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Thad Spencer, former No. 1 heavyweight boxer, dies at 70

Published

11 years ago

December 23, 2013

A former No. 1 contender for the heavyweight championship, Thad Spencer’s boxing career became a cautionary tale that he frequently opened up about to keep others from following a similar path.

Spencer died in his sleep on Dec. 13 in Vallejo, Calif., where he lived with his son for more than six years since beginning to suffer from dementia. He was 70.

Thad Spencer Jr. was born on March 28, 1943, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the third of 12 children born to Thad Sr. and Marie Spencer. He was 3 months old when his father’s job brought the family to Portland.

Growing up with meager means in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Northeast Portland, Spencer began boxing at the Knott Street Gym, now known as the Matt Dishman Community Center and Pool.

He spent one year at Roosevelt High School and one year at Jefferson High School before dropping out and focusing on his fighting career. At 16, Spencer captured the Pacific Northwest Golden Gloves championship in Seattle and seemed to be on a straight path to compete for the United States at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

But at only 17, Spencer had two children on the way with two women. His amateur career and Olympic aspirations took a backseat to monetary needs and he made the decision to turn pro.

“In the Olympics, you have the head-gear. You have better trainers and better coaches,” said Kenny Spencer, his younger brother. “He took a lot of hard knocks that he probably would not have taken (otherwise).”

Although Spencer’s professional career began sooner than intended, his talent soon took him to the top of the sport. He amassed a record of 30-5 by the time Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight championship for his refusal to join the U.S. military after being drafted to serve in Vietnam.

Spencer, ranked as a top contender by the World Boxing Association, was then entered into an elimination tournament to determine the WBA heavyweight champion. In the tournament’s first bout, Spencer defeated former champion Ernie Terrell by unanimous decision at the Houston Astrodome.

Three months later, in November 1967, Spencer graced the cover of Ring Magazine, with the headline above asking, “Can Spencer match Frazier’s KO punch?” in reference to then-top contender and eventual heavyweight champion “Smokin'” Joe Frazier.

But the Terrell victory was to be Spencer’s last. In the lead up to the fight against his next tournament opponent, Jerry Quarry, Spencer was charged with a DUI in Oakland. It was a dire sign that he was not taking his training seriously.

“Thad used to joke about how he’d leave (training) and say he was going for a run,” said Kevin Spencer, his other living brother. “He’d go party, then throw water on himself (before coming back).

“He just thought that his talents would overcome not training, drinking and doing drugs.”

Spencer lost to Quarry via 12th round TKO in Oakland on March 2, 1968, and never won another professional fight. Spencer lost eight of his final nine bouts, with the other result draw.

By 1971, at 28, his career was over. The life of the man who once seemed destined for a title shot with the legendary Ali, took a dark turn. Alcohol and drugs, specifically cocaine, soon consumed him.

“I became a coke head because I thought that was what rich people did,” Spencer said in a 1994 profile in The Oregonian.

In 1975, Spencer was shot five times by an associate and the associate’s girlfriend while at a bar in Portland. He was then passed a gun, which he used to shoot and kill his attacker in self-defense. A month later in Oakland, Spencer was shot in the leg during a shooting in a bar. And later that year, back in Portland with a cast on his leg, he was run over by a car after another altercation. thadspencer-ali.jpgView full sizeThad Spencer, left, never got to fight Muhammad Ali, right, since Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title for his refusal to serve in the U.S. military. Ali attended an event in 1993 for Spencer’s 50th birthday.Photo courtesy of Global Sports Entertainment & Development

But despite Spencer’s miraculous survival through three near-death experiences, it was not until he saw Todd, his oldest son, on television playing fullback at USC in 1982 that he made the decision to get clean.

When a bartender asked if Todd Spencer was his son, Thad denied it. Not long after, commentator O.J. Simpson said of Todd, “You might remember his father, Thad Spencer, who back in the ’60s was a top heavyweight contender,” according to the 1994 piece in The Oregonian.

The embarrassment of that moment persuaded Spencer to quit cocaine and rekindle his relationship with his children. Lance Spencer, Todd’s younger brother, soon came to live his father in Northeast Portland, often going on one- to three-hour walks with him to help him kick his addiction.

“That was how we formed our relationship,” Lance Spencer said. “(My mother) always planted a good seed (about him).

“It was an open flower. It just needed to be watered.”

