Bill Text: IL HR0778 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Pervis "Blues Man" Spann of Chicago.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-03-30 - Resolution Adopted [HR0778 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HR0778-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Pervis | ||||||
4 | "Blues Man" Spann of Chicago, who passed away on March 14, | ||||||
5 | 2022; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi | ||||||
7 | on August 16, 1932; alongside his mother and sister, he moved | ||||||
8 | to Battle Creek, Michigan in 1949; he soon followed his father | ||||||
9 | to Indiana; he served stateside in the U.S. Army during the | ||||||
10 | Korean War era; he then moved to Chicago; he attended the | ||||||
11 | Midway Television Institute and the Midwestern Broadcasting | ||||||
12 | School and was also a student of the Moody Bible Institute; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann's first job in radio was as a disc | ||||||
14 | jockey (DJ) at station WOPA in Oak Park in the 1950s; he was | ||||||
15 | hired as a DJ at WVON by Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess | ||||||
16 | Records, who bought the station in 1963; he became known as one | ||||||
17 | of WVON's "Good Guys", a group of star DJs, and was noted as | ||||||
18 | one of the few DJs who played music that related to the Black | ||||||
19 | experience; he gained notoriety with an on-air, 87-hour | ||||||
20 | sleepless sit-in, which raised money for Dr. Martin Luther | ||||||
21 | King Jr.; he established a brilliant and unique relationship | ||||||
22 | with Barry Gordy of Motown Records, which permitted new Motown | ||||||
23 | recordings to be heard on WVON first; he co-founded the Midway |
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1 | Broadcasting Corporation with fellow DJ Wesley South to run | ||||||
2 | the station in 1979; he also bought radio stations in Atlanta, | ||||||
3 | Jacksonville, Florida, and Memphis; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann formed the Delta Production Company, | ||||||
5 | which promoted and produced shows featuring Black | ||||||
6 | entertainment for Black audiences, with venues including The | ||||||
7 | Regal Theater, Aragon Ballroom, Chicago Stadium, Arie Crown | ||||||
8 | Theater, Lyric Opera House, Trianon Ballroom, and Soldier | ||||||
9 | Field; he promoted between 90 to 95 percent of all the major | ||||||
10 | concerts in the Chicago area, booking such stars as James | ||||||
11 | Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., The Temptations, Chaka Khan, Dinah | ||||||
12 | Washington, Jerry Butler, The Impressions, The Four Tops, | ||||||
13 | Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Otis Clay, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sam | ||||||
14 | Cooke, The Staple Singers, The Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Cab | ||||||
15 | Calloway, Roy Hamilton, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, and | ||||||
16 | Count Basie, among others; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann was credited with boosting the | ||||||
18 | careers of Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, and the Jackson 5; he | ||||||
19 | gave Aretha Franklin the moniker "Queen of Soul"; alongside | ||||||
20 | fellow DJ E. Rodney Jones, he purchased the Burning Spear | ||||||
21 | nightclub on 55th Street in the early 1960s, which was the | ||||||
22 | setting for the Jackson 5's first Chicago performance and | ||||||
23 | where they won their first major talent show; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann hosted the cable TV show Blues and | ||||||
2 | More with his comedian friend Carl Wright; he also authored | ||||||
3 | the memoir 40 Years Spann; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann ran in Chicago's Republican mayoral | ||||||
5 | primary in 1991 and for the Chicago City Council's 18th Ward in | ||||||
6 | 1999; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann was known for helping others through | ||||||
8 | providing shows and outreach; he enjoyed boxing and | ||||||
9 | photography; he will be remembered as an astute businessman | ||||||
10 | and a cultural icon; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Pervis Spann is survived by his wife of 67 years, | ||||||
12 | Lovie Spann; his son and caretaker, Darrell; and his | ||||||
13 | daughters, Melody Spann Cooper, Latrice Levitt, and Chanté | ||||||
14 | Spann; therefore, be it
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15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
16 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
17 | we mourn the passing of
Pervis "Blues Man" Spann and extend our | ||||||
18 | sincere
condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
19 | and loved
him; and be it further
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20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
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21 | presented to the family of Pervis Spann as an expression of
our |
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1 | deepest sympathy.
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