Johnny Otis: R&B Pioneer

Otis was one of the most important artists in R&B history. He was a bandleader, promoter, vocalist, club owner, drummer, and producer, and he helped launch the careers of such R&B legends as Johnny Ace, The Robins, Little Esther, Etta James and many others. These singers recorded with his band and toured as part of his entourage. 

Most of Johnny Otis’ records were released as the “Johnny Otis Quintette” or “The Johnny Otis Show. Otis’s biggest hit was, “Willie and the Hand Jive,” a song which has been covered by scores of other artists.

That song and others are best heard on the compilation albums, “The Original Johnny Otis Show” (1978), and a number of other compilations of early rock and roll such as the terrific compilation featuring Otis and many others, “Loud, Fast and Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of ‘50s Rock” (1999).