Indianapolis lost one of its great gospel music figures last month, guitarist and songwriter M.L. Allen, Jr. He was 89 years old.
Allen rose to prominence in the 1950s with the Indianapolis gospel group the Wandering Travelers. WFYI’s Kyle Long spoke with Allen in 2023 and discussed his roots in Indianapolis.
M.L. Allen, Jr.: I was born in a place called Delta, Louisiana, right across the river from Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Long: When did you come to Indianapolis?
Allen, Jr.: I think I was 12 years old when I went to Indianapolis.
Long: What year were you born?
Allen, Jr.: I was born in 1936.
Long: During our conversation, Allen told me it was blues and country music that first sparked his desire to become a musician.
Allen, Jr.: Well, I started in music with blues—what you call it—a guy named B.B. King and Elmore James. Yeah, and that’s how I started with that. But then I liked country music, and I used to listen to the Grand Ole Opry.
Long: The Wandering Travelers recorded eight songs, all written by Allen. Their debut single, “Jesus Is the Heavyweight Champ,” is perhaps the best example of his unique songwriting voice. The record was released in 1962 by the Peacock label, and Allen told me the song received national airplay.
Allen, Jr.: They played it on Randy’s Record Shop out of Nashville, Tennessee, on a Sunday night. They got so many calls. What I’m just saying is the success of what I was doing.
Long: What inspired you to write that song?
Allen, Jr.: What inspired me, because I said, who was in first place? Jesus. In round number one, you know, there’s God—he made day and night, you know. Well, boy, I haven’t heard my record in a long time. (laughs)
Long: During the 1960s, the Wandering Travelers were among the most popular gospel groups in Indianapolis. For more than 15 years, the group performed regularly in neighborhood churches across Indianapolis, from Indiana Avenue to Haughville and Martindale-Brightwood.
After the group dissolved in the 1970s, Allen continued performing as a solo artist, accompanied by his guitar—an instrument he affectionately named Magic.
Beyond music, Allen was also a successful entrepreneur. He owned a record shop and dry cleaner in Haughville, and later opened a karate studio there.
Allen, Jr. was one of Indianapolis’s most distinctive gospel songwriters and musicians for more than half a century. His work helped shape the sound of gospel music in the city.
This interview aired on WFYI’s Cultural Manifesto.