Allen Group’s classic track “Something About the Name Jesus” (Tyscot Records), which was certified gold for 500,000 sales on December 27, 2023. The song is from the legendary gospel group’s 2004 GRAMMY® Award nominated album, The Live Experience (Tyscot Records).

Rance Allen’s brothers Steve and Tom Allen; longtime producer, Chris Byrd; and Murdella Wallace, sister of the group’s longtime road manager, Cecilia Wallace, accepted the gold plaques during a recent Sunday morning service at New Bethel Bountiful Blessings church in Toledo, OH where Allen was the pastor from 1985 until his sudden death on October 31, 2020.

“Something About the Name Jesus” was written by Kirk Franklin with Rance Allen in mind. It was originally featured on Franklin’s 1998 full-length release, The Nu Nation Project, which featured the megahits “Revolution” and “Lovely Day.” That studio version featured Allen performing the tune alongside Isaac Carree and Lowell Pye. After a few years passed, the Rance Allen Group invited Franklin to appear on their own live rendition of the song which became just as big as the original version.

“Kirk was the artist of that time when he called and asked me to sing,” Allen recalled in a 2010 interview. “I had already decided that I wasn’t going to sing on anybody else’s project. When he called, I all of a sudden had a change of mind and said to myself, `Let me see what song he has for me.’ So, he sent me the song, `Something About The Name Jesus.’ When he sent it to me, the song didn’t have any verses. So, I’m listening to the chorus line, and I got back with him and said, `It doesn’t have any verses.’ He said he’d write them when I got there and that’s when he wrote the verses. So just like with ‘Miracle Worker,’ the audience demands that we sing that in every show.”

The Rance Allen Group has earned five GRAMMY® Award nominations and amassed over 250 million digital streams during its six-decade career. They started with Stax Record’s Gospel Truth imprint circa 1972 with soulful message songs such as “Ain’t No Need in Crying” and “Lyin’ on the Truth.” They also had six R&B chart singles, including the 1979 Top 25 gem, “I Belong to You.” From the 1980s on, Allen mixed music with ministry as he became a pastor in the Church of God in Christ denomination. The group reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart in 1992 with the album, Phenomenon, which featured the radio smash, “Miracle Worker.” In 2002, they signed to Tyscot Records, where they have enjoyed hits such as “Do Your Will,” “Closest Friend,” “You That I Trust,” and “Something About the Name Jesus.”

– From a press release

Toledo mayor proclaims Sept. 24th as Rance Allen Group Day

Left to right: Producer Chris Byrd, Tom Allen, Steve Allen, Mayor Wade, and Tyscot A&R executive, Sidney Scott. Out front is Chris Byrd’s grandson, Christopher.

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz has proclaimed Friday, September 24, 2021, as Rance Allen Group Day in the gospel trio’s adopted hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Steve Allen and Tom Allen visited with the city’s chief executive in his office earlier this week when he officially presented them with the proclamation.  The front man, Bishop Rance Allen, passed away in October 2021. His widow, Ellen Allen, called in on the speakerphone to thank the mayor for honoring the group.

The big day coincides with the Rance Allen Group’s new retro-soul styled track, “Love Makes the World Go Around”  (Tyscot), which debuts on all digital music platforms  on September 24th too. The song about peace and brotherhood features Rance Allen’s signature  squalls alongside the thick harmonies of his brothers, Steve and Tom.

“We actually recorded it years ago and it was never released,” Steve Allen told news reporters at the event. “The song is about bringing people together. There’s a line in the song that says,` When I look through Love’s eyes, things don’t look so bad.’ and it gives us hope.  The Bible says, a house divided against itself will not stand. There’s so much division in our country. There’s a way to have differences without being angry.  We’ve got to find a way to bring it back to love.”

Stax Records’ parent company Concord Records recently pledged a million dollars to establish the Concord Stax Scholarships which will provide full tuition to at least 20 students each year for the next five years to pursue musical careers. Each of the scholarships is named for a prominent personality in the history of Stax Records such as Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, and Rance Allen. Visit https://staxmusicacademy.org for more information.

Over the course of their career, the Rance Allen Group has earned five GRAMMY® Award nominations and amassed over 250 million digital streams. Launching their career with Stax Record’s Gospel Truth imprint circa 1972, they scored with soulful message songs such as “Ain’t No Need in Crying” and “Lyin’ on the Truth.” They’ve also enjoyed six R&B chart singles, including the 1979 Top 25 gem, “I Belong to You.” From the 1980s on, their music was more church, and ministry oriented. The reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart in 1992 with the album, Phenomenon, which featured the radio smash, “Miracle Worker.” In 2002, they signed to Tyscot Records where they had hits such as “Do Your Will,” “Closest Friend,” “You That I Trust,” and “Something About the Name Jesus.” Most recently, Allen stepped out from the group to collaborate with rap star Snoop Dogg on the track “Blessing Me Again” which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart in 2018.

