Crickett Allen

SONG NOTES from REN HALVERSON

Crickett is someone who loved life, people, and God. She helped so many folks worldwide it's impossible to name each one. As you listen to her songs and watch videos of her beloved Liebensilfe students performing in Aalen Germany, know that she believed in the power of music to move our spirits and change lives. 

All of her family and friends miss her deeply, She'd want to say enjoy this album, and LOVE LOVE LOVE !

Born In Georgia This song is about Crickett's family, and the power of love as a bond in difficult times- she loved classical, jazz, blues/ funk and the mournful guitar strains are a backdrop for her deep, soulful vocal- this song was an Indie bestseller and streamed well over 1 million times worldwide.

True Love Waits is one of the last songs Crickett wrote and recorded. She tells a story and layers it with depth and the message that God loves us. This is a lovely melody and her good friend Tim Wright plays haunting pedal steel and acoustic guitar, transcending merely another beautiful love song.

I Don’t Mind was written with an Indian drum feel behind it, Crick was part Cherokee on her maternal side- Those 2 were extremely close and her granny was her biggest fan. This is funk blues with an attitude. 

Holdin’ On This dear song is about a close friend who experienced a psychological trauma- we stripped it down to her piano and vocal for this album which is what I was privileged to hear when she played at home. It's also about the power of love as a healing mechanism that all of us need in this life. 

I Don’t Know was written for a friend and has the jazzy funk feel she was known for. Her first gig with her funk band when she was 19 was opening for Maynard Ferguson, who absolutely flipped out after their set and brought them all back on stage to rave about them during their last set.  She was exceptional, even at a young age, in both roles as a performer and a band leader.

Nobody Told Me About You was a song she wrote and sang to me at our wedding in Aalen, Germany and remains one of the most touching memories of my life. 

What's the Point Of This is a self-explanatory song that has a reggae funk feel to it, Crick loved Bob Marley, and we often did a reggae version of a song when she decided to spring it during a performance. The jazz is still in the mix as always! We played it at a concert once and by the end dozens of people were up doing the Marley. 

My Way is a cover of the Paul Anka favorite from a live performance in Las Vegas. She was in her 30’s here with full range and power vocally. Her father, Ray bragged about Crickett having an ear for musical arrangements from the time she was a child. You can hear it in this version which was carefully restored from a VHS tape. Crickett took a song famously sung by Sinatra and gave it a whole new meaning coming from a strong, self-realized woman. And in case you didn’t know where her roots lie, she also gave it a gospel kick. She takes Frank to church! This shows her skill as both pianist and vocalist, and leaves one speechless.

When I Cross Over was written for her daughter, Kelly. What an amazing gift that she was able to give this to Kelly in person. It’s also a testimony to her faith and belief that she’s still with us, just in heaven.

Crickett always put forth her best effort, whether one or 15,000 were in the audience, you got her best. She loved to create a couple hours in which the audience forgot about the stresses of life and got to listen, laugh, dance or tap their foot and enjoy the moment. My hope is that you enjoy this album and find a song or two that speaks to you and that you play again because it sparks a memory or brings some rhythm to your step and joy to your heart. Music is perhaps one of the great healing agents in life, she brought that point to light in Aalen Germany with the musicals she wrote and directed and performed with 30 of her best friends, ‘challenged’ adults who blossomed in front of their eyes. Those in the audience were deeply moved by every performance- those of us- Gianni, Dagmar, Trish and the Liebensilfe staff, Stefan, and I will never get over the power of the experience. Music is truly magic- to Crick, although she was far more in life than a musician, it was the perfect vehicle to express who she was, what she believed and invite everyone along for the ride. We will see her again, until then- Live-Laugh-Love-Love-Love 

–Ren