Johnny Otis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Otis
Background information
Birth name	Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes
Born	(1921-12-28)December 28, 1921 Vallejo, California, U.S.
Died	January 17, 2012(2012-01-17) (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Rhythm and blues, Rock and roll
Instruments	Piano vibraphone drums percussion vocals
Years active	1940s–2000s

Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a very important American musician. He was a singer, played many instruments, wrote songs, led bands, and helped produce music. He also had a special talent for finding new artists!

Johnny Otis helped many famous musicians start their careers. Some of these include Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, and Jackie Wilson. Because of his big impact on music, people called him the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues."

About Johnny Otis: His Early Life

Johnny Otis was born in Vallejo, California. His parents, Alexander and Irene, were immigrants from Greece. His father worked at a shipyard and owned a grocery store. Johnny grew up in Berkeley, California, in a neighborhood where most people were African-American.

He decided to live his life as part of the African-American community. He once wrote, "As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black."

In 1941, when Johnny was 19, he married Phyllis Walker. She was 18 and had African-American and Filipino heritage. They moved to Reno, Nevada, to get married because interracial marriage was accepted there. They had four children: two sons, Shuggie Otis and Nicholas, who both became musicians, and two daughters, Janice and Laura.

Johnny Otis's Music Journey

Johnny Otis started playing drums when he was a teenager. He even bought his first drum set by signing his father's name on a credit slip! He left high school early to join a local band called the West Oakland House Rockers. By 1939, they were popular and played at many events around Oakland and Berkeley.

Becoming a Bandleader and Discovering Talent

In the early 1940s, Johnny played drums in big swing bands. By 1945, he started his own band. They had a famous hit song called "Harlem Nocturne". His band featured talented singers like Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown.

In 1947, Johnny and his friend Bardu Ali opened a club called the Barrelhouse Club in Los Angeles. Johnny made his band smaller and hired new singers. These included Mel Walker and a young girl named Little Esther. He found Esther when she won a talent show at his club! His band, now called the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, toured a lot and had many hit songs.

Johnny Otis, a talented musician and bandleader.

Johnny Otis and his orchestra also played at a big concert called the Cavalcade of Jazz in Los Angeles in 1947. Many other famous musicians performed there too, like Woody Herman and T-Bone Walker.

Hit Songs and Producing Music

Johnny Otis was great at finding new talent. He discovered Big Jay McNeely, a tenor saxophonist. In 1949, Johnny started recording songs for Savoy Records. He had several number one hits on the Billboard R&B chart, including "Double Crossing Blues" and "Cupid's Boogie." In 1950, Billboard magazine named him the R&B Artist of the Year! He also started playing the vibraphone on many of his songs.

In 1951, Johnny Otis released "Mambo Boogie," which was the first R&B mambo song ever recorded. He then moved to Mercury Records. It was there that he discovered a 13-year-old singer named Etta James. He helped produce and co-write her first hit song, "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)."

In 1952, Johnny met Big Mama Thornton in Texas. He produced and played drums on her 1953 recording of "Hound Dog." This was the first time that famous song was recorded! Later, Elvis Presley recorded his own version, which became a huge hit.

Another one of Johnny Otis's famous songs is the ballad "Every Beat of My Heart." It was first recorded in 1952 and became a hit again for Gladys Knight and the Pips in 1961. He also produced "Pledging My Love" for singer Johnny Ace, which was a number one R&B hit for 10 weeks.

As a talent scout for King Records, Johnny Otis helped many young artists become successful. These included Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, and Little Willie John.

Television, Radio, and Later Success

Johnny Otis also hosted his own television show called The Johnny Otis Show. He became a popular disc jockey on radio station KFOX in Long Beach, California, starting in 1955.

In 1955, he started his own record label. He continued to perform and appear on TV shows. In 1958, he recorded his most famous song, "Willie and the Hand Jive." This song was a big hit, reaching number 9 on the U.S. Pop chart and number 1 on the R&B chart.

In 1969, Johnny Otis recorded two albums, Cold Shot! and Snatch and the Poontangs, which featured his son Shuggie. A year later, he recorded a live album at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Parts of this performance were even shown in the movie Play Misty for Me.

In the 1970s, Johnny Otis toured less. He started his own record label called Blues Spectrum. He released a series of albums featuring famous R&B artists from the 1950s, like Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner.

In the 1980s, Johnny Otis had a weekly radio show in Los Angeles. He played music and invited R&B artists as guests. He also recorded new albums with his sons, Shuggie and Nicky. In 1987, he started his own music festival in Los Angeles, called the Red Beans & Rice R&B Music Festival. This festival later moved to San Dimas, California, and ran for twenty years.

Johnny Otis and his family moved to Sebastopol, California. He continued his weekly radio show from Berkeley. He performed across the United States and Europe through the 1990s. In 1993, he opened the Johnny Otis Market, a grocery store and deli where he and his band played live shows every weekend.

In 1994, Johnny Otis was honored by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.

Other Activities

Besides music, Johnny Otis was also involved in other areas. In the 1960s, he worked in journalism and politics. He ran for a seat in the California State Assembly. He also worked as a deputy chief of staff for a state Assemblyman.

Johnny Otis also founded and preached at the New Landmark Community Gospel Church in Santa Rosa, California. The church's services included his preaching and performances by a vocal group and choir.

He also taught a college class called "Music 15-B: Jazz, Blues and Popular Music in American Culture."

Passing Away

Johnny Otis passed away from natural causes on January 17, 2012, in Los Angeles. He died just three days before Etta James, the famous singer he had discovered many years earlier. He is buried with his wife in Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California.

Discography

Chart singles

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Otis para niños