Happy birthday to the great Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) an American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. A seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll, Otis discovered artists such as Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Hank Ballard. Known as the original King of Rock & Roll, he is commonly referred to as the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues. Otis was born to Greek immigrants Alexander J. Veliotes, a Mare Island longshoreman and grocery store owner, and his wife, the former Irene Kiskakes, a painter. He had a younger sister, Dorothy, and a younger brother, Nicholas A. Veliotes, former U.S. Ambassador to both Jordan (1978–1981) and Egypt (1984–1986)). He grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Berkeley, California, where his father owned a neighborhood grocery store. Otis became well known for his choice to live his professional and personal life as a member of the African-American community. He wrote, As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black. He was the father of musicians Shuggie Otis and Nicholas Otis. Otis began playing drums as a teenager, when he purchased a set by forging his fathers signature on a credit slip. Soon after he dropped out of Berkeley High School during his junior year, Otis joined a local band with pianist friend Count Otis Matthews called the West Oakland Houserockers. By 1939, they were performing at many of the local functions, primarily in and around the Oakland and Berkeley area, and became quite popular among their peers. Otis died of natural causes on January 17, 2012, in the Altadena area of Los Angeles, California just three days before Etta James, whom he had discovered in the early 1950s.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 08:32:26 +0000
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