Johnny Otis (born Ioannis (Yannis) Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Otis (born Ioannis (Yannis) Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California - died on January 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California) was an American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, singer, bandleader, and impresario. Johnny Otis was one of the most prominent white figures in the history of black R&B.

After playing in a variety of swing orchestras, including Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders, he founded his own band in 1945 and had one of the most enduring hits of the big band era, "Harlem Nocturne". This band played with Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown. In 1947 he and Bardu Ali opened the Barrelhouse Club in the Watts district of Los Angeles. He reduced the size of his band and hired singers Mel Walker, Little Esther Phillips and the Robins (who later became the Coasters). He discovered the teenaged Phillips when she won one of the Barrelhouse Club's talent shows. With this band, which toured extensively throughout the United States as the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, he had a long string of rhythm and blues hits through 1952.

In the late 1940s he discovered Big Jay McNeely, who then performed on his Barrelhouse Stomp. In the 1950s he discovered Etta James, for whom he produced her first hit, Roll With Me, Henry, (also known as The Wallflower). Otis produced the original recording of Hound Dog written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller with vocal by Big Mama Thornton, and was given a writing credit on all six of the 1953 releases of the song. As an artist and repertory man for King Records he also discovered Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, and Little Willie John, among others. He also became an influential disk jockey in Los Angeles. However, he continued to perform, and in April 1957 he had a hit with his best-known recording Willie and the Hand Jive. His most famous composition is "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by an obscure group in the '50s but which became a huge hit for Gladys Knight.

In the 1960s he entered journalism and politics, losing a campaign for a seat in the California Assembly (one reason for the loss may be that he ran under his much less well known real name). He then became chief of staff for Democratic Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally.

He continued performing through the 1990s and headlined the San Francisco Blues Festival in 2000, although because of his many other interests he went through long periods where he did not perform.

In the 1990's he lived near Sebastopol, California and ran a coffee shop / grocery store / blues club in that hip rural city north of San Francisco.

He was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Otis had a popular radio show on KPFA, called The Johnny Otis Show. This show was aired every Saturday Morning, live from the Powerhouse Brewery in Sebastopol. Listeners were invited to stop in for breakfast and enjoy the show live. Alas, the show's frequency deteriorated along with Johnny's health. When Otis moved to Los Angeles, the show stuttered, then stopped completely and now even the Powerhouse has closed its doors. The last real show was August 19, 2006 and the last with Otis was some time before that.

Otis died on January 17, 2012 at the age of ninety.

Otis, of Greek descent, was the older brother of Nicholas Veliotes, former U.S. Ambassador to Jordan (1978-1981) and to Egypt (1984-1986). He was the father of Shuggie Otis.

Frank Zappa had cited Otis as the inspiration for his distinctive trademark facial hair, stating in an interview conducted by Simpsons creator Matt Groening and Guitar Player magazine editor Don Menn that "it looked good on Johnny Otis, so I grew it."

Country Girl
Johnny Otis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Winding paths through tables and glass
First flowers bloom
Now watch the Summer pass
So close to you

Too late to keep the change
Too late to pay
No time to stay the same

Too young to leave

No pass out sign on the door set me thinking
Are waitresses paying the price of their winking
While stars sit at bars and decide what they′re drinking
They drop by to die because it's faster than sinking

Too late to keep the change
Too late to pay
No time to stay the same
Too late to keep the change
Too late to pay
No time to stay the same
Too young to leave

Find out that now was the answer to answers
That you gave later
She did the things that we both did before now
But who forgave her?

If I could stand to see her crying
I would tell her not to care
When she learns of all your lying
Will she join you there?

Country girl I think you′re pretty
Got to make you understand
Have no lovers in the city
Let me be your country man
Got to make you understand

Got to make you understand
Country girl ...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Otis's song, "Country Girl," are filled with imagery of winding paths through tables and glass, blooming flowers, and the passing of summer. The song begins by painting a picture of closeness, but quickly takes a turn as the lyricist reflects on the inevitable passage of time. He laments that it's too late to keep the change, too late to pay, and no time to stay the same. In the second part of the song, the lyricist questions the price that waitresses may be paying for their looks and charm, while the stars they serve make quick decisions about what to drink. The lyricist seems to be pondering whether it's better to die quickly like the stars who come to the bar, or to live a tragic existence, riddled with lies and cheating, like the woman he's addressing in the lyrics.

The chorus of the song is a powerful refrain that emphasizes the urgency of the song's message: "Too late to keep the change, too late to pay, no time to stay the same, too young to leave." In this way, it seems that the lyricist is grappling with the passage of time and the pressure to make choices quickly.

Overall, "Country Girl" is a complex and nuanced song that touches on a variety of themes, including love, loss, and the inevitability of change. Its reflective and melancholy tone makes it a powerful ballad that speaks to the human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Winding paths through tables and glass
Navigating through obstacles like tables and shards of glass

First flowers bloom
Spring has arrived and plants are beginning to bud

Now watch the Summer pass
Time is fleeting and summer is quickly moving by

So close to you
Being near someone you care about

Too late to keep the change
It's too late to make alterations or revisions

Too late to pay
It's too late to make amends or make up for something

No time to stay the same
You can't remain stagnant because time is constantly moving forward

Too young to leave
They haven't lived long enough to pass away

No pass out sign on the door set me thinking
The absence of a sign warning against drunkenness made the artist ponder

Are waitresses paying the price of their winking
Do female servers have to pay for their flirtatious behavior?

While stars sit at bars and decide what they′re drinking
Famous people hang out at bars and get to choose whatever they want to drink

They drop by to die because it's faster than sinking
Celebrities come to bars to pass away because it's quicker than feeling like they are going under

Find out that now was the answer to answers
Realize that the present moment held the solutions to those previously unanswered questions

That you gave later
Answers that you gave, but at a later time

She did the things that we both did before now
Another person performed activities that were once shared between the singer and someone else

But who forgave her?
Who pardoned her of her previous transgressions?

If I could stand to see her crying
If it didn't pain the artist to see her weep

I would tell her not to care
The singer would advise her not to worry

When she learns of all your lying
If she discovers all of the singer's falsehoods

Will she join you there?
Will she accompany the artist in his deceitfulness?

Country girl I think you're pretty
The artist finds the rustic lady attractive

Got to make you understand
The artist needs to explain something to her

Have no lovers in the city
Don't have romantic relationships with urban dwellers

Let me be your country man
Allow the artist to be the love interest who lives in the countryside