Otis Clay

Like so many great soul singers, Otis Clay grew up in Mississippi, where he was steeped in the musical tradition of gospel, singing with various gospel groups before he made the transition to soul music. Clay moved to Chicago in 1957, and started recording R&B for Okeh and other labels in the mid-'60s, scoring his first hit in '67. He recorded a string of classic albums for Hi Records in Memphis in the early '70s with producer Willie Mitchell, and enjoyed his definitive hit with “Trying to Live My Life Without You” in '72. The tireless singer continued touring and recording into the 2000s.