Johnny Otis
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:14:05 PM Wikipedia source
Johnny Otis (December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012), born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης), was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, talent scout, and preacher. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He discovered numerous artists early in their careers who went on to become highly successful in their own right, including Little Esther Phillips, Etta James, Alan O'Day, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, and The Robins, Sugar Pie DeSanto, among many others. Otis has been called the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues".
Infobox
Born
Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)(1921-12-28)December 28, 1921Vallejo, California, U.S.
Died
January 17, 2012(2012-01-17) (aged 90)Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
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Instruments
Piano vibraphone drums percussion vocals
Years active
1940s–2000s
Website
johnnyotisworld.com
Tables
· Discography › Chart singles
US Pop
US Pop
Year
US Pop
Single
USR&B
Artists
UK
1948
1948
Year
1948
Single
"That's Your Last Boogie"
Artists
Joe Swift with Johnny Otis & His Orchestra
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
10
Chart Positions
–
1950
1950
Year
1950
Single
"Double Crossing Blues"
Artists
Johnny Otis Quintette, the Robins and Little Esther
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
1
Chart Positions
–
"Mistrustin' Blues" /"Misery"
"Mistrustin' Blues" /"Misery"
Year
"Mistrustin' Blues" /"Misery"
Single
Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra / Little Esther with the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Artists
--
Chart Positions
19
Chart Positions
--
"Cry Baby"
"Cry Baby"
Year
"Cry Baby"
Single
The Johnny Otis Orchestra, Mel Walker and the Bluenotes
Artists
–
Chart Positions
6
Chart Positions
–
"Cupid's Boogie"
"Cupid's Boogie"
Year
"Cupid's Boogie"
Single
Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Artists
–
Chart Positions
1
Chart Positions
–
"Deceivin' Blues"
"Deceivin' Blues"
Year
"Deceivin' Blues"
Single
Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Artists
–
Chart Positions
4
Chart Positions
–
"Dreamin' Blues"
"Dreamin' Blues"
Year
"Dreamin' Blues"
Single
Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Artists
–
Chart Positions
8
Chart Positions
–
"Wedding Boogie" /"Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)"
"Wedding Boogie" /"Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)"
Year
"Wedding Boogie" /"Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)"
Single
Johnny Otis' Congregation: Little Esther, Mel Walker, Lee Graves / The Johnny Otis Orchestra with Little Esther and Mel Walker
Artists
--
Chart Positions
66
Chart Positions
--
"Rockin' Blues"
"Rockin' Blues"
Year
"Rockin' Blues"
Single
The Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker
Artists
–
Chart Positions
2
Chart Positions
–
1951
1951
Year
1951
Single
"Gee Baby" /"Mambo Boogie"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Chart Positions
--
Chart Positions
24
Chart Positions
--
"All Nite Long"
"All Nite Long"
Year
"All Nite Long"
Single
The Johnny Otis Orchestra
Artists
–
Chart Positions
6
Chart Positions
–
1952
1952
Year
1952
Single
"Sunset To Dawn"
Artists
Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
10
Chart Positions
–
"Call Operator 210"
"Call Operator 210"
Year
"Call Operator 210"
Single
Johnny Otis and His Orchestra featuring Mel Walker
Artists
–
Chart Positions
4
Chart Positions
–
1957
1957
Year
1957
Single
"Ma (He's Making Eyes at Me)"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Show (Johnny Otis and His Orchestra with Marie Adams and the Three Tons of Joy)
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
2
1958
1958
Year
1958
Single
"Bye Bye Baby"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Marie Adams & Johnny Otis)
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
20
"Willie and the Hand Jive"
"Willie and the Hand Jive"
Year
"Willie and the Hand Jive"
Single
The Johnny Otis Show
Artists
9
Chart Positions
1
Chart Positions
–
"Crazy Country Hop"
"Crazy Country Hop"
Year
"Crazy Country Hop"
Single
The Johnny Otis Show
Artists
87
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
–
1959
1959
Year
1959
Single
"Castin' My Spell"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Johnny Otis & Marci Lee)
Chart Positions
52
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
–
1960
1960
Year
1960
Single
"Mumblin' Mosie"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Show
Chart Positions
80
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
–
1969
1969
Year
1969
Single
"Country Girl"
Artists
The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Delmar Evans & Johnny Otis)
Chart Positions
–
Chart Positions
29
Chart Positions
–
| Year | Single | Artists | Chart Positions | ||
| US Pop | USR&B | UK | |||
| 1948 | "That's Your Last Boogie" | Joe Swift with Johnny Otis & His Orchestra | – | 10 | – |
| 1950 | "Double Crossing Blues" | Johnny Otis Quintette, the Robins and Little Esther | – | 1 | – |
| "Mistrustin' Blues" /"Misery" | Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra / Little Esther with the Johnny Otis Orchestra | -- | 19 | -- | |
| "Cry Baby" | The Johnny Otis Orchestra, Mel Walker and the Bluenotes | – | 6 | – | |
| "Cupid's Boogie" | Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra | – | 1 | – | |
| "Deceivin' Blues" | Little Esther and Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra | – | 4 | – | |
| "Dreamin' Blues" | Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra | – | 8 | – | |
| "Wedding Boogie" /"Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)" | Johnny Otis' Congregation: Little Esther, Mel Walker, Lee Graves / The Johnny Otis Orchestra with Little Esther and Mel Walker | -- | 66 | -- | |
| "Rockin' Blues" | The Johnny Otis Orchestra with Mel Walker | – | 2 | – | |
| 1951 | "Gee Baby" /"Mambo Boogie" | The Johnny Otis Orchestra | -- | 24 | -- |
| "All Nite Long" | The Johnny Otis Orchestra | – | 6 | – | |
