- Allen's nephew, Singer-accordionist Eddie Allen, was a member of The Happy Gang from 1938 to 1959.
- As a child, he played clarinet alongside his father in the Queen's Own Rifles Band and later learned to play the saxophone.
- Allen performed with the dance bands of Burton Till and Luigi Romanelli and in 1922 worked briefly in New York before travelling to England in 1924 as part of a band of fellow Canadians recruited by Hal Swain.
- Les Allen was a Canadian saxophonist and vocalist popular in Britain during the 1930s.
- He received musical instruction in both the saxophone and clarinet, and displayed enough talent to win silver medals at gatherings of the Young Men's Christian Association.
- He returned to England in his teens in the company of Hal Swain, who was to become a close confidante and companion. Swain had intended his band to play at the Rector's Club in London, but found it closed. Luckily, the band found work as the resident band at the New Prince's restaurant in Piccadilly and took on the name 'The New Princes' Toronto Band'. Under this name, they recorded for Columbia for eighteen months with Allen serving as alto-saxophonist and occasional vocalist.
- During the Second World War, Allen travelled and entertained Canadian troops.
- Allen also formed in the 30's his own bands, the Les Allen Melody Four and the male voice singing group, Les Allen & His Canadian Bachelors, with fellow countrymen Jack Curtis (lead), Herbie King (tenor), and Cy Mack (baritone and arranger).
- Between 1926 and 1927, Allen joined several of his NPTB colleagues on a European tour where they performed as 'Dave Caplin's Toronto Band' under the leadership of banjoist Caplin.
- In 1927, Allen spent the next five years playing and singing with several leading British dance orchestras (including those of Carroll Gibbons, George Melachrino and Geraldo) and making a number of freelance recording (including duets with Al Bowlly).
- In 1935, he starred in the musical comedy 'Heat Wave'.
- In 1932, he joined Henry Hall's BBC Dance Orchestra as a featured vocalist and enjoyed national hits with 'The Sun Has Got His Hat On' and 'Auf Wiedersehen My Dear'.
- After the war, he played the juvenile lead in the 1945 revival of "Miss Hook of Holland" before returning to Toronto in 1948, where he started a second career in the office supply trade, retiring in 1971.
- Allen parted ways with Henry Hall in 1934 and began a career as a solo act, scoring hits with 'Tell Me Tonight', 'Love Is The Sweetest and the children's ballad, 'Little Man You've Had A Busy Day' on which his wife, Anne and son, Norman had speaking parts.
- Allen was born in Ealing, London; at age 3, he and his family moved to Canada.
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