Joni Allen is an up and coming country music singer in the Central Illinois area.  She has performed throughout most of the state of Illinois and always leaves her audience wanting more.  From her first note to the last, Joni wows audiences of all sizes with her vocal talent and entertaining personality.

Joni currently resides in Peoria, IL, but she grew up in a rural area near the small town of Speer, IL with her parents and younger brother, where listening to country music was a way of life.  She learned to sing at a very young age, as her mother and grandmother would use music as a learning tool.  It was only a matter of time before she began singing along with the songs on the radio and her family discovered that Joni had a talent for singing.  Music became a big part of her life as a child and her love of music and singing still continues to grow every day.

Joni’s first opportunity to become a performer as well as a singer came when she was 14 years old.  For three summers during high school she performed all around Central Illinois as a member of the Marshall-Putnam-Stark Show Choir.  In her final year, she took on a leadership role within the group, introducing songs, singing solo parts, and helping with choreography.  Her time spent traveling with the Marshall-Putnam-Stark Show Choir helped her to grow as both a vocalist and a performer for audiences of all sizes.

Joni has sung in numerous local talent contests over the years and has won several of them.  In May 2004, she won the Central Illinois Idol Contest, held at Kep’s Place in Washington, IL, where she was awarded a trip to Las Vegas to watch the Billboard Music Awards.  Joni has also been chosen as a local finalist in the 2004 and 2005 Colgate Country Showdown competitions, and was named 1^st runner up in the local contest her first time competing.

In November 2004, Joni traveled to Chicago, IL to audition for USA Network’s "Nashville Star" television series.  Out of hundreds who auditioned, she was one of the 25 singers selected to return the following day for the second round of auditions.

Joni is currently a member of the Illinois Country Music Association (ICMA), which is an organization devoted to promoting Country, Gospel, Bluegrass, and Western music in Illinois.  She has been very active in this organization since she joined in December 2004.  She has performed in the Women of the ICMA showcase, the Richard Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund concert, and was awarded 3^rd place in the 2005 ICMA Country Idol contest.  Joni was a 2006 ICMA People’s Choice Awards nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year (Non-Opry), New Female Vocalist of the Year, and Vocal Collaboration of the Year, for her performances with Travis Parks (www.travisparks.com) at several events.

Joni has performed at events throughout the state of Illinois, including the Taste of Chicago, Marshall-Putnam County Fair, Illinois State Fair, Marshall County Old Settlers’ Celebration, several area Opry appearances, and many more.  Her shows include songs from Nashville’s hottest new artists, such as Gretchen Wilson, Sugarland, and Carrie Underwood, and also songs from classic country favorites, like Tammy Wynette, Martina McBride, and Joni’s personal idol, Reba McEntire.

In 2006, Joni finished recording her self-titled debut CD, which features songs from some of country music’s biggest stars.  This CD is currently available for sale at all of Joni's live performances, or by visiting her Merchandise page.

To find out when you can see Joni perform next, check out her 2006 Schedule, or for more information, visit her Contact Info page.  For all you fans out there, visit Joni's Fan Page to sign her Guestbook and to sign up for free e-mail updates on her schedule and other news.