- Growing up in Georga, who were your musical influencers?
Answer - I had many musical influences growing up but the ones that influenced me the most would have to be little richard, sam cooke and my Baptist church upbringing.
2. Who and when was the first band you were involved with?
Answer - The first band i was involved with after leaving school in tenth grage was little richards band called the upsetters.
3. What would you say was your first hit that made people stand up and take notice of your talent?
Answer - That would have to be "These arms of mine" that i recorded with my then band the pinetoppers in 1962. It was the first hit i had in thwe rhythm and blues chart.
4. Who would you say were the most important people in your life?
Answer - That would have to be my darling wife Zelma Atwood who i mei in 1959 and married two years later and my two sons Dexter and Ottis III.
5. Youn wrote many truly great songs that people in the future would go on to cover, which people gave you the most satisifaction in covering youe songs.
Answer - Im honoured so many great musicians have covered songs written by me like The rolling stones ( i can't get no) satisfaction,The commitments (Try a little tenderness) but Aretha Franklin's cover of my song Respect is the one that i find most satisfying.
6. What would you say was your greatest hit?
Answer - That would have to be (siitin on)the dock of the bay which i recorded three days prior to my death in a plane crash. It fills me with anourmous pride that when it got released a month after my death it went straigh in to the number one spot and sold over a millon copies and is regarded as one of the truly great songs even now in the present day.
7. Finally Otis you have been giving many honours throughout your life for your music, what would you say was your greatest honour?
Answer - Being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 will always make me proud but what sticks with me is the seven foot statue that was made of me in my hometown of Macon. I will never forget that as it is where i was brought up and for people to remeber me that way will always be close to my heart.
1 comment:
Mentioned in Dispatches
Post a Comment