{{Short description|English-born Australian singer}} {{For|the Dead or Alive character|Christie (Dead or Alive)}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Christie Allen | image = Christie Allen.jpg | caption = | image_size = | birth_name = June Dorothy Allen | birth_date = {{birth date|1954|7|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = Romford, England | origin = Perth, Western Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|2008|8|12|1954|7|12|df=yes}} | death_place = Bunbury, Western Australia | instrument = Vocals | genre = Pop, disco, country | occupation = Singer | years_active = 1962–1998 | label = Mushroom | past_member_of = Pendulum }} '''Christie Allen''' (born '''June Dorothy Allen'''; 24 July 1954{{spaced ndash}}12 August 2008) was an English-born Australian pop singer who had a successful career in Australia. Her top four hits on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart were "Goosebumps" (October 1979) and "He's My Number One" (February 1980). Allen was voted the Most Popular Female Performer at the ''TV Week'' / ''Countdown'' Music Awards for 1979 and 1980. At the 1979 awards, "Goosebumps" also won the Best Songwriter award for Terry Britten. Allen died on 12 August 2008 of pancreatic cancer, aged 54.

==Biography== Christie Allen was born June Dorothy Allen on 24 July 1954 in Romford, England, to Keith Frederick Allen (1932–2004) and Vera Helen née Kettle (1932–2001). Allen has three brothers, Keith, Stephen and Mark.<ref name="NAA">{{cite web | url = http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=9875020 | title = Item Details for: PP222/6, Allen K – Allen Keith, Vera, Keith, June, Stephen, Mark &#91;Migrant Selection Documents&#93; | publisher = National Archives of Australia | date = 5 April 2007 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 }} Note: Item barcode is 9875020. User may have to search for: Allen Keith Vera June Stephen Mark</ref> At the age of eight years, Allen sang "My Johnny's Gone Away" in a talent quest.<ref name="Brucesmith">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4395876?zoomLevel=3 | title = Gold for 'Goose Bumps' Christie! | last = Brucesmith | first = Linda | page = 11 | work = Your TV Magazine. The Australian Women's Weekly | date = 28 May 1980 | accessdate = 23 July 2012 }}</ref> In 1965, the Allen family migrated to Australia and settled in Perth.<ref name="NAA"/><ref name="McFarlane">{{cite book | title = Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=25 | archivedate = 29 August 2004 | last = McFarlane | first = Ian | author-link = Ian McFarlane | publisher = Allen & Unwin | year = 1999 | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Christie Allen' | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20040829235034/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=25 | isbn = 1-86448-768-2 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 | url-status = dead}}</ref> Allen and her brothers formed a band, Pendulum, where she provided lead vocals.<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Whilst performing with Pendulum, Allen contacted UK-born Terry Britten, a songwriter and record producer and was the lead guitarist of Australian rock group, the Twilights, Britten had worked with Cliff Richard for whom he co-wrote "Devil Woman" in 1976 with Kristine Holmes.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="APRADevil">{{cite web | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | title = 'Devil Woman' at APRA search engine | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Devil%20Woman | accessdate = 24 July 2012 }}</ref> By the mid 1970s, Britten was living in Australia and was impressed by Allen's vocal ability and bubbly personality and began songwriting for her. In 1978, Allen signed a recording contract with Mushroom Records<ref name="AAP"/> and in September 1978 she released her debut single "You Know That I Love You", which reached the top&nbsp;100 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart, and attracted some national radio airplay and positive reviews.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="AAP"/><ref name="Kent">{{cite book | title = Australian Chart Book 1970&ndash;1992 | last = Kent | first = David | author-link = David Kent (historian) | publisher = Australian Chart Book | location = St Ives, New South Wales | year = 1993 | isbn = 0-646-11917-6 }}</ref>

Her next three singles from her debut album, ''Magic Rhythm'' (November 1979), were top&nbsp;20 hits; "Falling in Love with Only You" reached No.&nbsp;20 in April 1979<ref name="Kent"/> while her next two singles were strongly influenced by the popular disco style of music at the time."Goosebumps", which reached No.&nbsp;3 in September 1979,<ref name="Kent"/> and "He's My Number One", which peaked at No.&nbsp;4 in February 1980.<ref name="Kent"/> "Goosebumps" achieved sales of more than 60,000.<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Allen toured Australia backed by The Hot Band, which was composed of Max Chazan on guitar (Rubes), Greg Cook on guitar (ex-Cam-Pact, the Mixtures, Ram Band, Mondo Rock), Bruce Haymes on organ (Rubes, Richard Clapton Band), Michael Hegerty on bass guitar (Richard Clapton Band), and Rick Puchala on drums (Richard Clapton Band); and later Yuri Worontschak on keyboards: Yamaha CP70B and Minimoog (ex Spitfire).<ref name="McFarlane"/>

