Benny Spellman
December 11, 1931 – June 3, 2011
Benny Spellman was an R&B singer who released two significant hits during the 1960s. His “Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette),” written by Allen Toussaint, cracked the Top 30 on the R&B charts, while his original version of “Fortune Teller” went on to be recorded by the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Hollies, and more recently, as a duet by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Spellman also collaborated with Huey “Piano” Smith and sang back up on the Ernie K-Doe hit, “Mother In Law.” Although he went on to work outside the music business by the early ’70s, Spellman continued to perform at festivals and such for many years. Benny Spellman died of respiratory failure on June 3, 2011. He was 79.
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