Mr Spann was a good role model for us young black boys growing up.......may he rest in paradise. But his own discography is a satisfying one… Mr. Spann passed away on Wednesday, January 30, 2019. Musician. On June 6, 1999, the marker was unveiled in a private ceremony. An integral member of the nonpareil Muddy Waters band of the 1950s and '60s, pianist Otis Spann took his sweet time in launching a full-fledged solo career. Let’s do something about this deplorable situation”. Otis Spann. Spann performed as a solo act and with the guitarist Morris Pejoe, working a regular spot at the Tic Toc Lounge. Now Available: 134 Rock-n-Roll Legends Crossed the Rainbow in 2017 - A Tribute to their Lives Dismiss, Rock-n-Roll Music by The Beatles in Paris 1965, 134 Rock-n-Roll Legends Crossed the Rainbow in 2017, https://rockandrollparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/21-Rock-n-Roll-Music-Live-Evening-Show.m4a. April 24, 1970 – Otis Spann was born on March 21st 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Spann’s father was reportedly a pianist called Friday Ford. His mother, Josephine Erby, was a guitarist who had worked with Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, and his stepfather, Frank Houston Spann, was a … The Bottom of the Blues (1967), featuring Spann’s wife, Lucille Spann (June 23, 1938 – August 2, 1994), was released by Bluesway. Interment Sunset Hills Cemetery, G-4413 Flushing Rd. The Blues Is Where It’s At, Spann’s 1966 album for ABC-Bluesway, includes contributions from George “Harmonica” Smith, Waters, and Sammy Lawhorn. Maceo could play just as good as he could sing.”At age eight, Spann won a talent contest at the Alamo Theatre where the owner sub sequently hired him to perform behind vaudeville acts dressed in a hat and tails. He stayed with Waters until 1968 before leaving to form his own band. He was a father figure to some & he encouraged kids to play sports. Family hour & viewing FEB 9. A 1963 effort with Storyville Records was recorded in Copenhagen. As a teenag… He undoubtedly cared about us and I'm grateful for having known him. His mother, Josephine Erby, was a guitarist who had worked with Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, and his stepfather, Frank Houston Spann, was a preacher and musician. Funeral Home Services for Otis are being provided by Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home. April 24, 1970 – Otis Spann was born on March 21st 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi. His grave was unmarked for almost thirty years, until Steve Salter (president of the Killer Blues Headstone Project) wrote a letter to Blues Revue magazine, saying “This piano great is lying in an unmarked grave. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, he was regarded as one of the most solid bottom blues piano players of his day. Blues enthusiasts from around the world sent donations to purchase a headstone. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10:00 AM Saturday. One of five children, Spann began playing the piano at the age of seven, with some instruction from Friday Ford, Frank Spann, and Little Brother Montgomery. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Otis Gene Spann (Flint, Michigan), who passed away on January 30, 2019, leaving to mourn family and friends. He worked with Waters and Eric Clapton on recordings for Decca and with James Cotton for Prestige in 1964. King and Jody Williams on guitars. By the age of 14, he was playing in bands in the Jackson area. But his own discography is a satisfying one… Carmel Baptist Church 1610 W. Pierson Rd. February 06, 2019 | MT Morris, MI | Student. Get email updates about Otis Spann delivered directly to your inbox. He was buried in the Burr Oak Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois. . Mr. Spann was a resident of Flint, Michigan at the time of passing. These are the tributes to their lives and talent. April 24, 1970 – Otis Spann was born on March 21st 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi. During his time at Chess he played on a few of Chuck Berry’s early records, including the studio version of “You Can’t Catch Me”. His mother, Josephine Erby, was a guitarist who had worked with Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith, and his stepfather, Frank Houston Spann, was a preacher and musician. will be a legend in my life thanks for inspiration in my life to work and teach young people, Big O was a man's man taught boys how to men and wouldn't allow a young lady to be anything but that truest pillar in the Pierson neighborhood community RIP HUBBA HUBBA. Flint, MI, US, 48504 Family hour & viewing begins. He was what young black boys needed then and now! The stone reads, “Otis played the deepest blues we ever heard – He’ll play forever in our hearts“. May the Lord comfort Mr. Spann's family and loved ones. Otis Gene Spann Obituary. Here is Otis Gene Spann’s obituary. The 60s also so him touring and recording in Europe and in the UK appearing on records with the likes of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Big Mama Thornton, Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac and others. Spann replaced Merriweather as Muddy Waters’s piano player in late 1952, and participated in his first recording session with the band on September 24, 1953. He was a coach to most of us. Profile: American blues pianist and vocalist, born 21 March 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA, died 24 April 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, USA Sites: Wikipedia, wirz.de. Otis Spann (March 21, 1924 or 1930 – April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician, whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Profile: American blues pianist and vocalist, born 21 March 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA, died 24 April 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, USA Sites: Wikipedia, wirz.de. Family hour 10:00 AM Saturday, February 9, 2019 at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 1610 W. Pierson Rd., with service commencing at 12:00 PM Pastor Daniel Moore, officiating,... View Obituary & Service Information. SPANN, Mr. Otis Gene, passed away Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at his residence. He died of cancer in Chicago, Illinois, at age 40. Please accept Echovita’s sincere condolences. . Spann died of liver cancer in Chicago on April 24, 1970 at age 40. Mr. Spann was such a great role model for every youth he had the pleasure of being a round . Otis Spann. "O" as he liked to be called as I became a grown Man, he was a whole neighborhoods mentor. I still called him Mr. Spann, lolYou will be missed because you showed love to everybody but particularly the Pierson neighborhood! 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Mt. We danced at lunch time & skated after school. In 1956, he recorded two unreleased tracks with Big Walter Horton and Robert Lockwood. I played football for Mr. Spann at Pierson Elementary back in the 70s. The gym was always open! Otis Spann passed away on January 30, 2019 in Flint, Michigan. . Rock and Roll drove our culture and the musicians, singers and songwriters who gave us the soundtracks to our lives cannot be forgotten. In Jazz Journal he noted the influence of Ford and several other blues musicians: “My biggest influence was [local pianist] Coot Davis and also Tommy Johnson, Leroy Carr, Big Maceo [Merriweather]. In that period he also did session work with other Chess artists like Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley.. Spann’s work for Chess Records includes the 1954 single “It Must Have Been the Devil” / “Five Spot”, with B.B. Otis Spann wrote ''Hotel Lorraine'' and ''Blues For Martin Luther King'' on April 5, 1968 and performed them in a storefront church in Chicago the day after Martin Luther King's assassination. He continued to record as a solo artist and session player with other musicians, including Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf, during his tenure with the group. He moved to Chicago in 1946, where he was mentored by Big Maceo Merriweather. His grave was poorly marked until June 1999, when a gravestone was finally installed thanks to funds raised by readers of Blues Revue Magazine. Otis Spann Biography by Bill Dahl + Follow Artist. His solo work included the single, "It Must Have Been the Devil" (1954), albums "Otis Spann Is The Blues" (1960) and "The Blues Is Where It's At" (1966). He was tough and caring. He was posthumously elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980. Spann’s father was reportedly a pianist called Friday Ford. With his stepfather’s purchase of a piano, Spann earnestly pursued his musical studies. An integral member of the nonpareil Muddy Waters band of the 1950s and '60s, pianist Otis Spann took his sweet time in launching a full-fledged solo career.