Anson honors one of their own – Ansonrecord

WADESBORO- Religious, political, and community leaders from across Anson County met at South Piedmont Community Colleges Lockhart-Taylor Center on Thursday, February 27 to celebrate one of their own: Grammy-award winning composer and Anson County educator, Richard Lewis Spencer. The event was the culmination of events throughout late January and February planned and coordinated by the Anson County MLK, Jr./Black History Month committee.

The event was presided over by Rev. Anthony Hall and Min. Christine Hall. Special guests walked the red carpet before approaching the stage. Attendants of all races were encouraged to dress in African attire and many wore garments emblazoned with vibrant colors and featuring elaborate patterns and designs. Richard Spencer was unable to attend due to health issues so his brother, Joey Spencer, accepted awards in his siblings honor.

Were here to honor a great man and I want you all to really get into the program, said Min. Hall, who added, Were here to have a good evening, okay? So, were not here to just be sitting still, were here to enjoy the festivities in honoring Mr. Richard Spencer, alright? Were here to celebrate! And as a celebration, we have fun!

The festivities included live music performed by Mr. Spencers siblings, Joey, Rodney, and Sherrie Spencer with keyboard accompaniment by Mitchel Patton. Kenya Miles from the HOLLA Organizations production of The Lion King, Jr. gave a thunderous rendition of The Circle of Life from the play. Sylvia Pratt gave a live reading of Langston Hughess poem Mother and Son. Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece. There were also lip-syncing performances of hits by Tina Turner and The Emotions.

Richard Spencer received awards honoring his achievements in music, writing, education, and ministry. Leon Gatewood, of the HOLLA! Organization, and NC House candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash presented a replica of the Grammy Spencer received in 1970 as bandleader of the R & B group The Winstons for their song Color Him Father. In addition to the Grammy, Spencer received awards for his book The Molasses Tree and his tenure teaching at Anson High School.

I was doing pretty good until Color Him Father came out, said Joey jokingly, That record deprived me of the right to live in poverty like the rest of my friends. You know, its because of that record that I was deprived of the privilege of cutting firewood. What kind of brother wakes his six-year-old sibling at 3 oclock in the morning? Who does that? And next thing I know Im on a 747 jet on the way to Washington D.C. And when I got to this mansion, there was a Christmas tree, it was so tall I thought it was growing through the floor. I remember my brother, Richard, coming down the stairs saying, Joey, no, you dont climb that.

Brenda Broadway and Cornelia Liles presented Joey with Richards Lifetime Achievement Award. Lets go back to the 1970s. In 1970, we were in the throes of the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was president. This building were in now was a fully-functional textile mill. A 16 oz coke was 25 cents and so were cigarettes and a gallon of gas. There were no cell phones. The source of music in your car was the radio unless you were lucky and someone installed an 8-track in your dash, said Liles,

One of the favorite activities in Wadesboro at that time was cruising around Salisbury Street. Despite all this, word had spread around Wadesboro real good that one of our homeboys was coming out with a song and that it would be released on Fathers Day. We couldnt wait to hear it. After that release, cruising had a new meaning. We turned our radios up a notch whenever that song came on. Years later a seasoned young man returned to Wadesboro and taught at the high school in the Social Studies department, said Liles. That man was, of course, Richard Spencer, and all of Anson County is proud to call him one of their own.

Attendants to the Lifetime Achievement Award were encouraged to wear African attire.

Rev. Dannie Montgomery quoted James Brown, Say it loud, Im black and Im proud!

Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece to the song Glory by Common and John Legend.

Kenya Miles performed a rendition of the song Circle of Life from Disneys The Lion King.

Candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash and Leon Gatewood, of HOLLA!, presented Spencer with a replica of the Grammy he received in 1970 for the song Color Him Father.

Spencers siblings, Sherry and Joey Spencer, were the honored guests of the event.

Spencers other brother, Rodney Spencer, sang during the event as well.

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

See the original post:
Anson honors one of their own - Ansonrecord