Witherspoon, Jimmy
(1921–1997)
Witherspoon, Jimmy 18 August 1921; Gurdon, AR – 18 September 1997; Los Angeles, CA Perhaps no artist in blues or jazz so wholly personified the boundary-defying spirit of the 1960s as vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon , whose music was equal parts jazz, blues, R&B, and rock. ’Spoon, as he was affectionately known to fans and friends alike, had such broad stylistic range that he is likely the only person to ever sing (or perform any instrument, for that matter) with both jazz luminary Art Tatum and the…