By Odeisel
In the current era of R&B style over substance, complete with racially ambiguous video vixens and everyone claiming hybrid status, it’s easy to forget James Brown exhorting the people to say out loud that they were Black and proud. But long before even the Godfather of Soul was Black and proud, the man widely heralded as the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues.Johnny Otis actually CHOSE to live his life as a member of the Black community, even though he was not Black! Otis died recently, without much fanfare, but the man who discovered Etta James and many others deserves to have his story told.
Born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes in December of 1921 to Greek immigrants, his destiny couldn’t have been further from his origins. He took to the world of music and was arguably one of the greatest A&R people of all-time, discovering legends such as Big Jay McNeely, Mel Walker, and Little Esther. He also discovered the electic “Mr. Excitement” Jackie Wilson and the incomparable Etta James, to name a few.
His talent was not limited to sniffing out and molding talent. Otis was a distinguished musician in his own right, having been a band leader and mattered many instruments including the drums, piano and vibraphone. He survived the decline of big band and adapted his orchestral skills to suit smaller road bands that heralded the true birth of touring Rhythm and Blues bands and early Rock and Roll.
In addition to his musicianship and eye for talent, Johnny Otis was an accomplished singer and songwriter. Otis produced the original version of R&B hit “Hound Dog” for “Big Mama Thornton in 1953 and the classic “Pledging My Love” for Johnny Ace in 1955. He also wrote the following hit songs throughout the course of his 50’s run”The Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry) for Etta James (1955), “So Fine” for the Fiestas (1959), “Everybeat of My Heart” for Pips (1961), as well as “Willie and the Hand Jive” (1958) for himself.
The 60’s saw a decline in activity for Otis in terms of music so he ventures into other pursuits, notably politics and eventually he’d rise to Chief of Staff for Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally after an unsuccessful run for a seat on the California State Assembly. Ironically, he probably lost due to lack of name recognition: the one time he used his real name rather than his stage name, it didn’t work out for him.
He did much more with his life after his initial run at fame stalled. Johnny enjoyed a brief performance resurgence in the 1980’s and received numerous accolades, among then, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a singer songwriter. Otis opened a Blues cafe/club the remained open well into the 1990’s as well as hosted a weekly Saturday radio show on West Coast radio station KGPA that ran until his health could no longer stand the grind in 2006.
Because many of his achievements came from behind the desk rather than behind the microphone, Johnny Otis’ star may not resonate in the public zeitgeist. When you take a look at the people whose careers he had a hand in, including Jackie Wilson, who was one of Michael Jackson’s prime influences, the branches from his tree range far and his importance to the evolution of American Pop Music cannot be overstated. While we mourn for Etta James, save a few tears and raise a black fist for Johnny Otis, who was proud to be Black, even though he wasn’t.
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