Rev. Thomas J. Spann & The Brooklyn All Stars Singers
Mention the name Rev. Tommy Spann and immediately you think of The Brooklyn Allstars. You also think of one of the greatest bass singers in Gospel. Thomas J.
The Brooklyn All-Stars are an internationally recognized male gospel group who have been performing since 1950. Over their long, fruitful careers, they have won numerous awards and racked up two gold albums. Original members include the group's founder, Thomas J. Spann, Hardy Clifton, and Sam Thomas. They recorded several cuts for the Peacock in 1959, including 'Rest Awhile' and 'Said He Would Me
et Me in Galilee'. Their early years were difficult ones; with little money for touring, they often traveled to engagements stuffed into a single car, relying on parishioners' hospitality for food and lodging because they were not permitted inside restaurants and motels. Things improved over the 1960's and the group established themselves as a fine traditional gospel act. Between 1971 and 1978, they were annually voted the number one gospel group in the U.S.! Their biggest-selling hits are "When I Stood on the Banks of Jordan" and 'He Touched Me and Made Me Whole'(on Jewel record label where they have recorded since 1971) During the '80s, the All-Stars embarked upon a series of world tours. Since forming The Brooklyn Allstars in 1948, Rev. Spann has worked the gospel circuit with his group’s instantaneously recognizable styling, which is directly attributed to his own bass vocals. Along the way, they've racked up gold records ("they say they were gold; I just say they were good” Rev. Spann interjects) and many Gospel awards and trophies. and toured extensively. Now, at 89 years old, Rev. Spann is assisted by a cane and sits onstage with mic in hand during some of the group’s mild numbers such as "No Cross, No Crown." But you can rest assured that his voice is still booming and when the Spirit moves him on tunes like “Stood on the Banks of Jordan”, he springs from his chair to join in with group member Sonny McClary, with whom he now shares lead tasks. Theirs is a sound that stands apart in traditional quartet music.
“I guess that’s what I say the longevity or success of the group is attributed to—the signature sound that I didn't realize I had for a lot of years until I got a chance to compare it to a lot of other artists; then I realized it was so different that I decided to change it one time,” reflects Spann. He admits that the group almost lost its following when he tried to alter it.
“I was rejected; I had no idea I had that many fans, and I didn't know that that many people cared one way or another, you know, about what we were doing.”
They still care alright! As a matter of fact, the group's loyal fan base is what keeps them going more than six decades later; and they’re picking up a younger generation of 'quartet heads' with their current release, 'Just Look At Me Now'. Among the tracks on the Malaco/4 Winds project is a 4-song throwback medley that includes ' I Got My Ticket', a number first recorded in 1950 that bears the group’s trademark sound.
“And til this day, our fans still call out for us to do that song every place we go” the Reverend adds. Hopefully, those places will continue to be many for the man known to his fans as “The Legend.”
