Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

Before there were fifteen-year-old blues guitar shredders lurking at the apron of every stage, there was Shuggie Otis. Born to the blues as the eldest son and namesake of R&B giant Johnny Otis, he burned his candle brightly as a solo recording artist for a few years before disappearing in the disco wind of the early seventies.
Shuggie is neither dead nor buried. He was an integral part of the Johnny Otis show until at least the late eighties, has played in the background of numerous blues and R&B albums, and now lives in Petaluma, CA.  He has raised a family and gigs around the area with his own band. As a young teenager he signed a contract with Columbia Records. When the labelmate Al Kooper learned about it, he requested permission to record a “super session” album with Otis. The result was “Kooper Session: Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis.” (Suggested listening: Shuggie’s Boogie, Shuggie Otis Plays the Blues)