An important and influential figure in gospel music, Rance Allen was a vocalist and Pastor who became a groundbreaker in the 1960s and '70s as the leader of the Rance Allen Group, a trio who combined traditional gospel with rock, soul, R&B, and jazz influences. Allen is often cited among the first artists to fuse spiritual music with contemporary sounds, moving gospel music in a bold, updated direction that appealed to a new audience. Allen's most celebrated recordings are the early albums the Rance Allen Group recorded for Gospel Truth Records (a label affiliated with Stax), ...