Johnny Otis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Otis
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Background information | |
Birth name | Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes |
Born | Vallejo, California, U.S. |
December 28, 1921
Died | January 17, 2012 Los Angeles, California |
(aged 90)
Genres | Rhythm and blues |
Instruments |
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Years active | 1940s–2000s |
Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout, disc jockey, record producer, television show host, artist, author, journalist, minister, and impresario. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He discovered numerous artists early in their careers who went on to become highly successful in their own right, including Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, and The Robins (who eventually changed their name to The Coasters), among many others. Otis has been called the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues".
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Johnny Otis Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.