Donnie Allison (1962-2011) was a singer/songwriter, musician, actor, and producer from Lubbock, Texas.
Born in Wichita Falls, Allison’s family moved to Lubbock soon after the infamous 1970 tornado. After the relocation, he began school at Coronado High and later graduated from South Plains College. At fifteen, Allison dropped out of the eleventh grade to tour with his first band, Live Wire, and later formed several rock bands including Impeccable and the group Cardiac Mac and the EKGs. In 1983, Allison became the lead vocalist for the Nelsons with fellow bandmates John Sprott, Kevin Mackey, and Dennis Jones. After working with the Nelsons for seven years he became the frontman of the PJ Belly Band, a legendary blues group that performed as the house band at the Lubbock blues club, Belly’s. He later founded a doo-wop group called the J.D’s that became a frequent act at the Cactus Theater. In 1989, he starred in the titular role of Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story, a highly acclaimed musical by Alan Janes.
Donnie Allison was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2018.
