Horace Ott facts for kids

Horace Ott (born April 15, 1933) is a very talented American musician. He is a composer, arranger, and record producer. He also conducts music and plays the piano. Horace Ott is well-known for his work since the late 1950s. He has worked with many famous artists. These include The Shirelles, Nina Simone, and the Village People.

About Horace Ott

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

He studied music at South Carolina State University. He graduated in 1955. After college, he spent two years in the US Army. From 1956 to 1958, he played in a marching band for the Army.

His Music Career

Early Years: 1950s and 1960s

In 1958, Horace Ott moved to New York City. He worked in a factory during the day. At night, he played music in nightclubs. He met a songwriter named Luther Dixon. This meeting helped him get his first big break. He started writing music arrangements for The Shirelles.

Horace Ott worked as a songwriter and arranger for many musicians. These included Jackie Wilson, Don Covay, and Sam Cooke. He arranged the song "Just One Look" for Doris Troy in 1963. This song became a big hit.

In 1964, he helped write the song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". He worked with Bennie Benjamin and Sol Marcus. The song was first on Nina Simone's album Broadway-Blues-Ballads. Horace Ott also arranged this version. Later, the song became a hit for 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 worked with Aretha Franklin and George Benson.

In 1969, Horace Ott traveled to the United Kingdom. He went there to record music with a young artist named Louisa Jane White.

Later Years: 1970s and Beyond

Horace Ott kept working as an arranger in the 1970s. He worked with jazz and R&B musicians. Some of these artists were Houston Person, Bernard Purdie, and Gil Scott-Heron. He arranged "You Don't Have to Be a Star". This song became a number one hit in 1976 for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr..

In the late 1970s, he met French producers Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali. Because of this meeting, Horace Ott arranged many of the early hit songs for the Village People. These songs included "Macho Man", "Y.M.C.A.", and "In the Navy". He also worked on recordings for The Ritchie Family.

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

Selected Works

Horace Ott has played keyboards, arranged, and composed music for many albums. Here are some of the artists he worked with:

• With Rusty Bryant: Until It's Time for You to Go (1974)
• With Groove Holmes: Night Glider (1973)
• With Etta Jones: Sugar (1989) and Christmas with Etta Jones (1990)
• With Jimmy McGriff: Electric Funk (1969), The Dudes Doin' Business (1970), Soul Sugar (1970), and Groove Grease (1971)
• With Houston Person: Houston Express (1970), Suspicions (1980), and Heavy Juice (1982)
• With Bernard Purdie: Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972)
• With Nina Simone: Wild Is the Wind (1966)
• With Dakota Staton: Madame Foo-Foo (1972)
• With Joe Thomas: Joy of Cookin' (1972)
• With Bob Thiele and Glenn Osser: The Mysterious Flying Orchestra (1977)