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Carl Anderson Allen was born in Auburndale, Florida on February 13, 1918. He was the ninth of nine children born to parents William F. and Annalou Allen, who had moved to Florida from Georgia around the turn of the century. Carl got his middle name from his father's boss and friend, E. K. Anderson, who was a local farmer and general store owner. At his death, Allen's home and Historical Cafe were just eight blocks from the place he was born some 78 years earlier. From his humble beginnings, he had become, among other things, a successful restaurateur, a historian, an author, a collector, a folk humorist, a champion of senior citizens, and a force in local politics. But Allen was probably most proud of his role as a promoter of bluegrass music. His death came only one week after the 20th Annual Florida State Championship Bluegrass Festival, an event which he conceived and almost single-handedly built to become what is perhaps the largest free bluegrass festival in the world. As if this weren't enough, his Historical Cafe in Auburndale, Florida, was a place where hundreds of bluegrass pickers were given an opportunity to jam and perform. Allen died on March 26, 1996 in Auburndale.