Songwriter and producer, born 11 September 1924 in Prentiss, Mississippi, died 8 January 2008 in Englewood, New Jersey.
A songwriter since the 1950s, his songs have been recorded by artists such as
Nat King Cole,
Elvis Presley and
Johnny Mathis. In 1958 he joined
Mercury Records as an A&R manager, producing recordings for artists like
Brook Benton and
Dinah Washington. Otis later worked as an independent producer.