Meet Shuggie Otis, Again – USA Today Interview

I never stopped making music,” says Shuggie Otis. “I’ve been sending my tapes out for 40 years. I got refused for so long that I got used to it.”

Getting snubbed by record labels for decades is surprising, considering his pedigree and the size of his network. He’s the son of late R&B pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Johnny Otis and grew up learning from guitar legends like Don “Sugarcane” Harris and Al Kooper, just a couple of the artists who walked into his father’s home studio.

“I was there before and after every rehearsal and I’d listen to my father conducting business on the phone,” he says. “I can still hear him in the way I speak.”

…Being back on the road, finally sharing his music with the world, has given Otis a renewed sense of purpose. “I want to tour for the rest of my life,” he says. “If I’m not touring, I’ll be recording.”

Read more of the Shuggie Otis interview at USA Today.