Inspiration Information - By Shuggie Otis
TITLE: Inspiration Information
ARTIST: Shuggie Otis
GENRE: Psychedelic Funk
MOOD: Chill / Laidback
SIMILAR TO: Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, The Brothers Johnson
While Shuggie Otis may not be a household name, his influence on popular music as both a child prodigy and impeccable songwriter is immeasurable. He began performing professionally in his father’s popular R&B band when he was just eleven years old, with nearly a decade of guitar-playing experience at his disposal. By his mid-teens, he was a well-respected multi-instrumentalist and session player, most notably playing bass on Frank Zappa’s classic, “Peaches En Regalia” at age sixteen and declining an offer to play in The Rolling Stones. Yet with the release of his 1974 album, Inspiration Information, Otis makes his statement as an artist beyond sheer technical skill and familial support. The title track offers a perfect glimpse into the mellow world the album inhabits, effortlessly blending soul and psychedelic rock with untouchably cool vocal delivery and guitar tasters. The album was never met with wild success despite its critical acclaim, however a newfound cult following and Beyoncé samples of his work have kept Shuggie Otis’s legacy alive, just below the surface of the mainstream.