Richard Lewis Spencer

Richard Lewis Spencer is an African-American musician and teacher. He played tenor saxophone in Otis Redding's band, behind Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions with The Winstons. He was awarded the Grammy Award (R&B Songwriter Of The Year 1969) for his composition "Color Him Father". Spencer wrote "Color Him Father" and Richard was the singer of the mega-hit with The Winstons on Metromedia Records.

Spencer is a Wadesboro, North Carolina native who, at the ages of 11 and 12, studied classical piano at the famed Beckwith Piano School in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the age of 13, he became the organist and pianist for the late Bishop J.H. Sherman of The Church Of God In Christ.

In 1962, Spencer moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked with various bar bands including recording with Leroy Taylor and The 4k's as one of the first acts to sign with historic Shrine Records.

In 1969, Richard was lead singer for the song "Color Him Father" became a hit for The Winstons, an R&B group from Washington, D.C. The Winstons' recording reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song was also recorded by Linda Martell who took it to No. 14 on the Billboard country chart [1]. Spencer is the owner of the famous Amen break featuring a drum solo by the now-famous G.C. Coleman (deceased). There are some who claim that this piece of music helped to launch hip-hop and the electronic subcultures.

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