Horace Ott facts for kids

Horace Ott (born April 15, 1933) is an American musician. He is a talented composer, arranger, record producer, conductor, and pianist. He is famous for working with many different artists since the late 1950s. Some of these artists include The Shirelles, Don Covay, Nina Simone, Houston Person, and the Village People.

Biography

Horace Ott was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina. He learned to play the piano from a young age. He went to Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg. There, he played in the school band. He also started performing and writing music for a local jazz band.

After high school, he studied music at South Carolina State University. He graduated in 1955. Then, he spent two years in the US Army from 1956 to 1958. During this time, he played in a marching band.

Career

Early Career: 1950s to 1960s

In 1958, Horace Ott moved to New York City. He worked in a factory during the day and played music in nightclubs at night. He met a songwriter named Luther Dixon. This meeting led to his first big success. He started writing music arrangements for the group The Shirelles.

He worked as a songwriter and arranger for many famous musicians. These included Jackie Wilson, Don Covay, Hank Ballard, Dee Clark, Sam Cooke, and Solomon Burke. He arranged Doris Troy's 1963 hit song, "Just One Look".

In 1964, he helped write the song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". This song became very famous. It was featured on Nina Simone's album Broadway-Blues-Ballads. Horace Ott also arranged this version. Later, the song became a big hit for the band The Animals. He continued to work with Nina Simone. He arranged her 1968 hit song "Ain't Got No, I Got Life". In the late 1960s, he also arranged music for Aretha Franklin, Eric Burdon, Bessie Banks, George Benson, Mary Wells, and Jimmy McGriff.

Later Career: 1970s Onwards

In the 1970s, Horace Ott kept working as an arranger. He worked with many jazz and R&B musicians. Some of these included Houston Person, Bernard Purdie, Rusty Bryant, Gil Scott-Heron, Junior Parker, Lou Donaldson, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and The Stylistics.

He arranged "You Don't Have to Be a Star". This song became a number 1 hit in 1976 for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.. In the late 1970s, he met French producers Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali. This meeting led to him arranging all of Village People's early hit songs. These included "Macho Man", "Y.M.C.A.", and "In the Navy". He also worked on recordings by The Ritchie Family.

Horace Ott has also worked with the famous Count Basie Orchestra. He has also contributed to Broadway musicals.