[4] Spivey grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, raised by a single mother, before moving to New Jersey to live with his aunt.

[1] Spivey stated that he grew up "in a household of black women" who he credited for instilling confidence in him and his identity as "very feminine, queer, and outspoken.

[1] After Larry Owens left A Strange Loop following its off-Broadway run, Spivey was cast as Usher in July 2021 when the show transferred to Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., for a seven-week tryout.

[1][6] The show then moved to New York City at the Lyceum Theatre, with Spivey making his Broadway debut with the opening of the production in April 2022.

[2] Spivey, as the principal vocalist, and the rest of the cast received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.