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". Richard not only wrote "Color Him Father" but was singer of the mega hit with The Winstons on Metromedia Records.

Richard is a 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 age 13, he became the organist and pianist for the late Bishop J.H. Sherman of The Church Of God In Christ.

In 1962, Richard 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 the historical Shrine Records.

In 1969, Spencer's song "Color Him Father" became a hit for The Winstons, an R&B group from Washington, D.C. The Winstons' recording reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the "Billboard" R&B chart. The song was also recorded by Linda Martell who took it to #14 on the "Billboard" country chart [http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/022098/fea_124-8671.shtml] . Richard 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 history helped to launch hip-hop and the electronic subcultures. After a successful career, Richard left the music business in 1970.

Richard returned to university to study at The University Of The District Of Columbia where he received a B.A. in Political Science and a M.S. in Labor Management Relations. He studied for a M.Ed. at The University Of Phoenix and University Of North Carolina, and completed all of the course work for a Ph.D. at Howard University. Richard retired from The Washington Metro System in 2000, and is currently a licensed Baptist Minister. He was recently married to Angela Boatright, an Episcopal priest, author, former nun,and former journalist (WOR-radio & Newsday),who has co-authored with Richard their first novel, "The Heir", recently released on Xlibris Press. Richard published his first novel "The Molasses Tree: A Southern Love Story"in 2003.

The couple have three sons: Kahlil, a student at Temple University, Richard, a junior at Anson Early College, and Cassian, a freshman at Anson High School. Angela is presently serving at the Church Of The Messiah. Richard is teaching at the local college.