Although his boxing career ended in addiction, Spencer stayed close to the sport late in life. He started multiple promotion companies, splitting his time between Portland northern California and following big fights wherever they took place. He was an annual guest of honor at Golden Gloves events hosted by the Grand Avenue Boxing Club in Portland.

Thad Spencer, left, never got to fight Muhammad Ali, right, since Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title for his refusal to serve in the U.S. military. Ali attended an event in 1993 for Spencer’s 50th birthday.Photo courtesy of Global Sports Entertainment & Development.

“He enjoyed sharing his knowledge of boxing with young people and trying to help them … not take the same path that he did,” Kevin Spencer said. “Spiritually, he was always in a great place because he always had this dream that something great was going to materialize.”

By the mid-2000s, dementia began to set in and Spencer moved to Vallejo with his son Lance.

“He enjoyed his life and his experiences that he had,” Kenny Spencer said. “I think the only regrets that he probably had were that he got mixed up in some things that were detrimental to him and the people that he loved.”

Thad Spencer is survived by his mother, Marie Spencer; brothers, Kenny and Kevin; sisters Loretta Ganter, Cynthia Lovell, Maudine Smith and Gerry Orr; children Tamara, Todd, Lance, Mister, Taron, Joseph, Carmen Andria Jones; step-children Duran Beasley and Lisa Beasley; 16 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Word Assembly Church, 9507 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, Calif. Remembrances and well wishes can be sent to McNary-Morgan-Greene & Jackson Mortuary, 3630 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, Calif.

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Activism

Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

20 minutes ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.

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Activism

A Student-Run Group Provides Critical Support Services to Underserved Residents

Those visiting The Suitcase Clinic can get legal advice, sign up for food assistance, receive housing resources, get medical help, or enjoy a hot, fresh meal. They can also get haircuts and foot washes from the student volunteers. Nilo Golchini, executive director of the clinic, said one of the goals for most of the students working there is helping bridge the gap of trust that exists between many unhoused people and the healthcare and social welfare systems.

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

UC Berkeley Law Students help a clinic visitor with legal advice at their Tuesday night services. The Clinic offers a variety of resources, including medical, to those in the community who have little access to these services. Photo by Magaly Muñoz

Part One

By Magaly Muñoz

Every Tuesday evening, the dining hall of First Presbyterian Church fills up with dozens of people eating, laughing and moving from table to table, receiving much-needed services from UC Berkeley students – just a few blocks away from the university’s campus.

Individuals seeking support services can be found in this multi-stationed room on the south end of the church talking to law students, student case managers, or receiving medical attention in a corner by healthcare professionals.

This weekly event is hosted by Cal students through a volunteer-run program called The Suitcase Clinic.

The clinic, founded in 1989, was intended to offer free resources to underserved communities in Berkeley and surrounding cities. The majority of the clinic’s clientele are unhoused or low-income people looking for extra support.

Those visiting the clinic can get legal advice, sign up for food assistance, receive housing resources, get medical help, or enjoy a hot, fresh meal. They can also get haircuts and foot washes from the student volunteers.

Nilo Golchini, executive director of the clinic, said one of the goals for most of the students working there is helping bridge the gap of trust that exists between many unhoused people and the healthcare and social welfare systems.

During their tenure in the program, many of the students say they become strong advocates for homelessness rights.

Visitors of the Suitcase Clinic can receive haircuts and foot washing by student volunteers every Tuesday evening. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

“We’re also standing in solidarity with them. So, it’s not saying, ‘I’m going to help you, but I’m also going to stand with you,’” Golchini said.

Student volunteers get extensive training prior to working directly with clients. Those interested have to take a semester-long class to become versed in areas such as outreach, intersectionality, how to interact with unhoused people, how to sign people up for social services. and more.

Volunteers then get to pick from three different clinics: General, Women’s, or Youth and LGBTQ+.

The General Clinic is the most popular among visiting residents, while Women’s and Youth/LQBTQ+ have more specialized services for attendees.

The Women’s Clinic has many of the similar services to General, but also includes nail painting, childcare, and massages.

The Youth and LGBTQ+ Clinic offers a safe space for young people navigating living on the streets, with services that include housing referrals, wellness and recreation classes and employment resources.

Golchini explained that it’s important for them to keep these clinics separate because the different demographics experience poverty and homelessness differently than those who visit the General Clinic.

