Well-known music educator Joe Allen dies at age 83

Well known music educator Buddy Joe Allen, of Greenville, died on July 6 in Bowling Green. He was 83 years old.

Allen was born in Greenville in 1938, graduated from Greenville High School in 1956 and married his wife, Jimmie Lou Paxton, in December of 1957. The couple had four children, 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Allen began his teaching career in 1960 at Providence High School, after graduating with the first bachelor of music education degree ever awarded at Western Kentucky Teachers College that same year. While at Western, he studied the baritone horn with Bennie Beach.

Allen later taught at Charleston, Missouri, and Muhlenberg Central High School, earning a Master of Music Education degree at WKU in 1966.

Allen taught from 1965 to 1974, daughter Sarah Carroll said. As his family was growing up, Allen took a hiatus from his career in music. With four children to provide for, Allen resigned his position at Muhlenberg Central High School in 1974 to work in the coal mines to earn enough to pay for their college educations, Carroll said.

After the eleven year hiatus, he rejoined the teaching profession as band director at Lone Oak High School in Paducah in 1985. The next year he returned to Muhlenberg Central High School.

In 1990, Allen was named director of bands at Muhlenberg North High School in Greenville. His bands were consistently high quality performers on the marching field and concert stage at district, region and state music festivals. He also conducted honors bands in Kentucky and Tennessee, and was an adjudicator for marching, concert and solo and ensemble festivals throughout the region. Allen retired in May of 2007.

Allen served as Kentucky Music Educators Association Third District President, Third District Band Chairman, All-State Band Chairman, All-State Band Chairman, and President of Phi Beta Mu. He was named “Band Master of the Year” in 1997 by Phi Beta Mu, and was chosen as the Kentucky Music Educators Association High School Teacher of the Year in 2002. He received the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association for both marching and concert band.

Allen was a member of the Kentucky Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Kentucky Educators Association, Marquis’ Who’s Who, Muhlenberg County Education Association, National Education Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Beta Mu, and the National Band Association.

In 2003, Allen was named to the Western Kentucky University Music Wall of Fame, and in 2011 he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame.

Daughter Sarah Carroll remembers her father as a stern disciplinarian, with a tender heart. He put his wife first and foremost in his life, despite his well known involvement in the music community.

Carroll said during his hiatus from teaching, her father didn’t want to talk about band or music, so when the family wanted to spend time with him, they would gather around to watch sports. He was an avid sports fan, and loved golf and NASCAR. Even in recent years, Sundays included phone calls and visits to watch races and golf matches.

During those years when Allen was absent from his music education career, his children went through the high school band program. None of his children had their father as a band director, she said.

Carroll said his main focus in life was on her mother, Lou. “He adored her,” Carroll said, “he told her she was beautiful every day. He courted her through their entire marriage.”

Students taught by Joe Allen held him in the highest regard and attribute much of their success in music and in life to be the lessons learned under his baton.

Many of his past students consider themselves “Joe Allen Kids” said current Muhlenberg County High School band director Troy Stovall. From the Muhlenberg Central kids in the 70s, to the Muhlenberg North kids into the 2000s, his students felt they were part of something bigger than themselves, Stovall said.

Stovall said Allen built a community and a culture of belonging, reflected in the long list of students who would come back, year after year, to support the band program. Past students would frequently become assistants for band camp, showing the younger students the ropes and passing on their marching band knowledge to the next generation.

Stovall said he first met Allen as a student at Greenville High School, when a county-wide band was formed to perform at a few occasions. In 1992, Stovall worked at the summer band camp, and began a lifelong relationship with Allen.

As he reached the end of college, Stovall said he had plans in place to head to Indiana to complete a master’s degree when he received a phone call from Allen, asking him if he was interested in a position as an assistant band director. He agreed to take the position, and 28 years later still runs the band program here.

Allen provided opportunities for so many students, Stovall said, and had an ability to build community and relationships, along with his deep knowledge of music.

The lives touched by Allen are many and widespread. A quick search on social media reveals hundreds of posts from past students, retelling stories of ways he impacted their lives.