We all know about incredible instrumentalists like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. But what about the unsung heroes who have mastered multiple instruments? The greatest among them is one man, and I’ll bet you’ve never heard his name. Unless you’re a diehard fan of R&B and psychedelic soul from the 1970s, of course. Even if you have heard of Johnny Shuggie Otis, more people should know his name. I can’t think of a more underrated star of his era.
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Shuggie Otis is a singer/songwriter, recording musician, and multi-instrumentalist. His most prominent and well-known composition is the legendary disco-funk song “Strawberry Letter 23”, which was made famous by The Brothers Johnson back in the late 1970s. That particular song hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 that very year.
The Legacy of Shuggie Otis
Otis did receive some recognition for the works he recorded himself. Namely, “Inspiration Information” hit No. 56 on the R&B chart back in 1974. But it’s still wild to me that someone as talented as Otis hasn’t gotten even more recognition and charting success.
Otis started learning to play the guitar when he was barely walking, and he performed in his father’s band by the time he was 11. He famously wore a fake mustache as a kid so he could perform with his father at nightclubs.
In addition to his guitar talents, Otis also sings. And he can play quite a laundry list of additional instruments, including the bass, drums, piano, organ, and more.
Through his father’s connections to the blues and jazz world, Otis began to fall in love with musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. By the late 1960s, Otis was asked to record a whole record with Al Kooper in the span of a weekend. From there, he would eventually release his solo debut record in 1970.
That was the start of it all. Otis caught B. B. King’s attention, who famously said Otis was his “favorite new guitarist.” After getting signed to Epic Records, Otis would release his most acclaimed work, Freedom Flight, in 1971. That album featured the above-mentioned Brothers Johnson track, and the album hit the Billboard 200 quite fast.
Otis was about to be the next big thing in 1970s music. In fact, The Rolling Stones asked him to join their touring band in the mid-1970s. However, Otis declined and instead opted to work with Quincy Jones. He refused similar offers through the years and gained a reputation for “taking his time” when recording new work.
Today, Inspiration Information has a cult following today. Otis inspired the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Prince with his music. And his talents are something that can’t properly be described; you really do have to just listen to him work.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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