FOSTER & ALLEN

When Mick Foster approached Tony Allen with a view to forming a musical partnership neither man no matter how optimistic could ever have envisaged the success story that was to follow. Now some fifteen years later Foster & Allen are acknowledged internationally as two of Ireland's foremost musical ambassadors as well known and popular in Melbourne as in Mullingar.

Beginning in 1976 Foster & Allen have recorded a stream of hit singles many of them earning long stays in The Irish Charts.  Old Flames, I Will Love You All My Life,  Sweethearts In The Spring, The Black Sheep, The Blacksmith, Maggie & A Bunch Of Thyme with Tony Allen On vocals became a top twenty hit in the British Charts which meant an appearance on the prestigious BBC Top of the Pops television programme .  Furthermore , his superb  version of Maggie raced to number one in Australia in the early eighties.  Concert appearances in the US, Canada, Australia and England continue to be a sell out for the popular Country Westmeath Duo.

Later "The Tony Allen Band" was formed, Mick Foster meanwhile as well as tending his beloved horses, plans to do occasional recording and television work.

From Mount Temple near Moate in County Westmeath Tony Comes from a musical Background and encouraged by his parents, Pat and Rose learned to appreciate music at an early age.  His Father played the fiddle and Tony also remembers his mother who sadly passed away in 1977"as a beautiful Singer", with schooldays behind him Tony played with a succession of bands among them "The Marylanders", "Kieran Kelly's Band", "The Fine Avon's" and "Doc Carroll", and "The Nightrunners".

Mick Foster was born in Ballymore-Eustace , County Kildare, but his family moved to Mullingar when Mick was barely 12 years of age.  "A Natural Musician".  Mick started off with the button accordion and soon progressed to playing the piano accordion.  Indeed he became so proficient that he won "The All Ireland Junior Piano Accordion Championship" at the age of 16 In 1964 and captured the senior title four years later.  Mick teamed up with a local band in the mid-sixties and was later joined by Tony Allen. However when Tony left to join "The Fine Avons" Mick took up a solo residency in Larry's Lounge Mullingar.  This association lasted over seven years.  Then in 1975 Mick & Tony found themselves playing together again In "The Nightrunners Line Up".  Not long afterwards Mick and Tony played their first date as "Foster & Allen".

Foster & Allen's albums sell, not in hundreds, not even in thousands, but in hundreds of thousands.  In fact, they have now progressed from having hit singles to a point  where each one of their albums, within a week or so of it's release, automatically becomes a "Top Twenty hit in the British album charts.  In addition, Foster & Allen are now among the "Golden Video Sellers", which means that each Video Release

Since 1982 Foster & Allen have never been out of The Top 200 in the British Album Charts and on occasions have had as many as three albums in the Top Fifty.  A remarkable achievement by any standards, and testimony to their universal appeal to record buyers of all ages .  With each new release outselling the last, the spectacular success of this widely acclaimed partnership.