Allen was born on February 2, 1945 to Buford Allen Reed and Kathryn Graves Reed in Montgomery City, Missouri. After Allen graduated from Montgomery County High in 1963, he went on study music at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. His employments included Minister of Music at Blacksburg Baptist Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, and Professor of Theory and Organ Performance at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee from 1981 until 2015, he was Professor of music and Organ Performance at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. He also served as organist at First Baptist Church and Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas.
In 1972, Allen married Judy Crowder in Blacksburg, Virginia. Allen and Judy went on to have four children, Elisabeth Reed Pearson (Robert), Katie Reed Saenz (Roger), David Benjamin Graves Reed, and Paul Allen Graves Reed.
Allen was preceded in death by his son, Paul Allen Graves Reed, and his grandchild. He is survived by his wife, Judy, and his three children and four grandchildren, Ethan, Reed, Claire, and Lanie.
A memorial service will be held at St. Johns Church in Brownwood, Texas on Monday, January 16, 2023 at noon. A private graveside service will follow.
Services are entrusted to Heritage Funeral Home Davis Morris Chapel.