Friday, April 26, 2024
In his 50 professional years, Tumbleweed has interviewed some true Texas characters and assembled the largest private collection of oral history in the United States. He writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column and teaches broadcasting at the university level.
In Italian, the word allora is an expression used for calming people. There is a 17-year-old girl who lives near Fredericksburg named Allora and she is definitely living up to her name. She sings, writes and loves to ride horses.
Allora Leonard of Willow City got her first name from her great great grandmother. I interviewed her just after her 17th birthday.
“It was great,” she told me. “ I got to hear my new song on the radio for the first time and had a big birthday party. I really enjoyed it.”
Allora is a teenage sensation whose accomplishments rival those of someone much older. She is a singer and songwriter who is in the midst of a 150-performance schedule this year.
“I started performing when I was about 6 years old. I sang the national anthem at some of the rodeos where I used to compete. I would sing to my horses and the staff started hearing me and invited me to sing The Star Spangled Banner at the start of the rodeo and it’s just taken on a life of its own.”
Allora grew up on a ranch and enjoyed hunting rabbits and deer while developing an appreciation and love of the outdoors. She quickly took to riding horses.
“I started barrel racing in local rodeos when I was about 3 years old. I also got my Women’s Pro Rodeo Association card when I was 11.
She competes in reined cowhorse events where horses work a cow in an arena and perform maneuvers such as circling the cow and turning it in a required manner. Her favorite horse is a mare named Mama T.
“She and I were lucky enough to win the national title.”
Allora wrote her first song at age 12 and has written other things besides songs.
“I wrote a couple of children’s books when I was 8 and 11. I think they’re on Amazon,” she said. “One of them is titled ‘The Adventures of Pagosa Pete and Jelly Bean.’ I’ve written a number of poems but never published them. I used to write for a barrel racing publication. Mostly I write songs. I’ve written 35.”
Allora has been home schooled since the first grade. She started singing in church and as she was growing up won several local and area talent contests.
Her parents encouraged her to write and sing and her friends are extremely supportive. Although she never met him, she gained inspiration from her dad’s cousin who was a songwriter in Nashville and worked with some big stars.
In addition to guitar Allora plays bass and ukulele. She wears colorful, sparkling outfits when she needs to, but is most comfortable performing in jeans and a t-shirt.
She sings country, but adds the flavors of blues and soul to her music. She has just recorded her first song in Nashville. It’s called Old Soul Girl. She says it’s going great.
