Who was Pervis Spann? Tributes pour in as famed radio executive dies aged 89

Broadcasting legend Pervis Spann recently passed away on March 14 at the age of 89. WVON talk show host and former Chicago alderman Dorothy Tillman said:“Pervis Spann was very much involved in the community and he had a lot of love for his people.”Sankofa TravelHer@SankofaTravelHrR.I.P to Pervis Spann, co-founder of WVON 1690AM in Chicago and he was the one that named Aretha Franklin &quot;The Queen of Soul.&quot; Follow @SankofaTravelHer9:53 AM · Mar 14, 2022339R.I.P to Pervis Spann, co-founder of WVON 1690AM in Chicago and he was the one that named Aretha Franklin &quot;The Queen of Soul.&quot; Follow @SankofaTravelHer https://t.co/ENzSHj9qwXWendy Lane@mcduffywendyRest in Peace Pervis Spann. Radio Royalty.9:59 AM · Mar 15, 2022Rest in Peace Pervis Spann. Radio Royalty. https://t.co/LIppk5tqjcThe disc jockey died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease and further details related to his funeral are yet to be revealed.Everything known about Pervis SpannBorn on August 16, 1932, Pervis had a great influence on the development of blues music in Chicago, Illinois. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012.The music promoter was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and during his teenage years, he used to pick cotton and manage a local movie theater, The Dixie Theater, to take care of his family as his mother could not continue to work anymore after suffering from a stroke.Spann’s family shifted to Battle Creek, Michigan in 1949, and he left to work in Gary, Indiana. He spent some time in the forces during the Korean War and returned to live in Chicago, Illinois. He then worked in a steel mill, drove a taxi, and repaired television sets.Pervis attended the Midwestern Broadcasting School and began working with WOPA radio in 1959. He organized his first concert featuring B.B. King and Junior Parker in 1960.Following the launch of WVON, he was given a regular late-night blues slot and gained recognition with an 87-hour sleepless sit-in at the station to raise money for Martin Luther King Jr.Pervis Spann was a famous radio personality (Image via Facebook/Ken Bedford)Pervis managed the careers of leading blues and soul performers like B.B. King during the 1960s and claimed to have discovered Jackson 5 and Chaka Khan. He co-owned several clubs like Burning Spear.He helped set up a new blues and gospel-oriented station, WXOL, at the same frequency in 1979 following the sale of WVON in 1975. The radio personality continued to promote blues festivals and ran the station WXSS in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1980s.He also ran for mayor of Chicago as a Republican in 1991 but lost in the primary to George Gottlieb.Netizens pay tribute on TwitterPervis Spann became a familiar name among people because of his appearances on the radio all these years. Twitter was flooded with tributes when fans heard about his death:Blue Collar Scholar@Mr_SpannRIP Uncle Pervis chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…2:48 AM · Mar 15, 2022196RIP Uncle Pervis 😔 chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…John Owens@john_p_owensRIP Pervis Spann, the longtime &quot;All Night Blues Man&quot; on @WVON1690 and the promoter who gave Aretha Franklin the nickname &quot;Queen of Soul&quot;. Here's a great interview with him from the early 1990s, recently digitized by @MediaBurnVideo youtube.com/watch?v=pKgrPr…6:48 AM · Mar 15, 202283RIP Pervis Spann, the longtime &quot;All Night Blues Man&quot; on @WVON1690 and the promoter who gave Aretha Franklin the nickname &quot;Queen of Soul&quot;. Here's a great interview with him from the early 1990s, recently digitized by @MediaBurnVideo youtube.com/watch?v=pKgrPr…Heather West@WesternPubPervis Spann was a Chicago legend through and through. RIP to one of the greatest DJs ever. twitter.com/aaroncohenword…Aaron Cohen@aaroncohenwordsSad to hear of the passing of Chicago radio legend Pervis Spann. He's the one who first crowned Aretha as Queen Of Soul, but that's not nearly all. Here's a great article about him by David Whiteis:chicagoreader.com/news-politics/…1:29 AM · Mar 15, 2022113Sad to hear of the passing of Chicago radio legend Pervis Spann. He's the one who first crowned Aretha as Queen Of Soul, but that's not nearly all. Here's a great article about him by David Whiteis:chicagoreader.com/news-politics/…Pervis Spann was a Chicago legend through and through. RIP to one of the greatest DJs ever. twitter.com/aaroncohenword…Skip Dillard@mixcomChicago Radio #Legend - RIP: Pervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…2:22 AM · Mar 15, 20224Chicago Radio #Legend - RIP: Pervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…Matt Farmer@mifarmerI learned a lot about music listening to Pervis when I was in high school. In fact, if I remember correctly, Pervis’s show on WXFM often followed Daddy-O-Daylie’s show. RIP, “all-night blues man.” chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…1:52 AM · Mar 15, 20221I learned a lot about music listening to Pervis when I was in high school. In fact, if I remember correctly, Pervis’s show on WXFM often followed Daddy-O-Daylie’s show. RIP, “all-night blues man.” chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…Mr.SoulBrother1 @MrSoulbrother1@aaroncohenwords RIP Pervis Spann6:20 AM · Mar 15, 20221@aaroncohenwords RIP Pervis Spannkathychaney@kathychaneyPervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease. He was the founder of @WVON1690 #BlackPress @NABJBPTF @NABJCC chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…11:30 AM · Mar 14, 202267Pervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease. He was the founder of @WVON1690 #BlackPress @NABJBPTF @NABJCC chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…Joyce Hutchens@JoyceHutchens3Rest in Power, Pervis Spann, the Blues Man. Responsible for crowning Aretha Franklin the &quot;Queen of Soul.&quot;Pervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…2:35 AM · Mar 15, 20222610Rest in Power, Pervis Spann, the Blues Man. Responsible for crowning Aretha Franklin the &quot;Queen of Soul.&quot;Pervis Spann, ‘the BLUES man,’ legendary Chicago disc jockey, dead at 89 of Alzheimer’s disease chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…Pauline Chilton@chiltonforiowaRIH my Uncle Pervis Spann was a huge influence on me and my life.&quot;So when he crowned you the King of Blues or Queen of Soul, it stuck and those became legendary names. And those became very much of part of their title,&quot; Hartman said.abc7chicago.com/entertainment/… via @abc7chicago8:37 AM · Mar 15, 202231RIH my Uncle Pervis Spann was a huge influence on me and my life.&quot;So when he crowned you the King of Blues or Queen of Soul, it stuck and those became legendary names. And those became very much of part of their title,&quot; Hartman said.abc7chicago.com/entertainment/… via @abc7chicagoJeanne Sparrow@JMSparrowWhat a blessing it was to have Pervis Spann, “The Blues Man,”for so long! HE was a living legacy for black broadcasters in Chicago especially and we got to feel the inspiration from a man who shaped our music, radio &amp; our lives. Thank you, sir. chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…2:44 AM · Mar 15, 202281What a blessing it was to have Pervis Spann, “The Blues Man,”for so long! HE was a living legacy for black broadcasters in Chicago especially and we got to feel the inspiration from a man who shaped our music, radio &amp; our lives. Thank you, sir. chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/202…He is survived by his wife Lovie Spann and four children, including Midway Broadcasting chair and chief executive officer Melody Spann Cooper.

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