Johnny Otis

Johnny Otis (born December 28, 1921 in Vallejo , California , † January 17, 2012 in Los Angeles , actually John Veliotes ) was an American bandleader , multi-instrumentalist , music producer and talent scout who was especially popular in the 1950s. In 1994 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Pioneer Award from the R&B Foundation. In 2000 he also became a member of the Blues Hall of Fame .

Life

The son of Greek immigrants learned to play drums as a teenager and initially performed with the school band Count Matthews & his West Coast House Rockers. He later played in the orchestras of Count Basie and Harlan Leonard , among others , before founding his own jazz orchestra in 1945 . A purely instrumental mini-hit soon came about: Harlem Nocturne . Otherwise, he and his orchestra accompanied above all stars of the time such as Lester Young and Charles Brown .

In 1947 he founded a rhythm and blues band that he called the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan. Most of the musicians he picked out of talent competitions, including 13-year-old Esther Phillips in 1949 . With his caravan band he traveled through the USA; In addition to him, Little Esther (Phillips) and Little Miss Cornshucks , Mel Walker , Red Lythe , Pete Lewis , Devonia "Lady Dee" Williams , Sallie Blair and The Robins appeared.

In the 1950s, Otis had some success. He has now also mastered the piano and was able to place eight songs high in the R&B charts between 1950 and 1952, including the classic Double Crossing Blues . With his Far Away Christmas Blues , Otis hit the pop charts for the first time and went straight to number 4. In the 1950s and 1960s, his California Rhythm And Blues Caravan gave many musicians who were still unknown at the time a starting chance and was also active as a producer. Artists he worked with at the time include Johnny Ace , Hank Ballard , Big Mama Thornton , with whom he produced the Leiber / Stoller song Hound Dog , Jackie Wilson , Big Joe Turner , T-Bone Walker , Marie Adams and Don Cherry . In 1954 he broke up his band to work as a DJ for a radio station in Los Angeles , but shortly afterwards he formed a new band, The Johnny Otis Show . In 1957 and 1958 he had some hits with the band such as Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me . His chart success at the time, Willie and the Hand Jive , had a revival years later as a cover version of Eric Clapton . By 1969 Otis brought a total of four songs to the US pop charts; Musicians like Johnny Guitar Watson and Don Sugarcane Harris played with him .

In 1965 his autobiography Listen to the Lambs came out on the market. 1971 appeared after a performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson , Gene Mighty Flea Conners , Esther Phillips, Big Joe Turner, Roy Milton , Pee Wee Crayton , Ivory Joe Hunter , Roy Brown , Margie and Delmar Evans and Otis 'Son Shuggie Otis released his first live album, Live at Monterey , which received excellent reviews. In the course of the 1970s, however, Otis withdrew more and more from the music scene. He began to paint and model and in 1978 became a priest of his "Landmark Community Church".

In 1981 he returned with the 31-piece "New Johnny Otis Show", which played a mixture of blues , soul and rock 'n' roll . He occasionally dissolved this band and then reformed it again so that he could continue to practice his spiritual profession in between. He also launched his own brand of orange juice and hosted a radio show. In 1990 the "Johnny Otis Market & Deli" opened, which combined a café, a nightclub and a drugstore. Otis continued to perform regularly at the nightclub.

Discography

Albums

• 1957: Rock 'n Roll Hit Parade Volume 1
• 1970: Stone Down Blues (Guitar Slim Green with Johnny Otis and Shuggie Otis )
• 1973: Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Volume 3 - Johnny Otis
• 1977: Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Volume 8 - Johnny Otis
• 1977: Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Volume 13 - Johnny Otis
• 1977: Back to Jazz (and His Orchestra)
• 1981: The New Johnny Otis Show With Shuggie Otis
• 1982: Presents the Robins, Little Ester, the Nic Nacs
• 1984: Johnny Otis! Johnny Otis !: The 1984 Johnny Otis Show
• 1986: Otisology
• 1992: Spirit of the Black Territory Bands (and His Orchestra)
• 1995: Notin 'but the Blues
• 1997: R&B Dance Party!
• 1998: Blues and Swing Party Volume One

