Otis Clay

After five decades of making music, singer Otis Clay has become the Chicago archetype for gospel-injected deep blues, no small feat in a city practically bursting with blues musicians. He started recording secular music in 1965 on Chicago’s One-derful Records, distinguishing himself with a rough and gritty style. Clay found his biggest commercial success in the early ’70s with songs like “Tryin’ To Live My Life Without You” (later covered by Bob Seger), though he’s toured and released albums regularly for the past 30 years. Clay’s Windy City pride is pretty undeniable. He even chaired the non-profit that built The Harold Washington Cultural Center in Bronzeville, including the 1,000-seat ComEd Performing Arts Theatre.

Updated 01/05/2011