Suitcase Clinic student workers posing for a photo with a frequent clinic attendee. The Clinic is open to Berkeley unhoused and low-income residents who need medical or legal service, or a hot meal. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

“We’re able to provide spaces where people can come in and feel safe and not feel like they’re constantly worried that something’s going to happen to them,” she said.

An outreach team also visits encampments every other Saturday in the Berkeley area to provide hygiene kits and encourage people to visit the in-person clinic, if possible.

However, Golchini said engagement has been low for some time now due to a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows cities to ban and cite people for sleeping on the streets.

She said a lot of their clientele got displaced to other cities over time, making it difficult to stay in contact with the services the Clinic was providing for them.

But that hasn’t slowed down the students at the Clinic, if anything, it has pushed them to do more for the community they serve.

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Arts and Culture

Promise Marks Performs Songs of Etta James in One-Woman Show, “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Theater in Berkeley

“The (show) is a fictional story about a character named Etta, aka Lady Peaches,” said Marks. “She falls in love with Johnny Rhythm, leader of the Rhythm Players Band and headliners of Madam G’s Glitta Lounge.” Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy Of Promise Marks.

Special to the Post

It was “A Sunday Kind of Love” at the Black Repertory Group Theater in Berkeley on Saturday night, Dec. 7. The one-woman musical based on the music of Etta James featured the multi-talented singer Promise Marks

Marks, who wrote and directed the musical, also owns PM Productions.

Marks channeled the essence of Etta James, singing favorites such as “Sugar on the Floor” and “At Last.”

In between her soulful songs, Marks narrated impactful moments of the love story and journey of blues and forgiveness.

Marks sultry voice carried the audience back to an era that echoed with the power of Black music and a time of great change.

Marks said James shared love for the Black community by singing at gatherings during the Civil Rights Movement uplifting the people.

“She spoke to the movement, spoke to the people, and let her music speak for itself,” Marks said.

Backing the musical’s monologues, images and videos of Etta James are projected for the audience to view. While the production is fictional, Marks infused script with the unfairness and heartbreak James experienced while performing.

Marks performed gospel artist Donnie McClurkin’s “We Fall Down” as she narrated acts of reconciliation and forgiveness among the characters at Johnny Rhythm’s deathbed.

Marks, who regularly sings for the Miss America Pageant, was asked to perform as Etta James last year. “(At the event) a lady yelled out to me: ‘You’re Etta James!’ And then the audience went crazy. I said to myself, ‘I may have something here,’” she said.

Within 12 months, Marks created the musical production, which featured a dozen songs honoring “the great legacy of Etta James,” she said.

Marks says she was saddened to see how Etta James was often judged by the struggles in her life and wanted to offer attendees a more layered view.

“Etta’s life was so big. I want people to know that she was more than her drug addiction,” said Marks. “We can’t make that her legacy. Her catalog is too amazing. You can’t just be that and have the catalog that she (created). I don’t want the addiction to be the focus: I want her music, her element, her sassiness, and what she brought to be the focus – her woman-ness, that she was strong, and I wanted to honor that.”

Set Designer Nora Burnette says she created the set segments to mirror James’ life story. A set designer for BRG since 2016, she explained that her process of researching the scenario and the character serve as her inspiration for her design.

“I try to design a set as close to real life as possible so that the actress can deliver the performance sincerely,” said Burnette. “By creating the right setting, it helps the actors release the true essence of a character.”

The set brought the story to life and absolutely floored Marks. “Once Promise (Marks) saw the actual set, she understood my vision: ‘Wow, you get me. You get it,'” Marks told the designer.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins, Etta James, began her career in 1954 and gained fame with hits such “At Last” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” She faced a number of personal problems, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album “Seven Year Itch.”

Co-producer and BRG Development Director, Sean Vaughn Scott, works with Overseer Production. According to producer Pamela Spikes, “Marks talent truly does Etta’s life story justice.”

Pam Jacobs of Hercules, a friend of Marks’ mom, Jackie Smith, said, Marks “was fabulous and sang all of those songs flawlessly.”

“I’m so proud of my daughter,” said Smith.

Marks, who has served as an instructor for BRG, will return on Feb. 21- 23 for an encore run of the musical.

“It’s an honor to be a part of the BRG (Black Repertory Group) family and continue our executive director Dr. Mona Vaughn Scott’s vision for the Black Repertory Group theater,” said Marks.

The Black Repertory Group Theatre is located at 3201 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703. For information, visit: BlackRepertoryGroup.com