Allen was voted the 'Most Popular Female Performer' at the ''TV Week'' / ''Countdown'' Music Awards for 1979 and 1980.<ref name="Count1979">{{cite web |url=http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/webgirl/main&cmd=list&range=0,8&Year~=1980&cmd=all&Id=4 |title=''Countdown'' Show no.:235 Date: 19/4/1980 | publisher = Countdown Archives | accessdate = 2008-12-21 }}</ref><ref name="Count1980">{{cite web |url=http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/webgirl/main&cmd=list&range=64,8&cmd=all&Id=154 |title=''Countdown'' Show no.:241 Date: 22/3/1981 |publisher=Countdown Archives |accessdate=2008-12-21 }}</ref> At the 1979 awards ceremony on 13 April 1980, Allen performed, "He's My Number One".<ref name="Count1979"/> At the same ceremony, Britten won the 'Best Songwriter' award for "He's My Number One". Allen won the 1980 award for 'Most Popular Female Performer', broadcast on 22 March 1981.<ref name="Count1980"/>{{blockquote|Christie Allen gave ''Countdown'' something it had been lacking – a local female artist to appeal to the teeny boppers. It is sometimes not appreciated just how successful Christie was.|Dave Warner|''25 Years of Mushroom Records''<ref name="Warner">{{cite book | title = 25 Years of Mushroom Records | last = Warner | first = Dave | author-link = Dave Warner (musician) | publisher = Harper Collins | location = Pymble, New South Wales | year = 1998 | isbn = 0-7322-6432-4 }}</ref>}}

Besides performing, Allen also appeared on ''Countdown'' as a guest host in November 1979 with Russell Hitchcock (Air Supply), and in April 1980 with Molly Meldrum.<ref name="rage2009">{{cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s2461120.htm | title = Rage Goes Retro Part 2 | work = rage | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | date = 10 January 2009 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 }}</ref> In the early 1980s Allen supplied the voice-over and sang the jingle 'Come Tarino with Me' for Tarino orange soft drink commercials.

In August 1980, Allen released the single "Baby Get Away", which was followed by her second and final studio album ''Detour'' and a further single, "Switchboard", in November 1980.<ref name="McFarlane"/> Due to professional pressures and personal troubles, Allen abandoned promotional duties for ''Detour'' and took a three and a half month long break to recuperate. She returned with the third and final single from ''Detour'', "Don't Put Out the Flame", in March 1981,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Stavordale |first=Brett |title=Christie's amazing comeback |magazine=TV Scene |date=18 April 1981 |page=30}}</ref> but subsequently retired from the music industry. She later attributed the end of her career to escaping her abusive partner in 1980, telling ''The Age'' in 1998, "I missed singing so terribly. That was my life, and through no fault of my own, it [was] changed. I guess I'm rather bitter towards him for doing that."<ref>{{cite news |last=Simmons |first=Clive |title=She's back |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122897881/ |newspaper=The Age |date=13 November 1998 |page=15 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref> By 1990, Allen had re-emerged in the Kalgoorlie area as one half of the musical duo Christie and Steve.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tales of the unexpected |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/121567562/ |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=27 August 1990 |page=27 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=22 August 2025}}</ref>

In the 1990s, Allen was performing as a vocalist with country music bands.<ref name="McFarlane"/> In October 1998, Michael Gudinski appealed on national radio for information on Allen's whereabouts—Gudinski wanted her to perform at a televised tribute concert for the 25th anniversary of his company, Mushroom Records.<ref name="AAP2">{{cite news | url = http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=614036&rss=yes | title = Pop Sensation Christie Allen Dies | agency = Australian Associated Press| publisher = ninemsn. (Nine Entertainment Co. & Microsoft) | date = 12 August 2008 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120924071840/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=614036&rss=yes | archive-date = 24 September 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref> On 14 November 1998, Allen sang "Goosebumps" before a huge crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground—the performance was released on the VHS album, ''Mushroom 25 Live'' (December 1998).