From a press release

"All Day Long" – The Rance Allen Group

All Day Long art work The Rance Allen Group“All Day Long”
The Rance Allen Group (2016)
www.tyscot.com

By Libra Boyd
Gospel Music Fever

“Is there anybody out there who could literally sing God’s praises all day long?”  Bishop Rance Allen asks the lively San Francisco audience.  The crowd’s response is a resounding “Yes!”  What follows is “All Day Long,” a CCM styled worship tune stamped with the signature sound of the multi-Stellar Award winning Rance Allen Group.

“All Day Long,” written by Brittney Byrd Campbell, Chris Byrd, and Rance Allen, is the first single from the Rance Allen Group’s forthcoming album, Live from San Francisco.

"A Lil' Louder (Clap Your Hands)" – The Rance Allen Group

“A Lil’ Louder (Clap Your Hands)”
The Rance Allen Group (2014)
Tyscot

Rance Allen Group - A Lil' Louder artwork

For much of his 40-plus year career, Rance Allen has described his brand of gospel as R&B—Rhythm and Bible. Now the Rance Allen Group has added the new single “A Lil’ Louder (Clap Your Hands)” to the list, making it nearly impossible for fans to wait for the International Gospel Music Hall of Famers’ full-length project, due out later this year. 

Blazing horns, synths, and percussive hand claps—along with Rance’s trademark growls, grunts, and falsetto—drive this feel-good groove. Dr. Leonard Scott, Tyscot Music & Entertainment founder, calls it the “modern-day ‘Miracle Worker.'”



“A Lil’ Louder (Clap Your Hands),” co-written by Rance and Floyd “Timeless” Thomas, is an invitation to praise that could’ve easily been a smash back-in-the-day collab with Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Ray Charles, The Tops, and The Miracles.  That’s the flavor of “R&B” this is, and take my word for it, you’ll be doing more than clapping your hands on this one. 

Rance Allen chats with Tavis Smiley on PBS – July 2

(Indianapolis, IN) Rance Allen continues to make his rounds across the country promoting The Rance Allen Group‘s current project Amazing Grace as well as the accompanying documentary, Music Majors: The Rance Allen Group. His latest stop is in Los Angeles, CA for a chat with renowned journalist and host, Tavis Smiley.
A longtime fan of the group, Smiley invited Allen as a special guest on
his PBS program to discuss the group’s influence on gospel music, the
current project and more.
The interview will air on July 2, on PBS. Check your local listings for times in your area or click here for more information.
The Rance Allen Group’s current project, Amazing Grace,
is currently available in stores and online. This 2-disc CD/DVD special
package features the new songs from the legendary group as well as
their documentary, Music Majors: The Rance Allen Group. For more
information, visit www.tyscot.com.

Rance Allen interviewed about his gospel roots

Rod Lockwood of toledoblade.com recently interviewed gospel’s main man, Bishop Rance Allen.  Check it out here: Rance Allen Group’s gospel roots run deep in Monroe, Toledo.

Related Story
Rance Allen Group to release new music and documentary on Nov. 27

Rance Allen Group to release new music and documentary on Nov. 27

For over 40 years, the Rance Allen Group has crossed
many boundaries, influenced countless artists and made musical history
with their lives and music.
In celebration of their life and career,
Tyscot Music & Entertainment presents Amazing Grace,
an audio and visual collection that showcases their music from the past four decades.  This project features brand new music and a few cover tunes
including an unforgettable rendition of the world-renowned hymn,
“Amazing Grace.”
The visual collection includes the never-before-seen
Rance Allen Group documentary Music Majors, featuring rare interviews with Kirk Franklin, James Fortune, Isaac Caree, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Keith ”Wonderboy” Johnson, Paul Porter
and more. These phenomenal artists came together to express their love
for The Rance Allen Group and how they influenced their lives and music.

The documentary takes fans on a journey through the life of Rance,
Tom and Steve Allen from their early days in Monroe, OH, to becoming
Grammy Award nominees and performing on BET’s Celebration of Gospel. 
The Rance Allen Group’s new two-disc set CD/DVD project, Amazing Grace will be available in stores and online November 27th.