Alan DeBoer (born Alan Henry DeBoer, on January 14, 1948) in Grand Rapids, MI. is an American songwriter and musician. It is not widely known that he wrote many rock and roll tunes (primarily lyrics), in 1967 while in the band "The Ramrods". The group dis-banded in August of that year due to internal problems. During 1968, while stationed in Fayetteville, NC with the United States Air Force<ref name="FayettevilleUSAFB"> </ref>, he would perform regularly on drums, with a popular civilian band named the "Cobras". In 1970, he wrote a song that years later was recorded and released on an Anthology album.<ref name="AnthologyRelease"> </ref><br />


Alan never earned a living as either a musician, or a songwriter, and was employed for the balance of his life as a truck driver, a truck driving instructor, and a technical writer for the trucking industry. He graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI in 1973, earning a BS degree in Psychology, with minors in Communications and Geography. For a year following college during 1974, he was employed as a discjockey for the #1 rated rock and roll radio station in Western Ohio.<ref name="Station"> </ref> As Alan recalls, he was not great, but merely an "okay DJ". Every record (yes, actual vynyl), as well as commercials and public service announcements, had to be cued manually! He may have been the first (or certainly one of the first) on-air personalities to run "live" polls between tunes. Though station management frowned on this "new" broadcast concept, Alan was persistent in requesting his listeners to "call-in" and offer their opinions on matters of the day (primarily political). It became a very popular part of his show.


Alan DeBoer married Marny Lynn Gumieny (a registered nurse) in 1973.<ref name="Church"> </ref>
Marny passed away in 1997, following adverse reactions to medications for the treatment of lymphoma.<br />


He and Marny have two children, Alan Jr. and Tami, and three grandchildren, Dylan, JJ (Josh Jr.), and Alana.<br />


Today, Alan lives in Michigan, and spends considerable time volunteering to help newly widowed people adjust, following their loss.

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