Biography
Allie Gonino was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in the small Dallas suburb of Heath. As the youngest of three half-siblings, Allie knew what she wanted out of life, very early on. The arts have always been a strong and varied passion for her, and at the ripe age of four, an unexpected encounter with the pre-fame country band, The Dixie Chicks, was the trigger that jump started Allie's move into music. The meeting ignited a spark in her, and after hearing Martie Maguire play the fiddle, Allie asked her mom for violin lessons. Growing up, as a dancer she studied ballet, hip-hop, and jazz, played violin in the Dallas Youth Orchestra, and regularly performed country music at local opry houses. Music has been Allie's biggest influence in every aspect of life, though it wasn't the only art form that inspired her from a young age. She credits the classic film, 'The Wizard of Oz', for her love of acting. Her drive and talent grew past her hometown of Heath, and by the time she was sixteen, Allie and her mom made the move to Los Angeles. The Stunners marked the next chapter in Allie's life. In 2007, Allie's rep received a call from Colleen Fitzpatrick, (AKA pop singer Vitamin C), who was looking to start an all-girl pop group. After an audition, Allie agreed to join, and the roller coaster ride began. The Stunners were initially signed to Columbia Records, then later to Universal Republic. During their run, they released an EP and four music videos, (two of which the girls wrote, directed, and produced themselves - sans record label.) They were played on numerous Top 40 radio stations, and opened for Justin Bieber on his 'My World Tour' in 2010. The band parted ways in 2011 when Allie booked the role as Laurel Mercer on ABC Family's original series, "The Lying Game." Though the show was canceled after a season and a half, she continues to split her time between acting, creating music with her folk band The Good Mad, as well as a new solo music venture. Yoga, reading, writing, dancing, and traveling can be found at the top of her to-do list when she's not working. Allie is also active in raising awareness about climate change, and the global water crisis, and works closely with The Thirst Project, a non-profit organization that builds wells in developing countries.
