 In 1950, in Chicago, Spanier's second marriage was to Ruth Gries O’Connell.He became the stepfather of her sons, Hollywood film writer and director Tom Gries and Charles Joseph Gries, later professionally known as Buddy Charles, a pop and jazz vocalist and pianist in Chicago.When Spanier was performing at a concert in Chicago in 1956, Buddy Charles was performing at the nearby Black Orchid nightclub.