Norah Lee Allen, Vocalist & Wife Of Oak Ridge Boys Member Duane Allen, Passes

Norah Lee Allen

Oak Ridge Boys lead singer Duane Allen is mourning the loss of his wife Norah Lee Allen, who passed away on Sunday (March 31) after battling an extended illness. She was 76.

Duane and Norah Lee Allen

Duane shared the news with his close friends on Sunday, saying, “This morning, my wife of 54 years and 8 months took her last breath of air on planet Earth. Norah Lee went to be with Jesus at 7:28 am, Easter morning. She had not been feeling well for some time. Her family all spent the night with her last night at Vanderbilt Hospital. We took time singing with and to her, telling her stories, and loving her every second that God let us share her here on Earth.”

Norah Lee grew up in Bowling Green and began singing with her sisters in The Stuart Sisters Trio, formed by their father when she was only three. For nearly 17 years, the family gospel singers traveled, toured and performed at revivals, concerts, conventions and churches throughout the southeast. In 1968, she was hired by the country gospel music group Chuck Wagon Gang. A year later, she married Duane.

In the early 1970s, Norah Lee worked in Nashville with Benson Publishing Group. She also did background session work with country, bluegrass and gospel bands and for many artists, including Conway Twitty and Grand Ole Opry bass legend Jerome Hines. In 1980, Norah Lee became a full-time member of the Grand Ole Opry band as a background vocalist. Over the years, Norah Lee and the Carol Lee Singers—then Opry staff singers—performed in front of thousands of country fans live at the Opry and on television and radio worldwide. In 2022, Norah Lee was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

She is survived by husband Duane, two children, Jamie Allen (Paul) Martin and Dee Allen, and her four grandchildren, March, Kell, Texas and Tallant Martin.

Details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared on Duane Allen’s Facebook page and The Oak Ridge Boys’ social media platforms.

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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