Johnny Otis performs his monster hit “Willie and the Hand Jive” on his TV show with Marie Adams, the Three Tons of Joy, and at the end, Lionel Hampton.
Or, the original song:
Bandleader Johnny Otis has been called “the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues.” Over the years he has exhibited an uncanny ear for talent, and by bringing that talent to the fore has served to advance the growth and development of rhythm & blues. His R&B stage revues and the numerous recordings made under his name have included such singing discoveries as Little Esther, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, Etta James and the Robins (who evolved into the Coasters). Beginning in the mid-Forties, Johnny Otis cut classic numbers including “Double Crossing Blues,” (a #1 R&B single for nine weeks!), “Mistrusting Blues,” “Barrelhouse Boogie” and “Rockin’ Blues” with his R&B orchestra. Otis recorded under his own name but also backed up acts on the Excelsior and Exclusive labels.
In addition to his skills as a producer, talent scout and songwriter (which led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a nonperformer), Otis was an accomplished percussionist who joined jazz bands in the Forties and played drums on such early R&B recordings as the Three Blazers’ landmark “Drifting Blues,” featuring vocalist Charles Brown. In the Fifties, Otis scouted talent for Syd Nathan’s King and Federal labels, discovering the Midnighters – then known as the Royals, later as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters – whose “Work With Me Annie” became a rock and roll cornerstone in 1954. He also crossed paths with Johnny Ace (Otis produced and played on “Pledging My Love”), Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John and Big Joe Turner, to name a few. Otis’ various achievements make him a key figure in the rise of rhythm & blues and rock & roll in the Fifties.