Since I've Been Loving You - Music

Otis 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. Clay Was Born In Rural Bolivar County 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. 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 # 34 On The US Billboard R&B Chart Followed By "A Lasting Love" # 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 # 97 On The Billboard Hot 100 # 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 " A # 102 Hit On The Billboard Hot 100 # 70 On Cash Box And # 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 Made # 5 On The Pop Chart In 1981. After Several More Hi Singles And The Album I Can't Take It Clay Moved To Kayvette Records Where He Had His Last National Hit Single In 1977 "All Because Of Your Love" # 44 R&B . He Later Recorded For The Elka And Rounder Labels As Well As His Own Echo Records For Whom He Recorded The Original Version Of "The Only Way Is Up" 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 Soul Albums For Bullseye Blues I'll Treat You Right And The Willie Mitchell-Produced This Time Around. In 2007 He Recorded The Gospel Album Walk A Mile In My Shoes. He Was A Nominee For A Grammy For Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. 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. He Died Of A Heart Attack On January 8 2016 In Chicago Illinois At The Age Of 73. read less