Background
Spencer was born in Steelton, Pennsylvania in 1937.
Spencer was born in Steelton, Pennsylvania in 1937.
At the time she recorded her second album, "Foreign Once In My Life," shortly before her death in 1976. Spencer, who billed herself as the "World"s Largest Gospel Singer," was known for her "sparkling soprano that could easily show a popular feeling or a gritty one."
She began singing church solos at the age of three and taught herself to play the piano shortly thereafter. 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 lieutenant" She recorded the album "Foreign 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". 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.
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")
Spencer was reported as being able to type 115 words per minute and worked as a typist at the state capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 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, "lieutenant took 17 men to carry her casket.".
