[1][5] Allison was interested in music as a child and during the late 1940s he toured in a family gospel group called The Southern Travellers.

[1] He moved with his family to Chicago in 1951[6] and attended Farragut High School[1] where he was classmates with Muddy Waters' son.

One of his older brothers, Ollie, soon began working as a guitarist on Chicago's booming South Side blues scene.

[1][4] By 1957, he had formed a band with Ollie and another brother, Grant Allison, initially called The Rolling Stones, later changed to The Four Jivers, and they performed at clubs in Chicago.

During this period, Allison moved to California for a year where he worked with Shakey Jake Harris and Sunnyland Slim.

[10] Allison was known for his powerful concert performances, lengthy soulful guitar solos and crowd walking with his Gibson Les Paul.

Allison played the bar circuit in the United States during this period and spent eight months of the year in Europe at high-profile venues, including the Montreux Jazz Festival.

In 1992, he performed with the French rock and roll star Johnny Hallyday in 18 shows in Paris, also playing during the intermission.

The album Soul Fixin' Man was recorded and released in 1994, and Allison toured the United States and Canada.

With the James Solberg Band backing him, nonstop touring and the release of Blue Streak (featuring the song "Cherry Red Wine"), Allison earned more Handy Awards and gained wider recognition.