Karon Kate Blackwell

Karon Kate Blackwell (born May 7, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her musical comedy act with her husband Marty Allen.

Karon Kate Blackwell
Born (1942-05-07) May 7, 1942
Ellisville, Mississippi
OccupationSinger-songwriter
SpouseMarty Allen
Parent(s)Excell Blackwell, Ina Rie Napier

Biography

Early life

Blackwell was born in 1942 in Ellisville, Mississippi.[1] She was one of six children raised on a family farm by her parents Excell Blackwell and Ina Rie Napier. When her father, a self-taught musician, began teaching her piano, Blackwell's mother insisted on piano and voice lessons. By age 9, she was playing piano at her church. After graduating from high school in Ellisville, she attended the University of Southern Mississippi.

Career

Blackwell left USM during her first year for Chicago, Illinois. There she began singing and playing piano at small music rooms and events. She performed as the opening act for musicians including Wayne Newton and Burl Ives.

After leaving entertainment, Blackwell met comedian Marty Allen in 1983 while managing a friend's restaurant in Los Angeles. They married on June 17, 1984, at the home of writer Sidney Sheldon.[2] The couple settled in Las Vegas. They began performing comedy and music revue, appearing in Las Vegas, Atlantic City,[3] and other US cities. They toured extensively in Europe, Australia, South America, and East Asia. From 1990 to 1994, Blackwell opened for comedy duo Allen & Rossi in Vegas[4] and Atlantic City.[5]

After Allen & Rossi split amicably in 1994, Allen & Blackwell performed together at the Westward Ho Hotel and Casino, the last large motel on the Las Vegas Strip.[6] In 1999, the couple joined with Irwin Corey and Freddie Roman in a show called Legends of Laffter at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.[7] After several months performing on cruise ships, in 2000 Allen and Blackwell began performing at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.[8] After touring with Pat Cooper,[9] they returned to Las Vegas to headline at Suncoast.[10] They went on to perform at the Southpoint Casino and at Palace Station.[11] In 2015, the couple continued to perform in venues around the country, at the Rampart Casino[12] and the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas.[4] In 2016, they performed at the Metropolitan Room in New York City.[13]

Allen died in 2018. Blackwell later toured with The Wonderful Wizard of Song, a musical revue of the works and life of Harold Arlen. Arlen composed the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.[14]

Discography
  • Karon Kate Blackwell (1992)[15]
  • 20/20 Hindsight (2013)

Published works

Blackwell edited her husband's self-published autobiography Hello Dere![16]

See also

References
  1. Lett, Mary (January 7, 2015). "Ellisville native hits high notes with comedian husband". Hattiesburg American. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. "Marrying". Detroit Free Press. May 3, 1984. p. 12D – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Lloyd, Jack (February 11, 1994). "In from Vegas: Allen & Rossi, the comic team". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 36. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Stapleton, Susan (March 5, 2015). "Comedian Marty Allen celebrates his 93rd birthday with two Vegas shows". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016.
  5. Lloyd, Jack (February 4, 1994). "'Fundays' at the Castle". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Beauty and the Beast, Vegas style — Marty Allen and wife". Elko Daily Free Press. Associated Press. November 5, 1997. p. A7. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Lloyd, Jack (March 5, 1999). "His act makes sense and nonsense". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. Winners 22. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Brett, Jackie (June 11, 2000). "Allen, Blackwell perform at Gold Coast". The Arizona Republic. p. T11. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Lucky Mann". The Naples Daily News. August 16, 2001. p. 2B. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Suncoast opens new show". The Arizona Republic. June 23, 2002. p. T7. Retrieved December 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "An Interview with Marty Allen". Classic Showbiz. May 24, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.
  12. "Legendary Comedian Marty Allen Performs at Rampart Casino, April 17". Vegas24seven.com. April 16, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  13. Thomas, Nick (March 17, 2016). "Marty Allen's still making 'em laugh". The Spectrum & Daily News. St. George, Utah.
  14. "The Wonderful Wizard of Song Celebrates Composer Harold Arlen". Soka University. June 12, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  15. "Vegas World hosts Allen and Rossi". The Los Angeles Times. February 21, 1993. p. 72.
  16. Allen, Marty (2014). "Hello Dere!": An Illustrated Biography. ISBN 978-1-5027-2218-8.
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