Wednesday, October 21, 2020

SPENCER DAVIS R.I.P. 1939 - 2020

We lost Spencer Davis on Monday from a heart attack caused by complications with pneumonia, he was 81. An erudite intelligent “gentleman” and blues purist to the end, he brought in the raw talent of perhaps our greatest blues singer Steve Winwood as a teenager (17 in 1966!). He spoke fluent German as this clip shows became a teacher and whilst a staunch Welshman growing up and forming the band in Birmingham (he was an honorary member of Plaid Cymru) lived finally in Avalon

Big O says:

Spencer Davis, one of the key figures of the 1960s beat scene, has died at the age of 81. Davis died in hospital on October 19, while being treated for pneumonia, his agent told the BBC. The Welsh guitarist was the driving force behind The Spencer Davis Group, who scored transatlantic hits with Keep On Running and Somebody Help Me. The band, which also featured a teenage Stevie Winwood, toured with The Who and The Rolling Stones in the '60s. The Spencer Davis Group went on to prove they had songwriting chops of their own, with hit singles like I'm A Man and Gimme Some Lovin', which was later covered by The Blues Brothers. He is survived by his long-time partner June, and three adult children.