[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Otis[/lastfm], the man who wrote and recorded the all-time classic “Willie and the Hand Jive,” died on Tuesday at his home in Altadena, CA….
He was 90.
Born John Veliotes, Otis, who was white, grew up in a predominantly black section of Berkeley, CA and eventually changed his name because he thought it sounded more black.
Throughout his career as a bandleader and radio host, Otis, who was known as “the godfather of R&B.”
He devoted much of his time trying to expose white audiences to supremely talented black artists such as [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Etta James[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Hank Ballard[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Coasters[/lastfm], and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Big Mama Thornton[/lastfm], for whom he produced the original version of “Hound Dog,” a song that would later cross over to white audiences when [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Elvis Presley[/lastfm] turned it into a huge hit.
“Willie and the Hand Jive” went on to sell over 1.5 million copies. It’s been covered by many other great artists including [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Eric Clapton[/lastfm]. ~JZ.
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