johnny otis profile.mov
Johnny Otis, one of the pioneers of rhythm and blues, said he always wanted to be black. And for most people who heard his music, they though he was. He discovered and worked with some of the early great R & B vocalists who would lay the foundation for rock and roll. Otis produced Big Mama Thornton's original recording of "Hound Dog", which Elvis Presley would later re-record to help launch his career. I did this profile piece on Otis for the Today Show back in 1983.
About Johnny Otis
American bandleader, musician, talent scout, author & label owner. Born December 28, 1921 Vallejo, California, USA. Died January 17, 2012 Alta Dena, California, USA. Father of guitarist [a5493] & drummer [a469449] ([a4176589]). Otis founded the Ultra Records label in 1956 along with Frank Gallo, Eddie Mesner and Leo Mesner. When they discovered another label by that name already existed they changed the name of the label to Dig Records. In 1960 Otis founded the Eldo records label. Otis was invo...
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