| 1952 | "Sunset To Dawn" | Mel Walker with the Johnny Otis Orchestra | – | 10 | – |
| "Call Operator 210" | Johnny Otis and His Orchestra featuring Mel Walker | – | 4 | – | |
| 1957 | "Ma (He's Making Eyes at Me)" | The Johnny Otis Show (Johnny Otis and His Orchestra with Marie Adams and the Three Tons of Joy) | – | – | 2 |
| 1958 | "Bye Bye Baby" | The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Marie Adams & Johnny Otis) | – | – | 20 |
| "Willie and the Hand Jive" | The Johnny Otis Show | 9 | 1 | – | |
| "Crazy Country Hop" | The Johnny Otis Show | 87 | – | – | |
| 1959 | "Castin' My Spell" | The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Johnny Otis & Marci Lee) | 52 | – | – |
| 1960 | "Mumblin' Mosie" | The Johnny Otis Show | 80 | – | – |
| 1969 | "Country Girl" | The Johnny Otis Show (vocal by Delmar Evans & Johnny Otis) | – | 29 | – |
References
- Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-johnny-otis-20120119,0,2183487.story
- Liner Notes of "Wild Guitar" CD
- History-of-rock.comhttp://www.history-of-rock.com/johnny_otis.htm
- "Fifteenth Census of the United States (1930), Berkeley (Health District 2), Alameda County, California, Enumeration District 1–280, p. 16A, lines 1–6, household of Alex J. Veliotes"https://www.ancestry.com
- AllMusichttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/p484/biography
- Soulbot.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20120319215156/http://www.soulbot.com/Johnny-Otis.htm
- Powers, Ann (March 27, 2007). "Will the Real Stone Rise Up?". Los Angeles Times.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-mar-27-et-stone27-story.html
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- Jazztimes.comhttps://jazztimes.com/columns/jazzalamode/johnny-otis-black-by-persuasion/
- Perry, J. J. (1998). "Johnny Otis: Pioneering Rhythm and Blues Legend". Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana), October 23,http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/1998/10/23/scene.981023_D5_CMK70135.sto
- Bill Dahl, Biography of Johnny Otis at Allmusic.com. Accessed January 19, 2012.http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-otis-p484/biography
- AllMusichttp://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-otis-mn0000819894
- The Devil's Musichttps://archive.org/details/devilsmusichisto00oakl_0/page/214
- "'Cavalcade of Jazz' To Be Studded With Music Stars" The California Eagle August 28, 1947.
- Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995
- Boggs, Vernon (1993). "Johnny Otis R&B/Mambo Pioneer". Latin Beat Magazine, vol. 3, no. 9 (Nov.), pp. 30–31.
- Mcfarlandbooks.comhttp://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-7759-3
- "Ask 'Mr. Music' Jerry Osborne: For the Week of March 26, 2007". Mr. Music. Retrieved October 10, 2011.http://www.jerryosborne.com/3-26-07.htm
- "Hank Ballard". Soulful Kinda Music. Retrieved October 10, 2011.http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/hballard.htm
- Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues. New York: Macmillan. p. 160. ISBN 978-0
- J. C. Marion, My Search Is Over – Marie Adams, 2002 Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed January 19,https://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/madams.html
- AllMusichttp://www.allmusic.com/album/snatch-and-the-poontangs-r616980
- Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventieshttps://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=O&bk=70
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- Recording Academyhttps://www.grammy.com/artists/johnny-otis/5880
- Articles.latimes.comhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-23-ga-7063-story.html
- Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Storyhttps://books.google.com/books?id=f5cDxTGwBWYC&q=apples&pg=PA149
- Pressdemocrat.comhttp://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/2021476-181/sonoma-county-musicians-mourn-johnny
- Sonomawest.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20181211120146/http://www.sonomawest.com/the_windsor_times/tributes/obituaries/johnny-otis-memories-shared-around-sonoma-county/article_b0682c3e-4789-11e1-b959-001871e3ce6c.html
- sonoma-ca.4bizen.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180102072810/http://sonoma-ca.4bizen.com/locality/sebastopol-2641/kindred-and-food-products-products.html
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- Bohemian.comhttps://www.bohemian.com/northbay/best-local-culture/BestOf?oid=2178377
- Metroactive.comhttp://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/03.23.00/best-culture-critic-0012.html
- Sonomawest.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20181211134333/http://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_west_times_and_news/news/r-b-pioneer-former-sebastopol-resident-johnny-otis-dies-at/article_2076a37a-42fd-11e1-83d0-001871e3ce6c.html
- "Johnny Otis: Inducted in 1994". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved October 10, 2011.http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/johnny-otis
- Pasadenastarnews.comhttps://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2013/05/07/news-101-when-a-story-is-news/
- Upside Your Head!https://books.google.com/books?id=GhVKsCvFkogC
- Articles.latimes.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20120122193342/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/19/local/la-me-johnny-otis-20120119/2
- Upside Your Head!https://books.google.com/books?id=GhVKsCvFkogC&q=Landmark-Community
- Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenuehttps://books.google.com/books?id=GhVKsCvFkogC&q=landmark
- North Bay Bohemianhttps://www.bohemian.com/northbay/johnny-otis-1921-2012/Content?oid=2274446
- Patch.comhttps://patch.com/california/healdsburg/bp--a-salute-to-johnny-otis
- Afka.nethttps://afka.net/Articles/1980-02_Trouser_Press.htm
- Sfbayview.comhttp://sfbayview.com/2012/02/26803/
- Npr.orghttps://www.npr.org/2012/01/20/145510703/remembering-bandleader-and-producer-johnny-otis
- Top Pop Singles 1955–2002https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/529
- Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004