Horace Ott

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American songwriter

title: "Horace Ott" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "1933-births", "american-music-arrangers", "songwriters-from-south-carolina", "record-producers-from-south-carolina", "american-male-conductors-(music)", "african-american-songwriters", "20th-century-american-pianists", "people-from-st.-matthews,-south-carolina", "american-male-pianists", "20th-century-american-conductors-(music)", "21st-century-american-conductors-(music)", "21st-century-american-pianists", "20th-century-american-male-musicians", "21st-century-american-male-musicians", "african-american-pianists", "20th-century-african-american-musicians", "21st-century-african-american-musicians", "american-male-songwriters"] description: "American songwriter" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Ott" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American songwriter ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameHorace Ott
birth_date
birth_placeSt. Matthews, South Carolina, US
genreJazz, R&B
instrumentPiano, Electric piano, Synthesizer
occupationArranger, songwriter, record producer
::

| name = Horace Ott | image = | caption = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = St. Matthews, South Carolina, US | origin = | death_place = | death_date = | genre = Jazz, R&B | instrument = Piano, Electric piano, Synthesizer | occupation = Arranger, songwriter, record producer | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = Horace Ott (born April 15, 1933) is an American jazz and R&B composer, arranger, record producer, conductor and pianist. He is noted for his work since the late 1950s with a wide variety of artists, including The Shirelles, Don Covay, Nina Simone, Houston Person, and the Village People.

Biography

Born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, he learned piano and attended Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg, where he played in the school band and started performing in, and writing for, a local jazz band. He studied music at South Carolina State University, graduating in 1955, and spent two years in the US Army from 1956 to 1958, playing in a marching band.

Career

1950s to 1960s

In 1958 he moved to New York, where he worked in a factory while playing in nightclubs in the evenings. He met songwriter Luther Dixon, and had his first success writing arrangements for The Shirelles. He worked as a songwriter and arranger with musicians including Jackie Wilson, Don Covay, Hank Ballard, Dee Clark, Sam Cooke and Solomon Burke. He arranged Doris Troy's 1963 hit "Just One Look". In 1964, he co-wrote "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Bennie Benjamin and Sol Marcus; the co-writing credit was given to Ott's wife, Gloria Caldwell, because as a BMI member Ott was not permitted to work with ASCAP members. The song was included on Nina Simone's album Broadway-Blues-Ballads, in an arrangement by Ott, and was later a hit for The Animals. He continued working with Nina Simone, arranging her 1968 hit "Ain't Got No, I Got Life", and also worked as an arranger in the late 1960s with Aretha Franklin, Eric Burdon, Bessie Banks, George Benson, Mary Wells, Jimmy McGriff, and many others.

In 1969, Ott went to the UK, arriving on May 23. He was there to record Louisa Jane White, a young artist who had recently been discovered by pianist and arranger, Tommy Sanderson. At the time White was being managed by Al Grossman. Ott's role in setting up the recording session was for United States market potential.

1970s onwards

In the 1970s, Ott continued as an arranger with jazz and R&B musicians including Houston Person, Bernard Purdie, Rusty Bryant, Gil Scott-Heron, Junior Parker, Lou Donaldson, Richard "Groove" Holmes and The Stylistics. He arranged "You Don't Have to Be a Star", a number 1 hit in 1976 for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. In the late 1970s, he met French writer-producers Henri Belolo and Jacques Morali, and as a result arranged all of Village People's early hits, including "Macho Man", "Y.M.C.A.", and "In the Navy", as well as recordings by The Ritchie Family. Ott has also worked with the Count Basie Orchestra, and on Broadway musicals.

Discography

With Rusty Bryant

References

References

  1. [https://books.google.com/books?id=e2dHDsQs6xAC&dq=%22Horace+Ott%22+1933&pg=PA86 Benjamin Franklin V, "Horace Ott", in ''Jazz & Blues Musicians of South Carolina'', Univ of South Carolina Press, 2008, pp.86-95]
  2. [http://scafricanamerican.com/public/pdf/honorees/102005.pdf Horace Ott, ''South Carolina African American Calendar''] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-03-04 . Retrieved 3 April 2017)
  3. [http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Horace+Ott&tab=songaswriterchartstab Songs written by Horace Ott, ''MusicVF.com'']. Retrieved 3 April 2017
  4. [http://www.fyicomminc.com/jazzmen/horace-ott.htm "Songwriter, Arranger Horace Ott"], www.fyicomminc.com Jazzmen. Accessed 2 June 2011.
  5. [https://www.discogs.com/artist/220221-Horace-Ott?subtype=Writing-Arrangement&filter_anv=0&type=Credits&page=8 Horace Ott Discography, ''Discogs.com'']. Retrieved 3 April 2017
  6. ''Cash Box'', June 7, 1969 - [https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1969/CB-1969-06-07.pdf Page 50 CashBox ''Great Britain'']
  7. [http://thetandd.com/calhoun/faces-places-day-horace-ott-composer-of-jazz-and-pop/article_492173cf-484b-535b-83ca-3276d38eb820.html Martha Rose Brown, "Faces and Places: Horace Ott, composer of jazz and pop", ''T&D'', February 24, 2015]. Retrieved 3 April 2017

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living-people1933-birthsamerican-music-arrangerssongwriters-from-south-carolinarecord-producers-from-south-carolinaamerican-male-conductors-(music)african-american-songwriters20th-century-american-pianistspeople-from-st.-matthews,-south-carolinaamerican-male-pianists20th-century-american-conductors-(music)21st-century-american-conductors-(music)21st-century-american-pianists20th-century-american-male-musicians21st-century-american-male-musiciansafrican-american-pianists20th-century-african-american-musicians21st-century-african-american-musiciansamerican-male-songwriters