The Story of NC Pirate

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The Story of NC Pirate

AHOY, MATES!!!!

Welcome to the Pirate's Cabin!

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Michael Allen was born in Greenville, North Carolina on May 26, 1957, to Dorothy K. and John G.(Colonel) Allen. He lived one year in Richmond, Va as a toddler, then back to Greenville, NC where he lived until he graduated high school.

While growing up, Michael tinkered with everything from bicycles to antique clocks. He even aggravated everyone in the house trying to figure out the basics of the piano. Along with his brothers John and Tim, he got into all the usual mischief that would be expected. His sister, Diana, departed for the U. S. Air Force before he entered junior high school.

He took up an interest in athletics. He was Captain of the junior high school's wrestling team, receiving the MVP once. He also lettered in track and field via the 100-yd. dash and the long jump.

In the summer before his sophomore year in high school, tragedy visit his family. His older brother, John, was accidentally shot and killed in the home. The loss was sudden and would have a long term effect Michael.

In high school, Michael started taking an interest in singing and soon after, he started "piddling" with the guitar. He also worked with the drama dept. during musical productions with lights, sound, scripts, stage hands and being in select singing groups. It was during his junior year when he first took a try at song writing. The result was a song titled "Indian Trail".

Between his junior and senior years in high school, Michael was selected to serve as the Community Ambassador from Greenville to the country of Luxembourg, in east central Europe. He lived with a family for the summer, and was afforded a two-week tour of Switzerland while abroad. His guitar and music traveled with him. It was then that he started to really understand the value of music a useful element in communicating and developing a common ground with other people and cultures, even in the presence of no commonly understood language.

Upon graduation from high school, he entered the U. S. Coast Guard, where he remained enlisted for a 10-year from the end of the Vietnam War until summer 1985. His tours covered 9 units in 10 years. His writing progressed as he traveled writing about the people and places he encountered and the things he did and felt. Light Station Frying Pan Shoals, LORAN Station Gesashi, Japan and the USCGC Woodrush WLB-407 in Sitka, Alaska were some of his favorite tours. At Loran Station Gesashi, he helped a volunteer at the local junior high school, (as it were), helping the younger kids with 'conversational English'. This, too, added to his understanding of communication between cultures, with language and music.

While serving at USCG Communication Station Portsmouth, he worked with a band called "Northwest Passage" . He continued writing songs until he got married. At that time he decided to put the music down to focus on raising a family. It would be over 15 years before he again pursued his music.

In 1995, with the support and encouragement of friends and family, Michael again started playing again "I do not consider myself a musician as I do not read music. Likewise, I do not consider myself a guitarist as I have never had a lesson. What I do is melodic poetry, with a sense of humor, and call myself an entertainer. Music is an art form. I believe that the best music comes about when you open yourself up and allow yourself to be a tool where the song(s) can write themselves or present themselves through you in a performance. Good music is like a sculpture in sound. You have to actually be able to feel it with your heart."

Presently Michael resides in Washington, NC. He played the local scene from the late fall of 1996 until Hurricane Floyd devastated the area in September 1999. Since then, Michael has been working with the internet to promote his music. He developed a large following on the net, especially on the chat program "MPlayer" where he became known as NCPirate57, NCSoGent and Farest Gump. Many people wanted a copy of any CD's that he had available, which he had none. Due to the response from his fans and friends on the "M" (as he refers to MPlayer), he started to pursue the making of his own personal CD. He did all the music, vocals, recording, mixing, mastering and every other job associated with his CD by himself. He worked on his CD titled "Reflections of Insight" to be released in 2001. The songs page will give you an opportunity to hear the songs in RealAudio.

Michael Playing at a local restaurant in

Washington, NC

Michael during performance on the waterfront in

Washington, NC

Want to listen to the songs?

Want to learn more about Michael's CD?

