December 28. Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes - better known as Johnny Otis - was born on this date in 1921. He was the son of Greek immigrants who chose to live his life immersed in the African-American community. He wrote As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black. In the late 30s he dropped out of Berkeley High School to join a band called The West Oakland House Rockers. In 1945 he formed The Johnny Otis Orchestra. He was a bandleader, a performer (drums, vibes, piano), a vocalist, and a songwriter/producer/talent scout who gave a boost to the careers of Little Richard, Johnny Ace, The Robins, Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Hank Ballard, among others. https://youtube/watch?v=qOrQTh_Cq7U
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 21:43:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015