WADESBORO- Wadesboro native and Grammy-award winning composer Richard Lewis Spencer will be honored in Black Arts Extravaganza, an event organized by the Anson County MLK, Jr/Black History Month Committee and held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.27 in the South Piedmont Community College Lockhart-Taylor Center.

“We’re going to have a star-studded lifetime achievement award celebration and tribute to our Grammy award-winning composer and writer Richard Spencer,” said Marlene Richardson, who helped coordinate and plan the event.

Black Arts Extravaganza will feature live performances by local talent covering songs by classic R & B artists like Tina Turner, The Temptations, and the Jackson 5. Dr. Lawrence Elliot and Wade Elliot will also perform a tribute to Spencer’s song Color Him Father, which would win a Grammy in 1970 for his band The Winstons.

Spencer was born in Wadesboro and studied classical piano in Charlotte at ages 11 and 12 before moving to Washington D.C. in 1962. It was while in Washington D.C. that Spencer became the band leader of legendary R & B group The Winstons. Their song Color Him Father would climb to number two on the R & B charts and seven on the Billboard Top 100 in 1969. Color Him Father would eventually earn a Grammy for best R & B song in 1970.

On the B Side of the Color Me Father EP was the song Amen Brother. The drum solo in Amen Brother would cause the record to become the most sampled album of all time and has been featured in tracks by artists such as N.W.A., Tyler the Creator, and Jay Z. Sampled audio clips of the drum solo have been referred to as “The Amen Break.”

Though Spencer, nor The Winstons, would never receive any royalties from artists sampling their work, British DJ’s Martyn Webster and Steve Theobald would start a Go Fund Me for Spencer in 2015 that raised $32, 000. Spencer was also inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and received the DC Legendary Musicians Award in 2015 as well.

In 1970, Spencer would leave the music industry to attend college. He earned a B.A. in political science as well as an M.S. in labor-management relations from the University of the District of Columbia. Spencer would also study at the University of Phoenix and the University of North Carolina and complete course work for a Ph. D. at Howard University.

“When Richards Spencer came back from Washington, Frank, my husband, was the principle at Anson High School and he helped Richard get a job out there teaching. Richard taught there until he retired,” said Richardson.

“I’ve only known him since I lived in Anson County and he was teaching out at the high school,” said committee member Winnie Bennett, who added, “Color Him Father was one of my favorite songs when it came out they still play it a lot on the radio, especially around Father’s Day.” The song is about a boy expressing his love for his hard-working and generous stepfather.

“Right now, because Richard Spencer was born here and retired as an educator here, I think Anson County is excited that he’s one of their own who’s received all of these rewards and now he has come back to live here. He should have been recognized for his achievements a long time ago,” said Richardson.

Wadesboro native Richard Spencer was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2015 for his work with R & B group The Winstons.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_1-25.jpgWadesboro native Richard Spencer was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2015 for his work with R & B group The Winstons.

By Charles Wood

Staff Writer

Reach Charles Wood at cwood@ansonrecord.com or at 704-994-5471