Otis Spann
Otis Spann (March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight Read Full BioOtis Spann (March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight, influenced by his local ivories stalwart, Friday Ford. At the age of 14, he was playing in bands around Jackson, finding more inspiration in the 78s of Big Maceo Merriweather, who took the young pianist under his wing once Spann migrated to Chicago in 1946. Other sources say that he moved to Chicago when his mother died in 1947 playing the Chicago club circuit and working as a plasterer. Spann gigged on his own, and with guitarist Morris Pejoe, working a regular spot at the Tic Toc Lounge before hooking up with Muddy Waters in 1952.
Although he recorded periodically as a solo artist, Spann was a full-time member of the Muddy Waters band from 1952 to 1968. In that period he also did session work with other Chess artists like Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley.
Spann's own Chess Records output was limited to a 1954 single, "It Must Have Been the Devil" / "Five Spot", which featured B.B. King and Jody Williams on guitars. He recorded a session with the guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr. and vocalist St. Louis Jimmy in New York on August 23, 1960, which was issued on Otis Spann Is The Blues and Walking The Blues. A largely solo outing for Storyville Records in 1963 was recorded in Copenhagen. A set for UK Decca Records the following year found him in the company of Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton, and a 1964 album for Prestige followed where Spann shared vocal duties with bandmate James Cotton.
The Blues is Where It's At, Spann's 1966 album for ABC-Bluesway, sounded like a live recording. It was a recording studio date, enlivened by enthusiastic onlookers that applauded every song (Muddy Waters, guitarist Sammy Lawhorn, and George "Harmonica" Smith were among the support crew). A Bluesway encore, The Bottom of the Blues followed in 1967 and featured Spann's wife, Lucille Jenkins Spann (June 23, 1938 – August 2, 1994[5]), helping out on vocals.
In the late 1960s, he appeared on albums with Buddy Guy, Big Mama Thornton, Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac.
Several films of his playing are available on DVD, including the Newport Folk Festival (1960), while his singing is also featured on the American Folk Blues Festival (1963) and The Blues Masters (1966).
Following his death from liver cancer in Chicago in 1970, at the age of 40, he was interred in the Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois. Spann's grave laid unmarked for almost thirty years, until Steve Salter (president of the Killer Blues Headstone Project) wrote a letter to Blues Revue magazine to say "This piano great is lying in an unmarked grave. Let's do something about this deplorable situation". This lit a spark in the blues community on a world wide level. Blues enthusiasts from Alaska to Venezuela, from Surrey to England, and Singapore sent donations to purchase Spann a headstone. On June 6, 1999 the marker was unveiled during a private ceremony. The stone reads "Otis played the deepest blues we ever heard - He'll play forever in our hearts".
He was posthumously elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight Read Full BioOtis Spann (March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician whom many consider to be the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight, influenced by his local ivories stalwart, Friday Ford. At the age of 14, he was playing in bands around Jackson, finding more inspiration in the 78s of Big Maceo Merriweather, who took the young pianist under his wing once Spann migrated to Chicago in 1946. Other sources say that he moved to Chicago when his mother died in 1947 playing the Chicago club circuit and working as a plasterer. Spann gigged on his own, and with guitarist Morris Pejoe, working a regular spot at the Tic Toc Lounge before hooking up with Muddy Waters in 1952.
Although he recorded periodically as a solo artist, Spann was a full-time member of the Muddy Waters band from 1952 to 1968. In that period he also did session work with other Chess artists like Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley.
Spann's own Chess Records output was limited to a 1954 single, "It Must Have Been the Devil" / "Five Spot", which featured B.B. King and Jody Williams on guitars. He recorded a session with the guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr. and vocalist St. Louis Jimmy in New York on August 23, 1960, which was issued on Otis Spann Is The Blues and Walking The Blues. A largely solo outing for Storyville Records in 1963 was recorded in Copenhagen. A set for UK Decca Records the following year found him in the company of Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton, and a 1964 album for Prestige followed where Spann shared vocal duties with bandmate James Cotton.
The Blues is Where It's At, Spann's 1966 album for ABC-Bluesway, sounded like a live recording. It was a recording studio date, enlivened by enthusiastic onlookers that applauded every song (Muddy Waters, guitarist Sammy Lawhorn, and George "Harmonica" Smith were among the support crew). A Bluesway encore, The Bottom of the Blues followed in 1967 and featured Spann's wife, Lucille Jenkins Spann (June 23, 1938 – August 2, 1994[5]), helping out on vocals.
