Johnny Otis, 'Willie and the Hand Jive' Songwriter and R&B Icon, Dead at 90

GAB Archive, Redferns

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnny Otis -- best known for writing the 1958 hit 'Willie and the Hand Jive' -- died Jan. 17 in Los Angeles. He was 90.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Otis -- born Johnny Veliotes -- was raised in Berkeley, CA, and began playing drums in his early 20s around the Los Angeles R&B scene which predominantly consisted of black artists performing with Otis, who was white. Today, he is considered by many to be the "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues."

"When I got near teen age, I was so happy with my friends and the African American culture that I couldn't imagine not being a part of it," he said in a 1991 interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune.