b. Mahalia Lucille Jenkins, 23 June 1938, Bolton, Mississippi, USA. Spann sang gospel to start with, both in Mississippi and later in Chicago, where she lived in her early teens. In the 60s, she met the great blues pianist Otis Spann, and they began a musical partnership and later married. They recorded together, but tragically their collaboration came to an end with Otis’ early death in 1970. Lucille continued to work in music and made a number of further recordings.