Performance · Production

Johnny Otis

real name Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης (Ioannis Alexandros Veliotis)

Vallejo, United States

Johnny Otis is credited on 2,822 releases across 773 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1950–2026 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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2,822

Credits

773

Albums

Decades active

321

In collections

Biography

source

American bandleader, musician, talent scout, author & label owner.
Born December 28, 1921 Vallejo, California, USA.
Died January 17, 2012 Alta Dena, California, USA.
Father of guitarist Shuggie Otis & drummer.
Otis founded the Ultra Records (opens in a new tab) label in 1956 along with Frank Gallo, Eddie Mesner and Leo Mesner. When they discovered another label by that name already existed they changed the name of the label to Dig Records. In 1960 Otis founded the Eldo records label.
Otis was involved in virtually every aspect of the music business. He helped to shape the R&B genre starting in the late 1940s and stayed involved in it for over 30 years. He had his own music variety show from 1954-5, The Johnny Otis Show.
He played many instruments, going with ease on stage from the piano to the vibraphone to the drums to the guitar and more.
He was inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 (Non-Performer).

Bio from Discogs