Otis René
Otis Joseph René Jr. was an American songwriter and record label owner. As a songwriter, he is notable as the co-author of "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", which became a signature song for Louis Armstrong. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New Orleans (largest city of the state of Louisiana, United States), Died April 5, 1970 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 951 - 1970
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, vocalist
Notes: Brother of Leon René.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 58 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | PBVE-68382 | 10-in. | 8/19/1932 | I'm Mr. African | Leon René Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBVE-68383 | 10-in. | 8/19/1932 | My home | Leon René Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter, vocalist | |
| Victor | PBVE-68391 | 10-in. | 9/17/1932 | I'm gonna pack my grip | Leon René Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, songwriter | |
| Victor | BVE-70611 | 10-in. | 10/4/1931 | When it's sleepy time down South | Mildred Bailey ; King's Jesters ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-74820 | 10-in. | 12/8/1932 | That's my home | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with trumpet solo and male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | CS-74878 | 12-in. | 12/21/1932 | Medley of Armstrong hits | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and trumpet solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | LBS-74879 | 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) | 12/21/1932 | Medley of Armstrong hits | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and trumpet solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-97206 | 10-in. | 12/31/1935 | Dusty road | Nelson Eddy ; Nathaniel Shilkret | Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBVE-1306 | 10-in. | 10/14/1931 | Sleepy time down South | Phil Harris | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-09577 | 10-in. | 7/7/1937 | When it's sleepy time down South | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-022118 | 10-in. | 4/4/1938 | Sleepy time down South | Vernon Geyer ; Bill Radebaugh | Organ solo, with piano, vibraphone, and male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-047360 | 10-in. | 3/4/1940 | When it's sleepy time down South | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and trumpet solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-061927 | 10-in. | 11/24/1941 | Someone's rocking my dreamboat | Four King Sisters ; Rhythm Reys | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-061954 | 10-in. | 12/10/1941 | Someone's rocking my dreamboat | Eddie Beal Trio ; Four Tones | Vocal quartet, with jazz/dance trio | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-063825 | 10-in. | 4/28/1941 | When it's sleepy time down South | Sidney Bechet ; New Orleans Feetwarmers | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-067546 | 10-in. | 8/8/1941 | Someone's rocking my dream boat | Erskine Hawkins Orchestra ; Jimmy Mitchell | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068801 | 10-in. | 12/23/1941 | Someone's rocking my dreamboat | Ken Curtis ; Shep Fields ; New Music [Shep Fields] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068805 | 10-in. | 12/23/1941 | Someone's rocking my dreamboat | Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Paula Kelly | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-0644 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | I sold my heart to the junkman | Etta Jones | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W144763 | 10-in. | 10/14/1927 | In my dreams (I'm jealous of you) | Dixieland Blue Blowers ; Curtis Mosby ; Henry Starr | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W147817 | 10-in. | 1/21/1929 | Between you and me (And the deep blue sea) | Dixieland Blue Blowers ; Curtis Mosby | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | W151803 | 10-in. | 9/21/1931 | When it's sleepy time down south | Ipana Troubadours ; Sam Lanin | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W351105 | 10-in. | 9/22/1931 | When it's sleepy time down South | Phil Hughes and his High Hatters [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| OKeh | W404424 | 10-in. | 4/20/1931 | When it's sleepy time down South | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | E37160 | 10-in. | 9/15/1931 | When it’s sleepy time down South | Mildred Bailey ; Casa Loma Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "René, Otis," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113807.
René, Otis. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113807.
"René, Otis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: René, Otis, 1898-1970 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2007139934
Wikidata: Otis René - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7108819
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/73647333
MusicBrainz: Otis René - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/30ae40bd-a5b5-467f-8dcc-5501b4511e39
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.