Born on This Day in 1932, One of the Most Important Pioneers of Early Rock and Roll Who Inspired Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley

Many talented African American musicians were behind the early sounds of rock and roll as we know it, though many remain overshadowed by the biggest names of the 1950s. Elvis Presley popularized the genre in a huge way throughout his career. But it was the likes of musicians and songwriters like Otis Blackwell who started it all.

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Otis Blackwell was born on this day, February 16, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York. He is known as one of the pioneering songwriters of rock and roll and wrote songs recorded by everyone from Little Willie John to Jerry Lee Lewis to The King himself, among many others. Let’s celebrate the life and career of one of rock and roll’s most noteworthy songwriters.

The Legacy of Otis Blackwell

Otis Blackwell learned how to play the piano as a young boy. Many of his musical inspirations growing up came from R&B and country musicians. His first noteworthy success as a musician came in 1952 when he won a talent contest in Harlem. From there, he scored his first recording contract with RCA. Blackwell’s first official release was the song “Daddy Rolling Stone”, which became very popular in Jamaica and was famously recorded by Derek Martin and later The Who.

Blackwell’s career as a songwriter eventually bled over into the early era of rock and roll. His first major songwriting success was the 1956 song “Fever”, famously recorded by Little Willie John. “Don’t Be Cruel” would later become a hit for Elvis Presley that year. It’s wild to think that Blackwell’s own recordings never made it to the Top 40, yet so many of his songwriting compositions sold in the millions. Blackwell would enter into a songwriting partnership of sorts with Presley, writing major hits like “All Shook Up”.

Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2022.

Sadly, Blackwell’s final years weren’t particularly comfortable for the icon. After suffering a stroke in 1991, Blackwell was left paralyzed. Over a decade later, he passed away on May 6, 2002, in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 71 from a heart attack. May his contributions to rock and roll (and songwriting as an art) never be forgotten.

Photo by Gilles Petard/Redferns