OTTEN, John C. 1942-2009
OTTEN, WAGNER, FOSSUM, GALLAGHER, LOVE
Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 5/9/2013 at 22:18:44
Waterloo Courier, Sunday, September 13, 2009]
CEDAR FALLS - John C. Otten, 66, of Cedar Falls, died Monday, Aug. 24, 2009, at his home in Cedar Falls.
John was born Nov. 22, 1942, in Monroe, Wis., the son of Jack and Esther (Wagner) Otten. The family moved to Waterloo, then Cedar Falls. After graduating from high school John played percussion with, backed up, and/or recorded with various rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz bands, including: (Locally) Eddie Randall and the Downbeats, Jimmy Johnson and the Rock-A-Beats, and the Mike Kalianov Trio, and (nationally) Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, the Everly Brothers and the Jim Bowen/Buddy Knox Show.
He attended the University of Northern Iowa from 1967 to 1970. He married Diane (Rice) Fossum in 1967 and they had a daughter, Kelly. He and Diane later divorced.
John played drums with jazz, blues and rock groups locally and on the road for the next 25 years. He taught drums and percussion at The Music Corner in Waterloo and later in his studio, The Practice Pad. He hosted the weekly Jazz on Sunday jam sessions for five years in Waterloo, played percussion for five seasons with the Waterloo Community Playhouse, and created jam sessions for his students to give them the opportunity to play with working musicians. Several of John's students went on to play with bands like The House of Large Sizes, Bleedin' Blue, and Measure.
He married Denyce Gallagher from Green Bay, Wis., in 1982. They performed in and hosted jazz and blues gigs in the metro area and co-founded Troll Enterprizes (creators of the Buffalo Chip Cookieİ). They divorced in 1995.
John is survived by his daughter, Kelly E. (Otten) Love of Margate, Fla.
A Food Bank Benefit Memorial Wake and jam session is planned for Saturday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. at Narey's 19th Hole in Waterloo. More details will be announced in the Cedar Falls Times before the occasion.
Memorials may be directed to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.
Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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