Gloria Spencer (musician)
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Gloria Spencer (1937–1976) was an American gospel singer whose glandular condition led her to weigh 625 lbs. at the time she recorded her second album, "For Once In My Life," shortly before her death in 1976.[1] Spencer, who billed herself as the "World's Largest Gospel Singer," was known for her "sparkling soprano that could easily show a pop feeling or a gritty one."[2]
Contents
Early life
Spencer was born in Steelton, PA in 1937. She and her two sisters were all born with a glandular condition that led to rapid weight gain. She began singing church solos at the age of three and taught herself to play the piano shortly thereafter.[3]
Recording career
Spencer released two albums, "Gloria's Views of Glory" in 1972 on the Jaywalking Records label. In 2007, this recording was reissued online as a digital download by Perfect Records and re-titled, "I Got It." She recorded the album "For Once In My Life," in 1976 on Creed Records. The Creed Records release contained a mix of gospel standards and new works, including standards like "Amazing Grace". Her rendition of the gospel standard "I'll Fly Away" is preceded by a spoken word introduction wherein Spencer describes the funeral of her older sister, who died weighing 628 pounds.
Self-Promotion Based On Physical Condition
Spencer's handlers at Creed Records came up with the idea of promoting her as the "World's Largest Gospel Singer" as a way of gaining interest and attention.[2] She often told stories to media outlets designed to gain interest based on her weight; among them were the story that she required three airline seats in order to fly and that she once had a piano bench break underneath her during a performance. (She told the "Gospel News Journal" in 1972 that she "kept right on playing - from the floor.")[3]
Personal Life and Death
Spencer met and married Rev. David Gray in 1974, while Gray was a student at Kittrell College in Kittrell, North Carolina. Spencer was reported as being able to type 115 words per minute and worked as a typist at the state capitol in Harrisburg, PA while she performed on weekends.
Spencer was admitted to a North Carolina hospital after complaining of chest pains. She died three days later on April 12, 1976. According to singer Nadine Rae, who performed at her funeral, "It took 17 men to carry her casket."[3]
References
Bibliography
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