Website design and hosting by Reinvented Inc.		Allan Rankin is one of Prince Edward Island's most talented and popular singer-songwriters. With poetic lyrics and beautiful melodies, his songs capture the very spirit of the Island and its people. Says fellow musician Rik Barron, "If you want to look into the heart of Prince Edward Island, listen to an Allan Rankin song." Allan was born in Summerside, P.E.I., just as his anthem Maritime Star suggests, "at the bottom of the Glover's Shore road." Trained as a historian and museum curator, he began playing guitar and singing at university, and in 1970-71 was a member of the Troubadours, a resident folk music group at Confederation Centre of the Arts. Other Troubadours included Mike Mooney, Bonnie LeClair, and Faye Pound. From the moment he began writing in the late 1970s, Allan's songs have been steeped in the rich history of his province and its community life. In 1996, Allan recorded his debut CD New Branches in the Halifax studios of CBC. This beautifully-arranged and produced recording has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. According to Maritime radio host Eric MacEwan, New Branches contains "some of the best material to ever come from this (Atlantic) region." Soon after its release, New Branches was given a special heritage award by the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. In 1998, Allan teamed up with humorist and storyteller Nils Ling to create the stage musical Maritime Star, which enjoyed a successful two-year run at the Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre in Summerside. From 1997 through 2001, Allan was a member of the popular group Crowbush, with fiddler Roy Johnstone and poet Frank Ledwell. He has been a regular performer at local festivals over the years, such as the annual Larry Gorman Folk Festival at Tyne Valley, and has contributed his time and talent to numerous community concerts and fundraising events. Allan has appeared as a guest performer on regional CBC radio and television programmes Atlantic Airwaves and Up On the Roof, the Vision television network's Steeplechase, and most recently on the CBC national television comedy show Madly Off In All Directions. Currently, Allan is working on his long-awaited second CD.