Otis Blackwell
| Otis Blackwell | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | John Davenport Jack Hammer |
| Born |
February 16, 1931 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Died | May 6, 2002 (aged 71) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast blues, rock and roll, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, pianist, songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1950s–2002 |
| Labels | RCA, Groove, Atlantic |
Otis Blackwell (February 16, 1931 – May 6, 2002) was an African-American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock and roll. His compositions include "Fever", recorded by Little Willie John; "Great Balls of Fire" and "Breathless", recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis; "Don't Be Cruel", "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender" (with Winfield Scott), recorded by Elvis Presley; and "Handy Man", recorded by Jimmy Jones. He is not to be confused with the songwriter and record producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell.
Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York. He learned to play the piano as a child and grew up listening to both R&B and country music.
He first became famous by winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, in Harlem, in 1952. This led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition "Daddy Rolling Stone", which became a favorite in Jamaica, where it was recorded by Derek Martin. The song later became part of the Who's mod repertoire. Enjoying some early recording and performing success, he found his first love was songwriting and by 1955 had settled into the groove that he would ride for decades. His first successes as a songwriter came in 1956, when Little Willie John's R&B hit with the sultry "Fever" was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee, and "Don't Be Cruel" began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley.
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