Please help Fran Allen-Leake regain her health!

Our dear friend, Fran Allen-Leake, is recovering from catastrophic illness and heart surgery, while she's still struggling to recover from her stroke and heartbreaking loss of her husband, Danny Leake (our legendary friend). Let's rally around Fran, and help her survive the next few months, as she recovers from her medical repairs. Let's help her heal by helping fund her recovery.

Fran has dedicated her entire life to helping others; her husband, her parents, her family, her friends, her colleagues... including myself and SO many others! She has always been there for everyone in her life. Now, she needs our help to survive post-surgery, and recover her health without worries about crushing bills. Let's help Fran, together!

But, there's even more to Fran and her life of helping others. Fran has dedicated her career to helping the Music Industry's artists, producers, tech folks, and more, as a Public Relations Specialist, Music Producer, Tour Director & Artist Relations Director. She began her career as a top-rated entertainment public relations specialist handling local and Broadway Touring musicals. She is now the principal Owner of LJET PRODUCTIONS – specializing in live and recorded Music Production and Concerts as well as Tour Direction, Public Relations & Special Events. As a 35+-year award-winning entertainment industry veteran she has worked – both in the U.S. and abroad – with a wide variety of clientele including Motown legend Stevie Wonder; jazz legends Ramsey Lewis and Archie Shepp; syndicated radio host Tom Joyner; rock music’s Dennis DeYoung (formerly of Styx), blues entertainer Shirley “Daughter of the Blues” King; gospel music’s Thompson Community Singers and Chicago Mass Choir; NARADA Records; United One Records, Sony/Myrrh Records; Spirit Feel Records; and Amethyst Entertainment (for Fox-TV’s annual "The Joy of Christmas" and WCIU-TV’s "Story of Easter" specials).

Fran served as public relations director for the City of Chicago’s Taste of Chicago and its sesquicentennial celebration in 1987; she also is also a founding member of and co-producer for Gospel Arts Workshop, whose 2 landmark productions “O, FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING,” served as the precursor to Chicago’s annual Gospel Festival.

Fran is a longtime voting member of The Recording Academy® (the Grammy® organization), and a former First Vice President of its Chicago Chapter. She is also a Grammy® P&E wing member and former Trustee Alternate; a 28-year member of the Engineering and Recording Society (EARS); sits on the EARS Board of Directors and for 6 years wrote/co-edited the EARDrum, the organization’s quarterly publication.

In 2007, Fran directed Stevie Wonder’s first North American World Tour in more than 10 years; and she continues association with his Wonder organization to this day.

Fran is a 2012 inductee, and VIP member, of Cambridge’s Worldwide Who’s Who; the same year she co-produced "Chicago Blues Mamas for Obama", a live musical showcase and victory celebration for the re-election of President Barack Obama featuring 10 of Chicago’s top female Blues artists at Chicago’s Mayne Stage Theatre. Fran produced the resulting CD, “Fired Up & Ready to Go,” a compilation project recorded live at the show.

The daughter of a WWII Montford Point Marine father, Fran also produced -- and handled PR duties for -- the Illinois Warrior Summit’s "4th Annual Welcome Home Celebration Concert 2011", benefitting returning soldiers and veterans at Chicago’s Soldier Field; later that year, she served as Tour & Public Relations Director for the 2011 Australian tour “One World, One People” for the Chicago Soul Collective. She returned to the U.S. – and her roots – as PR Director for the 2015 Chicago Gospel Music Awards and produced (on behalf of internationally-known jazz vocalist Dee Alexander), a series of live jazz performances.

Fran is also Special Projects/Production Consultant for the national tour of Sweet Sisters of Zion: DeLois Barrett Campbell & The Barrett Sisters movie; reprised her producer role for the Chicago Blues Mamas Tour, and has, since its 2010 inception, worked as Audio Stage Manager for TIMELESS GIFTS, a performing arts mentoring program for youth and young adults developed by longtime friend, Joan Collaso.

The love of her life, her husband, Danny Leake, was a hemodialysis patient, Fran has also began planning a series of Kidney Awareness Concerts for 2023.

Fran is a true, modern-day, Renaissance Woman! Her favorite quote - by Hans Christen Andersen - is the mantra reflected in her daily life: ” WHEN WORDS FAIL, MUSIC SPEAKS.”

Now, it's time for those of us who consume, those of us who make, those of us who perform, and those of us who support the industries to which Fran has dedicated her life, to come to her aid.

Personally, Fran and Danny have encouraged me in my art for decades. Danny mastered many of our albums, and Fran promoted many of our concerts, and, especially, benefit concerts! Join me when I say, "Fran, thank you for all you have done for so many. Now, let me help you!"

PLEASE DONATE DEEPLY TO HELP OUR DEAR FRIEND, FRAN ALLEN-LEAKE, IN HER TIME OF NEED.

Merci beaucoup!

Mojo

MOJO & The Bayou Gypsies