Pervis Spann, The Entrepreneur

“The doors of opportunity are always closed. You have to put your foot on the door and kick it down”

Pervis Spann, N’DIGO interview. August 19, 1994

Pervis Spann is popularized as a disc jockey who played the blues at midnight on WVON-1450AM radio. But he is better suited with the description of an “entertainment entrepreneur.” His work, voice, and shows are legendary and the stuff that history is made of.

He became a famous DJ known as the “Blues Man.” He played the music of the Delta south on a 1000-watt station. The sound was Black music with hollering guitars. No one else played this type of unique type of music that related to the Black experience about loneliness and love.

B. B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Koko Taylor, and Ray Charles were great bluesmen included on his nightly playlist composing a symphony of the Blues. He played the music and talked about Blues Music’s stuff, broken hearts, new love, lost love, hard times, and just thinking about “my baby.”

He came to Chicago in the ’40s, during the era of the “great migration” from Itta Bena, Mississippi. Like many, he worked multiple jobs until he found his vocation. He drove a taxi and attended an electrical school (that turned into a TV repair shop). He was a man of many talents; he boxed, was a photographer, and was even a Republican candidate for Mayor. It was a gimmick for popularity. However, it garnished 50% of a Hispanic Vote. (Ha. Ha. Ha). He even hosted a TV show on cable with his comedian friend, Carl Wright, “Blues and More.” He authored his memoirs, “40 Year Spann.” He also was a student at Moody Bible Institute.

He and his lifelong partner Lovie were married for 67 years.

Broadcasting was his magic. He was hired by the Chess Brothers, the original radio station owners that also owned Chess Records. WVON was the station to play their records. Pervis made it “The Voice of the Negro”. He partnered with Welsey South, and a new station was born on April 1, 1963.

The station was dedicated to the fullness of the Black experience. His daughter, Melody Spann Cooper, followed his business footsteps and said, “he went from sharecropping to shareholding.” His first job in radio was as a DJ in Oak Park at station WOPA. He was a student at the Midwestern Broadcasting School. His fifteen-minute stint on the “McKey All Night Roundup” turned into four hours. He was on his way. He knew how to build an audience. People were listening.

He formed the Delta Production Company promoting and producing shows featuring Black entertainment for Black audiences. The Regal Theater, Aragon Ballroom, Chicago Stadium, Arie Crown Theater, Lyric Opera House, Trianon Ballroom, and Soldier Field were among his venues. Spann promoted 90 to 95 percent of all the major concerts in the city.

Spann booked the stars of the day in Chicago and filled a vacuum in the entertainment community. He booked James Brown, Sammy Davis, Jr, The Temptations, Chaka Khan, Dinah Washington, Jerry Butler, The Impressions, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Otis Clay, Earth Wind & Fire, Sam Cooke, The Staple Singers, The Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Cab Calloway, Roy Hamilton, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard and Count Basie.

When Joe Jackson was moving The Jackson Five out of Gary, Indiana, he asked Pervis to manage them. So their first Chicago performance was at Pervis Burning Spear Club on 55th & State Street.

Spann had the perfect storm for promotions; he could play the records on the radio and lead an audience directly to a concert. In essence, he created what we call today – cross-promotion and integrated marketing. It is a concept that he developed—a radio station with built-in promotion. The genius at the time, Black concerts were overlooked by mainstream media and white promoters. So Pervis spoke directly to his community.

WVON-1450 Am, in its early days, was known for the ‘Good Guys’ – the disc jockeys that played the pop sounds of the day. They included Bill “Butterball” Crane, E. Rodney Jones, Herb Kent, Ed Cook, Bill “Doc” Lee, and Lucky Cordell. Bernadine C. Washington was the Vice President of WVON with duties in what today would be labeled social engagement. The disc jockeys were legendary in their own right. Herb Kent became the longest-ever sitting DJ. Don Cornelius’s talent as a disc jockey led him to create Soul Train.

Pervis established a brilliant and unique relationship with Barry Gordy of Motown Records. The new sound of the new recordings was heard first on WVON before airplay was anywhere else. New records were driven directly from Detroit for the first drop. WVON premiered the hits of Motown. Pevis had an exclusive on the “Motown Sound“. Brilliant business move. He made Black music the impact of the day. WVON airplay played hits, made hits, and talked to Black entertainers exclusively.

B.B. King, Rev. James Bond, Pervis Spann, Lovie Spann and Gene Chandler at a birthday party.

When a young budding Reverend Jesse Jackson was up and coming on the Chicago scene, his weekly meetings of Operation Breadbasket were broadcast on WVON. When Black Expo came into being, WVON moved to the Expo headquarters for its live broadcast recordings. Pervis was excited for business owners and live guests to appear. It was live way before CNN. As Jackson traveled and moved about with civil rights activity and events, breaking news with a Jackson report was preeminent. WVON was the first station in the country to announce the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Jackson called from Memphis with the news on April 4, 1968.

He had a debacle with his largest concert in July of 1991, as he was billing his largest venue ever. It was racial. Soldier Field insisted that he pay in cash, and the show with Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and other legendary acts was canceled. White promoters sabotaged Spann as he planned to tour the concert in other cities. Pervis having cash in hand for the venue had never been implemented before. Racism enforced.

Pervis owned the Burning Spear Club on 55th Street along with E. Rodney Jones. It is where he brought named entertainment for Chicago. His career is impressive as one door leads to another, and he built his reputation by giving exposure to the stars of the day. He was the ultimate entrepreneur, seeking and never missing an opportunity.

Pervis Spann attending the WVON/N’DIGO Business Breakfast

Pervis Spann was of the Chicago community and was a combination of southern and northern culture, describing the two as “folksy southern gentleman.” He was the culture. He gave a helping hand to those who needed him with shows and outreach. A recognizer of talent, he encouraged kids to go to school. He knocked down the door and opened it for many to provide a career in media. He heard voices and made disc jockeys, announcers, newscasters, and engineers; He saw those who had a love for music and brought them into the studio. In addition, he served the political landscape by lending the WVON airwave to discuss issues.

WVON became the essence of talk radio. As a result, the community at large talked about topics, personalities, and issues of the day. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. could be heard regularly on the Wesley South Show. Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad were part of the nightly listening. Mayor Harold Washington favored WVON for his messages. And Pervis favored young men who might be down on their luck or searching for jobs, and he showed them a way of professionalism. Tough with common-sense approaches, he often relied on southern-based wisdom. He had stories and was folksy. He hung with the entertainers, often bringing them home because they had nowhere to stay.

He was legendary, real, and he was Mr. Pervis Spann, the “Blues Man.”