Otis Clay (February 11, 1942 – January 8, 2016) was an American R&B and sou… Read Full Bio ↴Otis Clay (February 11, 1942 – January 8, 2016) was an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. In 2013, Clay was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Clay was born in rural Bolivar County, Mississippi to a musical family, who moved in 1953 to Muncie, Indiana. After singing with local gospel group, the Voices of Hope, he returned to Mississippi to sing with the Christian Travelers, before settling in Chicago in 1957. There, he joined a series of gospel vocal groups including the Golden Jubilaires, the Famous Blue Jay Singers, the Holy Wonders, and the Pilgrim Harmonizers, before making his first solo secular recordings in 1962. They were unissued, and Clay joined the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded in Nashville in 1964 and who also included Maurice Dollison who sang R&B under the name Cash McCall, and then the Sensational Nightingales.
In 1965 Clay signed with One-derful! Records in Chicago, to make secular recordings. After releasing a series of gospel-tinged soul records, his first hit came in 1967 with "That's How It Is (When You're In Love)", which reached # 34 on the US Billboard R&B chart, followed by "A Lasting Love" (# 48 R&B). In 1968 the record company folded and his contract was bought by Atlantic Records, who launched their subsidiary Cotillion label with Clay's version of the Sir Douglas Quintet hit, "She's About A Mover", produced at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals. The record became Clay's biggest pop hit, reaching # 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 (# 47 R&B). However, follow-ups on Cotillion, including "Hard Working Woman" produced by Syl Johnson, and "Is It Over?" produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis, were less successful.
Clay moved to Mitchell's Hi Records in 1971, and made many of his best known soul blues records for the label. His biggest hit came in late 1972 with "Trying To Live My Life Without You," a # 102 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, # 70 on Cash Box, and # 24 R&B, which he followed up with "If I Could Reach Out". "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" was later covered by Bob Seger, whose version made # 5 on the pop chart in 1981. After several more Hi singles and the album I Can't Take It, Clay moved to Kayvette Records, where he had his last national hit single in 1977, "All Because Of Your Love" (# 44 R&B). He later recorded for the Elka and Rounder labels, as well as his own Echo Records for whom he recorded the original version of "The Only Way Is Up" in 1980.
He remained a popular live act in Europe and Japan, as well as the US, and recorded three live albums, Soul Man: Live in Japan, Otis Clay Live(also in Japan on Victor VDP-5111) and Respect Yourself, recorded live at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. In the 1990s he also recorded two soul albums for Bullseye Blues: I'll Treat You Right and the Willie Mitchell-produced This Time Around. In 2007, he recorded the gospel album Walk a Mile in My Shoes.
He was a nominee for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. As a resident of Chicago's West Side, he was actively involved in community-based economic and cultural initiatives, including the development of The Harold Washington Cultural Center. On August 11, 2012 he was one of several acts that performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Summer Concerts in New York City. He was backed by the band Platinum. Clay was joined on stage for the finale by William Bell and Teenie Hodges. Clay was one of the 2013 inductees to the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2015 Otis published with Billy Price the album This Time For Real.
He died of a heart attack on January 8, 2016, in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 73.
Clay was born in rural Bolivar County, Mississippi to a musical family, who moved in 1953 to Muncie, Indiana. After singing with local gospel group, the Voices of Hope, he returned to Mississippi to sing with the Christian Travelers, before settling in Chicago in 1957. There, he joined a series of gospel vocal groups including the Golden Jubilaires, the Famous Blue Jay Singers, the Holy Wonders, and the Pilgrim Harmonizers, before making his first solo secular recordings in 1962. They were unissued, and Clay joined the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded in Nashville in 1964 and who also included Maurice Dollison who sang R&B under the name Cash McCall, and then the Sensational Nightingales.