In the late 1960s, he appeared on albums with Buddy Guy, Big Mama Thornton, Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac.
Several films of his playing are available on DVD, including the Newport Folk Festival (1960), while his singing is also featured on the American Folk Blues Festival (1963) and The Blues Masters (1966).
Following his death from liver cancer in Chicago in 1970, at the age of 40, he was interred in the Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois. Spann's grave laid unmarked for almost thirty years, until Steve Salter (president of the Killer Blues Headstone Project) wrote a letter to Blues Revue magazine to say "This piano great is lying in an unmarked grave. Let's do something about this deplorable situation". This lit a spark in the blues community on a world wide level. Blues enthusiasts from Alaska to Venezuela, from Surrey to England, and Singapore sent donations to purchase Spann a headstone. On June 6, 1999 the marker was unveiled during a private ceremony. The stone reads "Otis played the deepest blues we ever heard - He'll play forever in our hearts".
He was posthumously elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
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It Must Have Been the Devil
Otis Spann Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Otis Spann:
5 Long Years Have you ever been mistreated? You know just what…
Ain't Nobody's Business Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord Ai…
Bloody Murder Call it bloody murder Blood stain all on the wall Well now,…
Blues is a Botheration Blues ain't nothing baby But a botheration on your mind Blue…
Can I love my baby, she's so mean to me Yes I…
Country Boy Don't say I don't love you Because I stays out all…
Dig You No more doggin' Foolin' around with you No more doggin' …
Get Your Hands Out Of My Pocket Otis Spann 'Get Your Hands Out of my Pocket' About a…
Going Down Slow I have had my fun If I don't get well no…
Good Morning Mr. Blues …
Got My Mojo Working Got my mojo working, but it just don′t work on…
Green Flowers When the flower yard start blooming You gotta keep them her…
Half Ain't Been Told Seems like everything I do, people I'd do it wrong Seems lik…
Home to Mississippi You know I'm going back home I gotta go I got a…
Hungry Country Girl Now, my baby's a country girl, And she just can't help…
I Got A Feeling When my left eye go to jumpin' Oh, I don't…
Kansas City (Oh, let's go to Kansas City, now.) I'm going to Kansas…
Little Boy Blue Little boy blue, please come blow your horn Little boy blue,…
Long Distance Call You say you love me darling, Please, call me on the…
Love Love Love Well now, oh wee baby, you know I declare, you…
monkey face blues The woman that I'm lovin', she takes my appetite The woman…
Moon Blues It is brand new moon, since two men walked up…
Mule Kicking in My Stall I let a mule kicking in my stall Let a mule…
Must Have Been The Devil Well it must have been the devil You know it must…
My Love Depends On You Well I'm tired now baby, baby I don't know what…
One Doggone Reason Here is one doggone reason, my woman and I don't…
One More Mile To Go It's been a hard devil journey and I don't have to…
She I'm gonna say somethin' to you I don't care how you…
Some Day Some day Some where You know down the road Well some day Yea…
Someday Some day Some where You know down the road Well some day …
Spann's Stomp Alisha's Attic Japanese Dream He's A Rebel (the crystals) S…
Strange Woman Blues Strange woman, strange woman, I know you're in love with…
Take a Little Walk With Me Come on…take a little walk with me Come on….take a little…
The Blues Never Die Everybody's wondering Where did the blues come from? I sai…
This Is the Blues Blues ain't nothing baby But a botheration on your mind Blue…
Trouble in Mind Trouble in mind; I′m blue But I won't be blue always Because…
Worried Life Blues Oh lordy lord, oh lordy lord. It hurts me so bad…
You Said You You said tonight baby You said you'd be on time You said…
You Said You'd Be On Time You said tonight baby You said you'd be on time You said…
The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below or by filtering for lyric videos.
King Bee
Chess/Checker Records at its crazy, crazy best! Little studio on Michigan Avenue, pumpin' the blues 22 hours a day (gotta have time to maintain the gear and sweep up the cigar and cigarette butts and clear those empty bottles)!
Darrian Mitchell
B.B. King is on this and its flip side, Five Spot
Richard B. Davis
BBKing on guitar 🎸
2quundar
Jody williams, too.
Sliptrail
Nobelpris!
merseymained
@Glendoras- EXCELLENT.
Glendoras // DJ Mean Mojo Mathias
@d820m Indeed he is.
Glendoras // DJ Mean Mojo Mathias
@merseymained Thank you, I'll be the first to second that! :-)