This vocalist began his career as David Allen, then became David Allyn -- so at least the vowel swapping was done in an alphabetical progression. If the move was made out of frustration with the number of professionals named David Allen, including a number of rock drummers, record producers, jazz horn players, a film special-effects genius, and one of the world's greatest stick carvers, then Allyn, or whatever his name was, burned slowly; he had performed since the late '30s, but didn't change his name until the '70s. His most famous affiliations were with the wonderful trombonist Jack Teagarden, and the forward-thinking band of Boyd Raeburn (an influence on progressive jazz bandleader and composer Charles Mingus, among others). As far as Allen's influences, these began with his family. His mother was a singer, his father played French horn, but it was Bing Crosby who the boy copied when he began singing professionally in high school.