Vocalist, saxophonist and songwriter/arranger, bluesman Bobby
Hurricane Spencer started his musical career in Oakland but now calls
Los Angeles home. He cut his teeth in the Chitlin’ Circuit of the Bay
Area, anchored dead center in the horn section of the funk bands of
Johnny Tolbert and De Thangs and Marvin Holmes and the Uptights.Spencer played in such historic 7th Street soul pumping clubs as Al's
House of Smiles, the Showcase, the Sportsman, Ester's Orbit Room and
the Continental Club. Later came the Shalamar and Troyce Key's famous
Eli's Mile High Club.One night on the bandstand, after a particularly hot sax solo, J.J.
Bad Boy Jones turned to the tenor man and said, "Bob, you the
Hurricane!". It stuck and that’s what he’s been called ever since.His trademark sound can be found on records by Timex Social Club,
Sonny Rhodes, JJ Bad Boy Jones, Jimmy McCracklin, just to name a few and
his original music appears on the Grammy nominated Force of Nature
album by Koko Taylor.When not busy as a session player in Oakland, recording for Fantasy
Records’ Ray Shanklin with Little Johnny Taylor, Rodger Collins and
others, you could find Spencer playing behind such legends as Etta
James, the Whispers, Carla Thomas, Lowell Fulsom, and ZZ Hill and
opening for musicians like Bobby Blue Bland, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye,
The Temptations, and Smokey Robinson. A little known fact, Rolling Stone magazine recently revealed that an
early festival where Spencer performed was an historic event as
documented in the Untold and Deeply Stoned Story of the First U.S. Rock
Festival where the Doors, Byrds and nearly 30 other bands made history
at Fantasy Fair & Magic Mountain on Mt. Tamalpais. BOBBY HURRICANE SPENCER
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