Donna Allen was a 1980s American dance pop singer born in Key West, Florida and raised in Tampa, Florida. At one point a cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, she got her start performing in the bands Hi‑Octane and Trama before launching a solo career. She also sang backup on tour for Gloria Estefan for nine years. Her first disc was the Lou Pace produced 1986 LP Perfect Timing, and over the next few years she launched several hits on the US dance charts. She had two UK hits with «Serious» (#8) and «Joy and Pain» (#10). 1995's «Real», her last U.S. charting hit, was taken from the soundtrack to the Sylvester Stallone film The Specialist.