Otis Clay

Biography

Otis Lee Clay (February 11, 1942 – January 8, 2016) was an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music. In 2013, Clay was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.

Early life

Clay was born in Waxhaw, Mississippi, to a musical family, who moved in 1953 to Muncie, Indiana. After singing with local gospel group, the Voices of Hope, he returned to Mississippi to sing with the Christian Travelers, before settling in Chicago in 1957. There, he joined a series of gospel vocal groups including the Golden Jubilaires, the Famous Blue Jay Singers, the Holy Wonders, and the Pilgrim Harmonizers, before making his first solo secular recordings in 1962. They were unissued, and Clay joined the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded in Nashville in 1964 and who also included Maurice Dollison who sang R&B under the name Cash McCall, and then the Sensational Nightingales.

Career

In 1965, Clay signed with One-derful! Records in Chicago, to make secular recordings. After releasing a series of gospel-tinged soul records, his first hit came in 1967 with "That's How It Is (When You're In Love)", which reached No. 34 on the US Billboard R&B chart, followed by "A Lasting Love" (No. 48 R&B). In 1968 the record company folded and his contract was bought by Atlantic Records, who launched their subsidiary Cotillion label with Clay's version of the Sir Douglas Quintet hit, "She's About A Mover", produced at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals. The record became Clay's biggest pop hit, reaching No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 47 R&B). However, follow-ups on Cotillion, including "Hard Working Woman" produced by Syl Johnson, and "Is It Over?" produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis, were less successful.
Clay moved to Mitchell's Hi Records in 1971, and made many of his best known soul blues records for the label. His biggest hit came in late 1972 with "Trying To Live My Life Without You×Trying to Live My Life Without You1972 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Trying to Live My Life Without You2:51A2I Die a Little Each Day2:43A3Holding On to a Dying Love3:02A4I Can't Make It Alone2:56A5That's How It Is3:39B1I Love You, I Need You5:46B2You Can't Keep Running From My Love2:48B3Precious, Precious3:17B4Home Is Where the Heart Is2:52B5Too Many Hands2:45," a No. 102 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 70 on Cash Box, and No. 24 R&B, which he followed up with "If I Could Reach Out". "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You" was later covered by Bob Seger, whose version hit No. 5 on the pop chart in 1981. After several more Hi singles and the album I Can't Take It×I Can't Take It1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Pussy Footing Around3:00A2Too Much Misery2:24A3I Can't Take It4:07A4Home Is Where the Heart Is2:34A5I've Got to Find a Way (To Get You Back)2:54B1Slow and Easy3:21B2House Ain't a Home (without a Woman)4:24B3Keep on Loving Me3:24B4Born to Be With You3:17, Clay moved to Kayvette Records, where he had his last national hit single in 1977, "All Because Of Your Love" (No. 44 R&B). He later recorded for the Elka, Glades, Rooster Blues, and Rounder labels, as well as his own Echo Records for whom he recorded the original version of "The Only Way Is Up×The Only Way Is Up1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1The Only Way Is UpA2Cheatin' In The Next RoomA3Check It OutA4Turn Back The Hands Of TimeA5If I Could Open Up My HeartB1Messin' With My MindB2Special Kind Of LoveB3All I Need Is YouB4Victim Of CircumstanceB5I'm Gonna Hate Myself In The Morning" in 1980.
He remained a popular live act in Europe and Japan, as well as the US, and recorded three live albums, Soul Man: Live in Japan, Otis Clay Live (also in Japan on Victor VDP-5111), and Respect Yourself, recorded live at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. In the 1990s he also recorded two albums for Bullseye Blues: I'll Treat You Right×I'll Treat You Right15 May 1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1I Can Take You to Heaven Tonight4:322Thanks a Lot3:373Leave Me and My Woman Alone4:154Love Bone4:325Children Gone Astray5:086Don't Burn the Bridge5:127Back Away From It (Or Leave Me Alone)4:408Gonna Take My Heart's Advice4:549Believe That3:5210Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do4:10 and the Willie Mitchell-produced This Time Around. In 2007, he released the gospel album Walk a Mile in My Shoes×Walk a Mile in My Shoes12 March 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1God Is Standing By2Walk a Mile in My Shoes3I Adore You Lord4His Love5Love of God6Heaven Is My Home7On Jesus Program8The Soul Stirrers Medley - Nearer to Thee/Touch the Hem of His Garment/ Jesus Build a Fence Around Me / Last Mile Ot the Way9Love’s in Need of Love Today10If I Could Reach Out and Help, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
In 2010, Clay was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Waxhaw.
As a resident of Chicago's West Side, he was actively involved in community-based economic and cultural initiatives, including the development of The Harold Washington Cultural Center. On August 11, 2012, he was one of several acts that performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Summer Concerts in New York City. He was backed by the band Platinum. Clay was joined on stage for the finale by William Bell and Teenie Hodges. Clay was one of the 2013 inductees to the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2015 Otis published with Billy Price the album This Time For Real×This Time for Real19 May 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Somebody's Changing My Sweet Baby's Mind4:052I'm Afraid of Losing You3:373Going to the Shack4:144All Because of Your Love3:365Love Don't Love Nobody6:446I'll Never Do You Wrong4:077Don't Leave Me Starving for Your Love3:228Broadway Walk3:169Book of Memories5:0610Too Many Hands3:5211Tears of God4:1012You Got Me Hummin'2:57.
During 2015, Otis Clay and Johnny Rawls won the Blues Blast Award for Soul Album of the Year for their album, Soul Brothers×Soul Brothers21 October 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Only You Know And I Know3:492Momma Didn't Raise No Fool4:053Voodoo Queen3:464What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted3:545Living On Borrowed Time3:416Turn Back The Hands Of Time3:597Road Dog3:198Poor Little Rich Girl2:469Hallelujah Lord3:0510Waiting For Dreams4:34. Soul Brothers was also nominated for Blues Music Award Soul Album of the Year and Living Blues Blues Album of the Year. It was selected as the number 6 Blues Album of the Year in the DownBeat Critics' Poll, being the only soul album on the list of top 20 albums.

Death and funeral

On January 8, 2016, Clay died in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 73 of a heart attack. Clay's funeral was held on January 16, 2016, at the Liberty Baptist Church in Chicago. After the funeral, he was buried at the Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.

Albums

Trying to Live My Life Without You (1972)
I Can't Take It (1977)
Live! (1978)
The Only Way Is Up (1982)
Live Again! (1984)
Soul Man – Live in Japan (1985) reissue of Live Again!
Watch Me Now (1989)
I'll Treat You Right (1992)
On My Way Home (1993)
The Gospel Truth (1993) reissue of On My Way Home
You Are My Life (1995)
This Time Around (1998)
Testify! (2003)
In The House (2005) AKA Respect Yourself
Walk a Mile in My Shoes (2007)
Truth Is (2012)
Soul Brothers (2014) Otis Clay & Johnny Rawls
This Time for Real (2015) Billy Price & Otis Clay
Mississippi Poor Boy (2016)
Live in Switzerland 2006 (2016)