Otis Hayes III, a native of Los Angeles California, grew up in Austin, Texas where his commitment to music began. His high school years saw him winning several first place awards and medals in All-State competition on drums and percussion.



Otis Hayes III attended The University of North Texas in Denton, specializing in both drum studies under Colin Bailey and Jazz Composition under Dan Haerle. While at North Texas, Otis performed with the Grammy Award winning, One O'clock Lab Band. Otis later moved back to Austin where he became one of the most in-demand drummers on the scene, backing such artists as Kris Kristofferson and teaching drum clinics throughout the city.



Otis Hayes III moved to Los Angeles in 1989, shortly after touring Europe with the Broadway show West Side Story. Since then he has toured, performed and or has recorded with a variety of many artists including: Donny Osmond, Rosemary Clooney, The 5th Dimension, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Boyz II Men, The late Nell Carter, Les McCann, MeShell N’ Dege Ocello, Martha and the Vandellas, Chuck Berry, Ice-T / Body Count (as O.T.), Johnny Rotten, the late James Brown, and Jason Alexander.



Feature films Otis Hayes III has appeared in include, Lackawanna Blues (Halle Berry Exec. Producer), Rumor Has It (Produced by George Clooney), Yours’ Mine and Ours (starring Rene Russo and Dennis Quad), and The Comebacks.



Television shows include General Hospital, Las Vegas, The Ghost Whisperer, Dirty Sexy Money, Girlfriends, Private Practice, Castle, Scandal, and Blackish. TV commercials include IKEA, Federal Express, and Disneyland.



Otis Hayes III has been on the jazz scene for many years. His sophistication and clarity on the drums and his sultry melodic touch on the vibraphone really shine through on his self-titled debut record. The eclectic nature of this album shows a wide range of his composing talents in R&B, Contemporary, and fusion jazz genres.