By Phyllis D. Slayton

Valley Drop Tine Bar and Grill patrons had quite a surprise the evening of July18 when popular R&B musician, singer and songwriter Allen Stone dropped in for a visit.  Valley Drop Tine owner Lacey White said, “he just popped in to check out what we have done the place.  He was also thrilled to see that Mike (Fitzgerald) was still working as a bartender.  He visited with people and chatted for about an hour.”   White and her partner DannyAebi are pictured with Stone.

Allen Stone is a local boy, born in Chewelah, Washington in 1987, and began his career singing at his father’s church at the age of 3.  By the age of 14, Stone was playing instruments and was already a musical influence among the congregation.  At 18 he moved to Spokane and attended college; not long after he moved to Seattle to pursue his musical career.  Stone has released five albums since 2010, Last to Speak, Allen Stone, Radius, Building Balance, and APART.  USA Today called Allen Stone a “pitch-perfect powerhouse.”  Stone was also voted one of mtvU’s Freshman 5 in late 2012 and tapped as VH1’s first “You Oughta Know” artists of 2013.  On January 3, 2013, he appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and sang his song “Sleep”.  On October 4, 2022, Stone released a new single, “5 Minutes” and then went on tour in Australia in November.

Stone has several upcoming shows in Canada and across the United States.  On September 29 and 30, his Stone Family Field Trip show will be performed at Liberty Lake, Washington.  See Allen Stone’s website for tickets and details www.allenstone.com.