He was born July 17, 1956 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio to the union of the late Mr. Hoye Wiley Stribling, and the late Mrs. Louise C. Stribling-Lee.
Allen was the 5th of 12 siblings, preceded in death by three brothers: Bert Lee, Silas Lee, III, and Louis Stribling.
Allen grew up in Cleveland Ohio. During his youth, he attended East High School, and worked various jobs to help his family. In 1976, on January 19th, Allen joined the Marine Corps and became a computer operator. While in the Marine Corp, he continued his education at Escondido Union High School in California, and graduated.