Johnny Otis died this week. Otis was the son of Greek immigrants but self-identified as an African American, and became a major R&B pioneer as a performer, songwriter, producer, record label owner and talent scout (he discovered Etta James among many others). He worked in politics, hosted a music TV show in LA, had a longtime R&B radio program in LA, wrote books and was the father of R&B guitarist Shuggie Otis. And he did quite a bit more.
It's a fascinating story and you should read about Johnny Otis here:
Let's celebrate his remarkable life with his signature song "Willie and the Hand Jive" and this vintage TV performance:
1 comment:
Jim,
Great song. Thanks for filling me in on a little Greek-Ameeican R'n'B history
SZ
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