Otis, Johnny

Otis, Johnny (28 Dec 1921–) Born Johnny Veliotes to a Greek immigrant family in Vallejo, California, Otis became a leading performer, composer, producer, and talent scout for R&B acts from the mid-1940s through the 1950s. His father operated a grocery store in a Black neighborhood in Berkeley. Otis began performing as a teenager on the drums, and was recommended for a job with Harlan Leonard’s Los Angeles–based Kansas City Rockets in 1943. Within two years, he was leading his own band at the…