Sid died of AIDS July 17, 1996
Sid Spencer
2 songs from Sid's album "Lovin' Strangers"
MP3, 1.4 megs each
Album purchaced from Anthony (Miss IGRA 1998) by Frank Harrell via ebay on May 26, 2013. Anthony purchaced the CD directly from Sid at the 1995 Phoenix rodeo
Content from CMT website
Chute Dogging has been gay recording artist Sid Spencer's rodeo event for years. And it perfectly matches Spencer's competitive temperament, which has included being a starting player in high school football, baseball, cross-country, and basketball. Being crowned Mr. Razzle Dazzle Dallas 1991 led to placing second runner-up for Mr. Gay Texas, as well as a bid at Mr. All-American. His stellar pageant career included the Mr. Gay Southwest title. In 1995, Sid Spencer became one of the most successful performers to emerge from the gay community, easily able to go hat-to-hat with any of the contemporary cowboys on country radio. In 1996, he lost a valiant struggle against AIDS. ~ Will Grega, Rovi
Content used with permission from the website
Queer Music Heritage.
From "Out Sounds", by Will Grega & Randy Jones.
Gay Country/Western.
"Pull!" he yells, and they open the gate to the stall. A rugged cowboy appears, carefully guiding a 2000 pound steer to a chalk white line ten feet ahead. The obstinate beast instinctively knows that the instant they cross that line, the man in the Wrangler jeans and Western boots is gonna try to "dog him," to wrestle him down to the dirt. That's the challenge of chute dogging, a rodeo event where more often than not the steer winds up dragging the cowboy around the arena.
Chute Dogging has been gay recording artist Sid Spencer's rodeo event for years. "It certainly beats Goat Dressing (a camp event where two people try to put a pair of underwear on a goat)," says the popular singer. And it perfectly matches Spencer's competitive temperament, which has included being a starting player in high school football, baseball, cross-country and basketball.
Today however, Spencer's "in a bad mess." He's got a show tonight in which he's to perform for packed houses of country rock fans, and he's got a new and very out CD to promote. But the 27-year-old athlete is ever determined to win the buckles, ribbons, cash and glory that go along with dogging those steer.
On this day, the glory will go to someone else.
The combination of the scorching ninety-degree heat and a blinding cloud of dry dirt have caused him to lose his concentration for a split second, and the steer slams him into a wall, cracking two ribs, and sending Sid's black Stetson flying into the stands. Oklahoma's Gay Rodeo is underway.
Later that night, Spencer's doing his second show of the night, ribs taped, working the crowd. A wireless mike allows him to better involve the audience, who he's leading in a line dance while he sings "One Man Is All I Can Handle." It's a hard-drinking, bar-hopping, country music-loving tribe, and Spencer is their resident celebrity. The singer launches into a countrified hip-hop version of" Amazing Grace," and the crowd goes wild. A darling on the gay rodeo circuit, the sexy Tulsa native plays over 200 shows a year at gay bars, rodeos, pride events and cruises. Two-stepping to his songs of man/man love, lust and heartache, his audiences are also treated to glimpses of the private life of the musical maverick.
"I feel like I've got my own little music ministry. I actually planned on going to seminary all through high school," confides Spencer with the most disarming laugh. That changed when he was kicked out of the Southern Baptist church after several vain attempts at "going Straight."
"I went to the preacher and told him I was struggling with homosexual tendencies. Of course he promised to pray for me. But instead of helping me, he asked me to step down from my choir leader and other duties. By that time I'd had a hundred boyfriends. I started going to the bars when I was 14. But we were brainwashed as kids and told if we had these feelings, we were going to bell. I was looking for acceptance or a cure from being gay. Today I don't preach, I just tell my story in my shows."
In fact, Sid Spencer is one of the most successful performers to emerge from the gay community in recent years and could easily go hat-to-hat with any of the contemporary cowboys on country radio. His vocal talents rival George Strait and he's also one of the handsomest devils to ever squeeze into a pair of faded Wrangler's.