In 2006, Gudinski asked Allen to participate in the Countdown Spectacular tour; however, due to ill health, she declined. In March 2008, Allen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died at her home in rural Western Australia on 12 August 2008, aged 54.<ref name="AAP">{{cite news | url = http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/goosebumps-singer-christie-allen-dies/story-e6frfn09-1111117186665 | title = 'Goosebumps' Singer Christie Allen Dies | agency = Australian Associated Press| work = News.com.au | date = 13 August 2008 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Cashmere">{{cite news | url = http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=5980 | title = Christie Allen Dies from Pancreatic Cancer | last = Cashmere | first = Paul | publisher = UnderCover | date = 13 August 2008 | accessdate = 24 July 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080922183855/http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=5980 | archive-date = 22 September 2008 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

===Personal life=== Allen had an older brother, Keith, and two younger brothers, Stephen and Mark. With all three brothers, she formed a Perth-based group, Pendulum.

In the 1970s, Allen lived with her first husband, Frank Rechichi in Karratha, Western Australia. The couple later separated and the divorce was finalised in 1981.<ref name="TV Week">{{cite magazine |last=Jolley |first=Sue |title=Pop queen Christie weds |magazine=TV Week |date=28 November 1981 |page=16}}</ref> She became engaged to her boyfriend Jeff Risk in 1980,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bowring |first=Pat |title=Christie to wed |magazine=Scene |date=13 September 1980 |page=7}}</ref> but this was broken off and Allen and her second husband, Angelo, married in 1981.<ref name="TV Week"/> They subsequently had a daughter, Christaleah. By the 1990s, Allen and her domestic partner Mark had a daughter. In October 1998, Allen and Mark married.

==Discography==

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions !rowspan="2"| Title !rowspan="2"| Details !colspan="1"| Peak chart positions !rowspan="2"| Certifications |- !style="width:3em;font-size:75%"|AUS<br><ref name="Kent"/> |- ! scope="row"| ''Magic Rhythm'' | *Released: November 1979 *Label: Mushroom Records (L37075) | 59 | * BPI: Gold<ref name="Oct 80"/> |- ! scope="row"| ''Detour'' | *Released: November 1980 *Label: Mushroom Records (L37489) | 96 | |- |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Certification ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS<ref name="Kent"/><br /> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=Christie+Allen&cat=s|title=Christie Allen in NZ Charts |publisher=Charts NZ|accessdate=15 August 2017}}</ref><br /> |- ! scope="row"| "You Know That I Love You" | rowspan="1"| 1978 | 67 | – | | rowspan="5"| ''Magic Rhythm'' |- ! scope="row"| "Falling in Love with Only You" | rowspan="2"| 1979 | 20 | – | |- ! scope="row"| "Goosebumps" | 3 | 37 | * ARIA: Gold<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-03-29.pdf|title=International Certifications|magazine=Cash Box|via=World Radio History|page=94|date=29 March 1980|access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "He's My Number One" | rowspan="4"| 1980 | 4 | – | * ARIA: Gold<ref name="Oct 80">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-08-23.pdf|title=International Certifications|magazine=Cash Box|via=World Radio History|page=37|date=23 August 1980|access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "Magic Rhythm" | 38 | – | |- ! scope="row"| "Baby Get Away" | 38 | – | | rowspan="3"| ''Detour'' |- ! scope="row"| "Switchboard" | – | – | |- ! scope="row"| "Don't Put Out the Flame" | rowspan="1"| 1981 | 68 | – | |- |align="center" colspan="6" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. |}

==Award and nominations== ===TV Week / Countdown Awards=== ''Countdown'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''TV Week''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.<ref name="CountdownMarch1987">{{Cite web | url = http://www.countdownmemories.com/magazines/pdfs/1987_03.pdf | title = Countdown to the Awards | work = Countdown Magazine |date=March 1987 | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | format = Portable document format (PDF) | accessdate = 16 December 2010 }}</ref>

{{awards table}} |- | rowspan="4" |1979 | rowspan="2" | herself | Best New Talent | {{nom}} |- | Most Popular Female Performer | {{won}} |- | "Goosebumps" | Most Popular Single | {{won}} |- | Terry Britten for "He's My Number One" by Christie Allen | Best Recorded Songwriter | {{won}} |- | 1980 | herself | Most Popular Female Performer | {{nom}} |- {{end}}

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Christie Allen}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Christie}} Category:1954 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Australian country singers Category:Australian women country singers Category:Australian women pop singers Category:English emigrants to Australia Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia Category:Australian disco musicians Category:Australian dance musicians Category:Musicians from Perth, Western Australia Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Western Australia Category:20th-century Australian women singers Category:Mushroom Records artists Category:Australian expatriates in England