Donnell Spencer Jr. is a session musician, drummer and award-winning composer. He has worked with or toured with Patti Austin, Anita Baker, El De Barge, Chaka Khan, and Jody Watley. He has been associated musically with mainstream films ''Running Scared'' and ''Without You I'm Nothing''. As a composer, his work had created hits such as " Oops, Oh No!" by

Cerrone Marc CerroneDaryl Easlea, "Supernature Boy", ''Record Collector'', #502, February 2020, pp.60-63 (; born 24 May 1952) is a French disco drummer, composer, record producer and creator of concerts. Cerrone is a producer of 1970s and 1980s disco s ...

La Toya Jackson La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''The Jacksons (TV ...

, " Say You Really Want Me" by

Kim Wilde Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo ...

, " Take Your Time" by " Pebbles, " Temporary Lovers" by

The Controllers Controller may refer to: Occupations * Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position * Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage * Air traffic controller, a person w ...

, " Turned Away" by

Chuckii Booker Eugene Allen Booker, Jr. (born December 19, 1962), known professionally as Chuckii Booker, is an American producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader from Los Angeles, California. Biography Booker emerged in the late 1980 ...

, "Until the End of Time" by Freddie Jackson and more.

Background

Originally from Philadelphia, Spencer is a drummer, producer, singer, songwriter. He is also a photographer who has had his work published. Two of his compositions have won him the John Lennon Songwriter's award. His song, " Turned Away", co-written with musician/song-writer/producer

, was a no. 1 solo hit for Booker on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Spencer's status as an award-winning musician and chart-topping songwriter has been noted by ''Blues Blast Magazine''. He has composed at least nine national chart hits. In addition to Patti Austin, Anita Baker, El De Barge, Chaka Khan, and

Jody Watley Jody Vanessa Watley (born January 30, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter and producer whose music crosses genres including pop, R&B, jazz, dance and electronic soul.Paoletta, Michael (February 22, 2003) "Watley Relaxes In The Setting of The ...

, he has been associated in either a performing or recording capacity with Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson,

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selli ...

, Boney James,

Ray Parker Jr. Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters'' and also sounds from the animated series '' The ...

and Stevie Wonder. He has also played with

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...

and

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American Soul music, soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendergrass lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initial ...

. He has recorded as a solo artist with the singles, "True Love" in 2019 and "Come On" in 2020. He played on Johnny Adams' final album, ''Man Of My Word'' which was released in 1998. Via his work as a photographer, he has made contributions to ''Style & Society'' magazine, ''The Scoop LA''. and The Press & Sun-Bulletin and pressconnects.com. etc.. Earlier in his musical career, he was in an ensemble called MYX with

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

and

Danny Sembello Daniel Bud Sembello (January 15, 1963 – August 15, 2015) was an American songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He produced recordings by artists including George Benson and Pebbles, and he had his compositions recorded by Cha ...

Session musician, composer, producer

With Nick Mundy and

, he co-wrote the song, " Oops, Oh No!" which was a hit for

and

in 1986.

Work with the Sembello brothers

With Danny Sembello and Dick Rudolph, he wrote the song, " Say You Really Want Me" which was a 1987 hit for

. It got to no. 46 in the ''Billboard'' pop chart and no. 44 in the R&B chart. It also got to no. 29 in the UK. Spencer and Danny Sembello wrote the song, "Take Your Time" for singer Pebbles. It was released on CA 53362 and a hit prediction in the July 2, 1988 issue of ''Billboard''. It got to no. 3 on the US R&B chart. He would work with Both Michael and Danny on the Controllers' 1989 album.

Work with Sam Sims

Working with Sam Sims, Spencer co-composed three songs which were all hits on the R&B chart from 1989 to 2006. ;The Controllers Also in 1989, another composition of his, " Temporary Lovers" by

was a hit. It made it to no. 43 on the US R&B chart. With Sam Sims, he co-wrote "Just in Time" for The Controllers. He also produced the single which was released on Capitol l B-44414. Reviewed by ''Billboard'', it was said to be a seductive R&B ballad ripe for quiet storm programming. They also wrote "We’re Back". He co-produced their album with Sims for D.S. Coda Productions. He also sang backing vocals, playing drums and keyboards. The Sembello's also played on the album. ;Gerald Albright Spencer and Sims both played on the song "Growing With Each Other" which was on

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright (born August 30, 1957) is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for the albums ''24/7 (Gerald Albright and Norman Brown album), 24/7'' in 2012 and ''Slam Dunk'' in 2014 and was nominated for ''New Beginnings (Gerald Albr ...

's ''Dream Come True'' album that was released in 1990. ;Freddie Jackson Spencer and Sims composed " Second Time for Love" (1991) and "Until the End of Time" (2006) for

Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony Jackson (born October 2, 1956) is an American R&B singer. Originally from New York, Jackson began his professional music career in the late 1970s with the California funk band Mystic Merlin. Among his well–known R&B/soul hits ...

. Both were hits on the R&B chart making no. 81 and no. 44 respectively. ;Other work with Sims He mastered Sims' 2022 album, ''All of Me'' and played on the song from the album, "Q Reficio" which was recorded earlier.

Other artists

He co-wrote the song, " Turned Away" for

which was a hit in 1989. He worked on Rick Braun's 1998 album, ''Full Stride''. He co-wrote the song "Nightfall" and played drums and keyboard on that track.

Backing

On February 3, 2016, Spencer and bassist Sam Sims were part of Jody Watley's backing band and played at The Roxy in February. Spencer played drums on Brigitte Purdy song "Blues Angel" which is the single from her ''Still I Rise'' album that was released in 2018. In late 2019, he was the drummer in

Judith Hill Judith Glory Hill (born May 6, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has provided backing vocals for such artists as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Josh Groban. In 2009, Hill was chosen as Jackson's duet partner ...

's band. As of 2023, Spencer has been part of Ayline Artin's backing band.

Solo career

In 1997, Spencer appeared in an episode of ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

''. In 2022, Spencer released the single, "Over U".Jazz 91.9 WCLK, May 13, 2022
Donnell Spencer: Over U By David C. Linton
/ref>

References

External links

* Imdb
Donnell Spencer Jr.
* AllMusic
Donnell Spencer Credits
* Discogs
Donnell Spencer
* RadioPublic, The Void 333 With Christina, November 12th, 2020
093 - Donnell Spencer Jr.
* RSS.com. Jun 12 2022
Unsung Musicians Behind The Headline Legends by Toni Redd, S01 E08 - Donnell Spencer Jr. (Interview)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Donnell African-American drummers American session musicians African-American songwriters American male singer-songwriters 20th-century American male musicians American male drummers American keyboardists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Drummers from Philadelphia