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	THE PIRATE'S CABIN \| home The Story of NC Pirate \| The Stories Behind The Songs \| The Songs \| About "Reflections of Insight" \| Other Writings \| The Treasure Chest \| The Mail Buoy \| Request Library The Story of NC Pirate AHOY, MATES!!!! Welcome to the Pirate's Cabin! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Allen was born in Greenville, North Carolina on May 26, 1957, to Dorothy K. and John G.(Colonel) Allen. He lived one year in Richmond, Va as a toddler, then back to Greenville, NC where he lived until he graduated high school. While growing up, Michael tinkered with everything from bicycles to antique clocks. He even aggravated everyone in the house trying to figure out the basics of the piano. Along with his brothers John and Tim, he got into all the usual mischief that would be expected. His sister, Diana, departed for the U. S. Air Force before he entered junior high school. He took up an interest in athletics. He was Captain of the junior high school's wrestling team, receiving the MVP once. He also lettered in track and field via the 100-yd. dash and the long jump. In the summer before his sophomore year in high school, tragedy visit his family. His older brother, John, was accidentally shot and killed in the home. The loss was sudden and would have a long term effect Michael. In high school, Michael started taking an interest in singing and soon after, he started "piddling" with the guitar. He also worked with the drama dept. during musical productions with lights, sound, scripts, stage hands and being in select singing groups. It was during his junior year when he first took a try at song writing. The result was a song titled "Indian Trail". Between his junior and senior years in high school, Michael was selected to serve as the Community Ambassador from Greenville to the country of Luxembourg, in east central Europe. He lived with a family for the summer, and was afforded a two-week tour of Switzerland while abroad. His guitar and music traveled with him. It was then that he started to really understand the value of music a useful element in communicating and developing a common ground with other people and cultures, even in the presence of no commonly understood language. Upon graduation from high school, he entered the U. S. Coast Guard, where he remained enlisted for a 10-year from the end of the Vietnam War until summer 1985. His tours covered 9 units in 10 years. His writing progressed as he traveled writing about the people and places he encountered and the things he did and felt. Light Station Frying Pan Shoals, LORAN Station Gesashi, Japan and the USCGC Woodrush WLB-407 in Sitka, Alaska were some of his favorite tours. At Loran Station Gesashi, he helped a volunteer at the local junior high school, (as it were), helping the younger kids with 'conversational English'. This, too, added to his understanding of communication between cultures, with language and music. While serving at USCG Communication Station Portsmouth, he worked with a band called "Northwest Passage" . He continued writing songs until he got married. At that time he decided to put the music down to focus on raising a family. It would be over 15 years before he again pursued his music. In 1995, with the support and encouragement of friends and family, Michael again started playing again "I do not consider myself a musician as I do not read music. Likewise, I do not consider myself a guitarist as I have never had a lesson. What I do is melodic poetry, with a sense of humor, and call myself an entertainer. Music is an art form. I believe that the best music comes about when you open yourself up and allow yourself to be a tool where the song(s) can write themselves or present themselves through you in a performance. Good music is like a sculpture in sound. You have to actually be able to feel it with your heart." Presently Michael resides in Washington, NC. He played the local scene from the late fall of 1996 until Hurricane Floyd devastated the area in September 1999. Since then, Michael has been working with the internet to promote his music. He developed a large following on the net, especially on the chat program "MPlayer" where he became known as NCPirate57, NCSoGent and Farest Gump. Many people wanted a copy of any CD's that he had available, which he had none. Due to the response from his fans and friends on the "M" (as he refers to MPlayer), he started to pursue the making of his own personal CD. He did all the music, vocals, recording, mixing, mastering and every other job associated with his CD by himself. He worked on his CD titled "Reflections of Insight" to be released in 2001. The songs page will give you an opportunity to hear the songs in RealAudio. Michael Playing at a local restaurant in Washington, NC Michael during performance on the waterfront in Washington, NC Want to listen to the songs? Want to learn more about Michael's CD? The Mail Bouy-My Guestbook Want to tour another section?