Compilations

• 1982: The Original Otis Orchestra (and His Orchestra)
• 1985: Barrelhouse Stomp (and His Orchestra)
• 1986: Start to Jump Because It's Jubilee (with Joe Turner and Ivie Anderson )
• 1987: The Roots of Rock 'n Roll: The Complete Savoy Recordings (with The Robins )
• 1989: The Capitol Years
• 1991: Creepin 'with the Cats
• 1994: Hand Jive '85
• 1998: The Greatest Johnny Otis Show
• 1999: Rhythm & Blues Caravan (3 CDs)
• 2001: The Essential Recordings
• 2001: Slow Blues
• 2002: The Chronological Johnny Otis, 1945-1947
• 2003: The Godfather of Rhythm & Blues & the R&B Caravan Vol. 2 1950–1952
• 2004: Johnny Otis and Friends - Blues Archive: The Story of the Blues - Chapter 19 (2 CDs)
• 2007: Rock Me Baby
• 2011: Hand Jive
• 2012: On with the Show: The Johnny Otis Story Volume 2 1957–1974
• 2012: That's Your Last Boogie: The Best of Johnny Otis 1945–1960 (3 CDs)

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)			Remarks
		UK	US	R&B
1948	That's Your Last Boogie Exclusive 51 ×	-	-	R&B10 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: November 1948 Joe Swift with Johnny Otis and His Orchestra Author: Joe Swift
1950	Double Crossing Blues Savoy 45-731	-	-	R&B1 (22 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1950 Johnny Otis Quintets, The Robins and Little Esther Author: Johnny Otis
	Mistrustin 'Blues Savoy 45-735	-	-	R&B1 (16 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1950 Little Esther , Mel Walker and The Johnny Otis Orchestra Author: Johnny Otis
	Misery Savoy 45-735	-	-	R&B9 (1 week) R&B	B-side of Mistrustin 'Blues Little Esther and The Johnny Otis Orchestra Authors: Johnny Otis, Mario Delagarde
	Cry Baby Regent 1016	-	-	R&B6 (6 weeks) R&B	First published: April 1950 Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker Authors: Johnny Otis, Mario Delagarde
	Cupid Boogie Savoy 45-750	-	-	R&B1 (17 weeks) R&B	First published: May 1950 Johnny Otis Orchestra, Little Esther and Mel Walker Author: Johnny Otis
	Deceivin 'Blues Savoy 45-759	-	-	R&B4 (6 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1950 Little Esther, Mel Walker and Johnny Otis Orchestra Author: Johnny Otis
	Dreamin 'Blues Regent 1018 / Savoy 45-748	-	-	R&B8 (1 week) R&B	First published: August 1950 Mel Walker with Johnny Otis Orchestra
	Wedding Boogie Savoy 45-764	-	-	R&B6 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: October 1950 Johnny Otis' Congregation, Little Esther (bride), Mel Walker (groom) and Lee Graves (preacher) Author: Johnny Otis
	Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues) Savoy 45-764	-	-	R&B6 (4 weeks) R&B	B-side of Wedding Boogie Johnny Otis Orchestra, Little Esther and Mel Walker Author: Johnny Otis
	Rockin 'Blues Savoy 45-766	-	-	R&B2 (22 weeks) R&B	First published: December 1950 Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker Author: Johnny Otis
1951	Gee Baby Savoy 45-777	-	-	R&B2 (5 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1951 Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker Author: Johnny Otis
	Mambo Boogie Savoy 45-777	-	-	R&B4 (5 weeks) R&B	B-side of Gee Baby Instrumental; Johnny Otis Orchestra Author: Johnny Otis
	All Nite Long Savoy 45-788	-	-	R&B6 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1951 Johnny Otis Orchestra Writer and vocals: Johnny Otis
1952	Sunset to Dawn Savoy 45-821	-	-	R&B10 (1 week) R&B	First published: January 1952 Mel Walker with Johnny Otis Orchestra Authors: Johnny Otis, Rick Darnell
	Call Operator 210 Mercury 8289-x45	-	-	R&B4 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1952 Johnny Otis and His Orchestra feat. Mel Walker
1957	Ma! (He's Making Eyes at Me) Maybellene 514	UK2 (15 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: November 1957 Johnny Otis and His Orchestra with Marie Adams Authors: Con Conrad , Sidney Clare Original: Eddie Cantor , 1921
1958	Bye Bye Baby Capitol 45-CL 14817	UK20 (7 weeks) UK	-	-	First published: January 1958 The Johnny Otis Show Authors: Johnny Otis, Darby Hicks
	Willie and the Hand Jive Capitol 3966	-	US9 (16 weeks) US	R&B3 (12 weeks) R&B	First published: June 1958 The Johnny Otis Show Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Author: Johnny Otis
	Crazy Country Hop Capitol 4060	-	US87 (4 weeks) US	-	First published: September 1958 The Johnny Otis Show Author: Johnny Otis
1959	Castin 'My Spell Capitol 4168	-	US52 (5 weeks) US	-	First published: April 1959 The Johnny Otis Show Authors: Alvin Johnson, Edwin Johnson Original: The Johnson Brothers, 1959
1960	Mumblin 'Mosie Capitol 4326	-	US80 (2 weeks) US	-	First published: February 1960 The Johnny Otis Show Author: Johnny Otis
1969	Country Girl Kent 505	-	-	R&B29 (6 weeks) R&B	First published: March 1969 The Johnny Otis Show Authors: Johnny Otis, Delmar Evans