In 1965 Clay signed with One-derful! Records in Chicago, to make secular recordings. After releasing a series of gospel-tinged soul records, his first hit came in 1967 with "That's How It Is (When You're In Love)", which reached # 34 on the US Billboard R&B chart, followed by "A Lasting Love" (# 48 R&B). In 1968 the record company folded and his contract was bought by Atlantic Records, who launched their subsidiary Cotillion label with Clay's version of the Sir Douglas Quintet hit, "She's About A Mover", produced at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals. The record became Clay's biggest pop hit, reaching # 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 (# 47 R&B). However, follow-ups on Cotillion, including "Hard Working Woman" produced by Syl Johnson, and "Is It Over?" produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis, were less successful.
Clay moved to Mitchell's Hi Records in 1971, and made many of his best known soul blues records for the label. His biggest hit came in late 1972 with "Trying To Live My Life Without You," a # 102 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, # 70 on Cash Box, and # 24 R&B, which he followed up with "If I Could Reach Out". "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" was later covered by Bob Seger, whose version made # 5 on the pop chart in 1981. After several more Hi singles and the album I Can't Take It, Clay moved to Kayvette Records, where he had his last national hit single in 1977, "All Because Of Your Love" (# 44 R&B). He later recorded for the Elka and Rounder labels, as well as his own Echo Records for whom he recorded the original version of "The Only Way Is Up" in 1980.
He remained a popular live act in Europe and Japan, as well as the US, and recorded three live albums, Soul Man: Live in Japan, Otis Clay Live(also in Japan on Victor VDP-5111) and Respect Yourself, recorded live at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. In the 1990s he also recorded two soul albums for Bullseye Blues: I'll Treat You Right and the Willie Mitchell-produced This Time Around. In 2007, he recorded the gospel album Walk a Mile in My Shoes.
He was a nominee for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. As a resident of Chicago's West Side, he was actively involved in community-based economic and cultural initiatives, including the development of The Harold Washington Cultural Center. On August 11, 2012 he was one of several acts that performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Summer Concerts in New York City. He was backed by the band Platinum. Clay was joined on stage for the finale by William Bell and Teenie Hodges. Clay was one of the 2013 inductees to the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2015 Otis published with Billy Price the album This Time For Real.
He died of a heart attack on January 8, 2016, in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 73.
Holding On To a Dying Love
Otis Clay Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Otis Clay:
A Lasting Love Don't try to change me Try and understand my way Accept…
A Nickel and A Nail Oh, I once had love And plenty of money, hmmm But some…
Do Right Woman Do Right Man Take me to heart And I'll always love you And nobody could…
For The Good Times Living on the road my friend, Was gonna keep you free…
Here I Am Can't believe that it's real, The way that you make me…
I Can't Make It Alone Now you know me You know how proud I am And what…
I Die a Little Each Day Ever since the train pulled out the station All my life…
If I Could Reach Out Sometimes I get so depressed y'all The same things don't go…
Love & Happiness Love and happiness Something that can make you do wrong, mak…
Love Don't Love Nobody Sometimes a girl Will come and go You reach for…
Nickel and a Nail Oh, I once had love And plenty of money, hmmm But some…
Piece of My Heart Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on! Didn't I…
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man You push me when I'm falling And then you put me…
Precious Precious Precious, precious. Precious, precious. Precious baby, you…
Respect Yourself If you disrespect anybody That you run in to How in the…
Sending Up the Timber THERE'S A DREAM THAT I DREAM OF MY HEAVENLY HOME AND I…
She's About A Mover Hey, she was walking down the street Just as fine as…
Somebody Help Sometimes I get so depressed y'all The same things don't go…
That Kind of Lovin' Sue me with your tender love Sue me 'til I can't…
The Only Way Is Up Well well well, we're gonna make it, we're gonna make…
Trying To Live My Life Without You I used to smoke five packs of cigarettes a day It…
Walk a Mile in My Shoes If I could be you, if you could be me For…
Warm Love Look at the ivy on the cold clinging wall Look at…
When the Gates Swing Open Through this world we keep on toiling, Toiling through the s…
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@matibeatone
Pete Rock Da Villa is a magnificent beat
@randall.richardson6023
although I know your love for me is gone I just keep holding on every day I just keep holding on
@hoshi3739
Jesus❗️
@marymarino3986
So sad so real!!!
@AnthonyLasala
J Dilla!