Origin: Key West, Florida, United States Genres: R&B, new jack swing, dance-pop Associated acts: Will to Power Website: donnaallen.com *Donna Allen is an American dance-pop singer, born in Key West, Florida, and raised in Tampa. At one point a cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, she got her start performing in the bands Hi-Octane,Trama and Maxx. During her tenure with MAXX she was courted by Alan Walden (Capricorn Records/Hustler Productions) before launching a solo career. She also sang backup on tour for Gloria Estefan for nine years. Her first disc was the Lou Pace-produced 1986 album, Perfect Timing, and over the next few years she launched several hits on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart. She had two Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart with "Serious" (1987, #8) and "Joy and Pain" (1989, #10). 1995`s "Real", her last US chart hit, was taken from the soundtrack to the Sylvester Stallone film The Specialist. The UK dance act Strike used her chorus hook line from "Serious", as the basis for their club hit, "U Sure Do", that same year. In 2009, "He is the Joy" appeared on the Precious soundtrack.