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More singles

• 1950: My Baby's Business ( Jimmy Rushing with Johnny Otis Orchestra)
• 1953: The Love Bug Boogie
• 1954: Sad Story (Junior Ryder with Johnny Otis Orchestra and the Peacocks )
• 1954: Mambo Boogie (Goucho and His Jungle Drums)
• 1954: Rock Me Baby
• 1954: I Won't Be Your Fool No More
• 1955: Sittin 'Here Drinkin'
• 1955: Boom Diddy Wa Wa
• 1956: Hey! Hey Hey Hey
• 1956: The Midnite Creeper
• 1957: Tough Enough
• 1957: Wa Wa
• 1957: Symbol of Heaven (Little Julian Herrera with Johnny Otis Orchestra)
• 1957: My Eyes Are Full of Tears
• 1957: Butterball
• 1957: The Night Is Young (And You're So Fine)
• 1957: Stand There Mountain (Mel Williams with Johnny Otis Orchestra)
• 1957: Can't You Hear Me Callin '
• 1957: Stay with Me
• 1957: It's Too Soon to Know
• 1957: Good Golly
• 1958: All I Want Is Your Love
• 1958: Well, Well, Well, Well!
• 1958: Ring-a-Ling
• 1959: You
• 1959: Three Girls Named Molly Doin 'the Hully Gully
• 1959: Baby, Just You
• 1960: The Jelly Roll
• 1961: Hand Jive One More Time
• 1962: It Must Be Love
• 1962: Queen of the Twist
• 1962: Early in the Morning Blues
• 1963: Somebody Call the Station
• 1963: Bye, Bye, Baby (I'm Leaving You)
• 1964: Baby, I Got News for You
• 1967: Keep the Faith
• 1969: The Watts Breakaway
• 1972: This Is My Song (Big Daddy Rucker with The Johnny Otis Show)
• 1972: Everything You Said Came True (The Otisettes with The Johnny Otis Show)
• 1973: Telephone Baby
• 1975: Jaws
• 1978: Skunk Booty

literature

• George Lipsitz : Midnight at the Barrelhouse. The Johnny Otis Story. The University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis 2010, ISBN 978-0-8166-6678-2 .
• Irwin Stambler: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul. St. Martin's Press, New York City, New York 1989, ISBN 0-312-02573-4 , pp. 505-507. (3rd revised edition)
• Galen Gart, Roy C. Ames: Duke / Peacock Records. Big Nickel Publications, 1990, ISBN 0-936433-12-4 .
• Carlo Bohländer , Karl Heinz Holler, Christian Pfarr: Reclam's Jazz Guide . 3rd, revised and expanded edition. Reclam, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-15-010355-X .

swell

1. ↑ Carlo Bohländer u. a. Reclam's Jazz Guide 1989
2. ^ Obituary in the Los Angeles Times
3. ^ Obituary in The Guardian
4. ↑ Eric Clapton: Willie and the Hand Jive
5. ↑ Chart sources: UK1 UK2 US
6. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4

Web links

• Johnny Otis World
• Literature by and about Johnny Otis in the catalog of the German National Library
• Johnny Otis in theInternet Movie Database(English)
• Johnny Otis in the nndb (English)
• Johnny Otis at Allmusic (English)
• Johnny Otis at Discogs (English)
• The Johnny Otis Show on Allmusic (English)
• Johnny Otis and His Orchestra at Discogs (English)
• Archived radio broadcasts with Johnny Otis
• Discography at 45cat.com
• Ihsan Taylor: Johnny Otis, 'Godfather of Rhythm and Blues,' Dies at 90 - Obituary in The New York Times