Spencer emerged in I 993 with his debut album, Lovin' Strangers, a mainstream album recorded for the general marketplace. Immediately apparent on the traditional country offering is the staggeringly great country selections and a voice from God. A bid at major label acceptance, the album was ultimately rejected, Spencer says, "because of my lifestyle."
Undaunted, Spencer followed \IP the following year with a cookin' country Christmas collection entitled Family Ties. The CD contains some of his personal holiday favorites, including: "Please Come Home For Christmas" (popularized by Ronny Milsap), covers of two Dolly Parton Christmas classics and a heart-stopping version of "Bring Him Home" (from Les Miserables).
On his defiant new CD, "Out-n-About, Again", Spencer makes a point of singing about his sexuality in no uncertain terms. His most polished work to date, the disc is radio-ready, and includes a fine selection of commercial-sounding country songs. Much of the material for Out-N-About, Again was culled from other writers, and every single one sounds like a winner. Fast-stepping dance numbers and heart-wrenching ballads allow Spencer to demonstrate his versatility. Fans are snapping the new CD up at each performance. Looks like it will be another sell-out hit for Spencer.
But his career almost never get started.
A successful insurance professional, the turning point came when a lady friend encouraged him to take the stage one night in a singing competition. Sid won handily. Three weeks later, the woman Spencer credits for launching his career was killed in a car wreck on a lonely Texas highway. Spencer went on to win a series of contests, gradually gaining more confidence in front of audiences.
"I was toying with the idea of leaving the security of my job and following my dream. My boyfriend of two years just hated country music. I was forbidden to play it in the apartment. He had never even come to any of the contests I was winning. He gave me an ultimatum about the singing, and I left him. "
His final hurdle was cleared when he left his sales job.
Overnight success didn't materialize, and Spencer found himself working as a bartender in Dallas. The bar was looking to sponsor someone for a local pageant and believed Sid had a sure shot of winning based on his singing alone, although he scored high in formal wear, bathing suit, and interview. Being crowned Mr. Razzle Dazzle Dallas 1991 led to placing 2nd runner up Mr. Gay Texas and a bid at Mr. All-American. His stellar pageant career includes the Mr. Gay Southwest title.
The one man record company juggles performing, writing and recording, management and promotion. "Learning to delegate is definitely on my agenda," says one of the busiest men in blue denim.
Spencer's fondest desire is to meet and sing a duet with Dolly Parton. Remarkably, they share the same affecting qualities of being genuine, sweet, down to earth and sincere human beings. "Dolly's got bigger hair, though," Spencer quips. "But I'll bet she's not wrestled nearly as many steers as I have."
The story behind Sid Spencer's Quilt
Light blue is the background we chose for the quilt. It represents the heavens and that is where Sid is now.
Teal green is the color of the border and backing. This color was Sid's favorite.
The Gold Star with the music and his picture is to let people know that he was and always will be a Star to us. The picture was his last promotional picture. The Star represents one that was made for Sid when he was in Canada. The firs Star he had, meant so much to him. the Music Notes stand for his much loved Country and Western music.
Like any other work, we felt like Sid should autograph his Quilt. So with the help of modern technology, Sid was able to do so. The signature is his original, we found it and had it enlarged.
Dec. 30th, 1967 was the day he was born. July 17th, 1996 was the day he died. These dates are made in marbleized material to represent the dates that have been written in stone.
The three CD's were his pride and joy. The 1st was LOVIN' STRANGERS. Then came FAMILY TIES, and his third album was OUT-N-ABOUT AGAIN.
"Chasin' That Neon Rainbow", is a song made popular by Alan Jackson. When Sid first started out, he would always be singing. One night we were sitting at his parents house, and the phone upstairs began to ring. Sid took off running up the stairs to answer ti and as he did he was singing "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow". Later when he came back down, we were discussing this song and he told us that was his dream and that's what kept him going.
The different material patterns represent the shirts and jeans he wore while performing on stage.
The yellow "Neon" stands for the neon lights at many of the places he performed.
He caught his dreams. He just continued making people happy and reading his bible and chasin' that Rainbow.