OTIS DAY AND THE KNIGHTS
Carson City Jazz and Beyond
August 8,2015.
The concert featured Lloyd (Otis Day and the Knights) Williams on a musical journey of the “Motown sound” with the recording company founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. in Detroit. The band, headed by Lloyd Williams, brought authentic Motown music to the audience and took listeners on a musical journey from the early days in Detroit to the international present. Tickets for the concert were available at the Carson City Visitors Bureau and online at JazzCarsonCity.com.
As the owner/Photographer of Custom Concepts Photographics Professional Photographer Carson City Reno Nevada, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot with some great musicians. Here’s some professional photography with Otis Day and the Knights.
Otis Day and the Knights was created as a fictional band to perform in the 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House. They are best known for their version of "Shout" and "Shama Lama Ding Dong". Both songs were sung by Lloyd G. Williams, and lip synched by Dewayne Jessie in the film. Backing vocals were provided by Melvin Britt and Sidney Juston. "Shout" was written by the Isley Brothers. Otis Day was played by DeWayne Jessie, brother of Young Jessie of The Coasters. Robert Cray was one of the members of the band, seen playing bass in the movie.
In the 1980's, DeWayne Jessie purchased the rights to the band name from Universal Studios and formed a real-life version of the band Otis Day and the Knights with some of his family members and toured the country for years afterward, with Jessie essentially assuming the identity of Otis Day. They recorded an album, produced by George Clinton, that came out in 1989 titled Shout which flopped, but included updated versions of "Shout" and "Shama Lama Ding Dong". (Wikipedia)