Otis Spann

Otis Spann was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on March 21, 1930 and passed on in Chicago's Cook County Hospital on April 24, 1970. By age 14, Spann was playing gigs around Jackson at juke joints, taverns and clubs. When his mother died in 1947, Spann was sent north to stay with relatives in Chicago, where he finally met his idol and stylistic mentor, Big Maceo Merriweather, who accepted the young man as his prodigy. When Spann replaced Merriweather as a member of Muddy Waters group in 1952, the band took on a new, piano-driven, Blues sound. Spann made his recording with the Muddy Waters Band on September 24, 1953. For eleven years from 1952 onwards Otis Spann played in numerous Muddy Waters recording sessions. He recorded with artists like Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter. He released one single in 1954, It Must Have Been the Devil, with BB King on guitar, cut a few tracks that were shelved until the 90s, and remained a Chess sideman. His big break came after the Muddy Waters Live at Newport LP from 1960 was released, where his stunning boogies and one lead vocal track by showed his potential as a recording artist. It was also in 1960 that he recorded his first full-length LP, 'Otis Spann is the Blues', with Robert Jr. Lockwood on guitar, for Candid Records. Before he died in 1970, Otis Spann had time to record other fine records for Storyville, Decca, Prestige (The Blues Never Die!, w/ James Cotton), Testament, Vanguard. He <b>...</b>