In the 1930s, long before it was a “thing” to self-identify, or cool to be black, Johnny Otis decided to live life as a black man. He was the son of Greek immigrants who had a neighborhood grocery store in a predominantly black neighborhood in Berkley, California. What a fascinating and impactful life! He was a musician, composer, arranger, bandleader, singer, disc jockey, record producer, TV show host, artist, author, and impresario -- and as you'll learn in the next post, he was an amazing talent scout.
Johnny Otis wasn't your everyday talent scout. Why? As you read above, he had multiple careers going at the same time and it was a self reinforcing synergistic loop. I listed one of his careers as "impresario" and these are all synonyms for impresario: showman, promoter, booker, and booking agent. Johnny Otis was all of these things. In addition, in 1948 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles he opened an important R&B club, The Barrelhouse Club.
So he had his own club, his own band, his own radio show, and for eight years his own local TV show in Los Angeles. Thus he would have booked unknown acts, snatched promising singers for his own band and records, produced the records, and played them on the radio and TV. On top of that, he was a musician, composer and arranger, so he knew music and recognized talent.
Most people know the song "Hound Dog" from the classic rock and roll version by Elvis. But far less people know if from the original blues version by Big Mama Thorton which she recorded back in 1952!
The song was written by the incredibly successful song writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, but the twist is that they were only 19 years old and just starting out when it was written. Johnny Otis was a bandleader and Big Mama Thorton was his singer at the time. He invited Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to his house to meet her.
Leiber recalled: "We saw Big Mama and she knocked me cold. She looked like the biggest, baddest, saltiest chick you would ever see. And she was mean, a 'lady bear,' as they used to call 'em. She must have been 350 pounds, and she had all these scars all over her face conveying words which could not be sung. But how to do it without actually saying it? And how to do it telling a story? I couldn't just have a song full of expletives."
Source: David Fricke, "Leiber and Stoller: Rolling Stone's 1990 Interview With the Songwriting Legends", Rolling Stone (April 19, 1990; reprinted: August 22, 2011)
Johnny Otis also played drums on the recording.
In 1965, 23 years later, Big Mama was on German TV singing Hound Dog with Buddy Guy on guitar.
For music lovers.
Johnny Otis discovered Etta James when she was only 15 years old. She is one of the best, if not the best, female R&B singers in living memory. Many of you will know her from her huge hit At Last
She was incredibly versatile, here is a killer blues rocker she did when she was 50.
Etta James and Johnny Otis at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
It was a beautiful moment when Johnny Otis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and was introduced by Etta James.
She was another one of the singers Johnny Otis discovered, and he produced a string of hit records with her.
Another one of the many artist Johnny Otis discovered was big daddy :-) Jackie Wilson. If you're a serious Michael Jackson fan you'll recognize him someone the King of Pop acknowledged as a major influence. Jackie Wilson
Johnny Otis quit school and began playing drums in a band in the late 1930s, when he was 19 he married a woman who was African America and Filipino.
In 1945 his band had a big hit record with "Harlem Nocturne." It was rather rare for the stars of the big band era to transition successfully into rock and roll, but as noted above, Johnny even made it into the Hall of Fame.
It was also rare for 50s rock and roll stars to stay popular after the British wave hit, which evolved into the Woodstock generation. But again Johnny and his band bucked the trend. On guitar is Shuggy Otis, Johnny Otis and his wife's' son who was born in 1953. He started playing guitar at the age of two, and at age 11 be began playing & recording with his father. Somebody put this Johnny Otis song on a Soul Train video clip and it works quite well.
Johnny Otis - Country Girl
The Johnny Otis Show The Watts Breakaway
The Johnny Otis Band also adapted well to the funk era.
Lead photo is a collage of YouTube screen captures and Etta James from Wiki effects by 
Remaining blue tinted photos are YouTube screen captures
