Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story

(Paperback)

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Description

Considered by many to be the godfather of R&B, Johnny Otismusician, producer, artist, entrepreneur, pastor, disc jockey, writer, and tireless fighter for racial equalityhas had a remarkable life by any measure. In this first biography of Otis, George Lipsitz tells the largely unknown story of a towering figure in the history of African American music and culture who was, by his own description, "black by persuasion."

Reviews

"Johnny Otishes the coolest! A true pioneer of the music I love."Aaron Neville

"We are lucky to have Johnny Otis, as the world is short on smart, soulful, funny, gifted, walk-the-walk folk. Bless his heart."Joan Baez

"Johnny Otis is one of the most important figures in the history of R&B and rock and roll. Through mentoring and showcasing so many brilliant stars in his legendary live revues and incredible bands; his contributions as writer, player, and producer of so many seminal recordings; and his decades of hosting his beloved West Coast radio show, his legacy as professor emeritus of R&B will remain forever intact."Bonnie Raitt

Author Bio

George Lipsitz is professor of black studies and sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He wrote the foreword for a recent republication of Johnny Otiss Listen to the Lambs, and he is the author of Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music; Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture; and American Studies in a Moment of Danger, all published by the University of Minnesota Press.