Otis Redding 1941 - 1967

Otis Redding - Deep Soul Original

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an influential American deep soul singer, best known for his passionate delivery and posthumous hit single, "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay."

The son of a Baptist minister with the same name, Redding was born in the small town of Dawson, Georgia. At the age of 5, he moved with his family to Macon, Georgia . Redding assimilated gospel music during his childhood and soon became interested in jump blues and R&B. He sang in the choir of the Vineville Baptist Church, and became something of a local celebrity as a teenager after winning a local Sunday night talent show 15 weeks in a row.

In 1959, Otis sang at the Grand Duke Club after his exposure in the church choir. Otis joined Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers in 1960, and would also sing at the "Teenage Party" talent shows sponsored by "The King Bee" Hamp Swain, a local celebrity disc jockey, on Saturday mornings initially at the Roxy Theater and later at the Douglas Theatre in Macon.

Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers drove to Memphis, Tennessee for a recording session in October 1962 at Stax Records. The session was not going well, so Jim Stewart, Stax co-owner, allowed Otis to cut a couple of songs with the studio time that had been booked. The result was "These Arms of Mine", released in 1962. The song became a minor hit on Volt Records, a subsidiary of Stax. His manager was fellow Maconite Phil Walden (who later founded Capricorn Records). Otis Redding continued to release for Stax/Volt, and built his fanbase by extensively touring a legendarily electrifying live show with support from fellow Stax artists Sam and Dave. Further hits between 1964 and 1966 included "Mr. Pitiful", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Try a Little Tenderness", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (The Rolling Stones song), and "Respect" (later a smash hit for Aretha Franklin).

Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time, often with Steve Cropper (of Stax house band Booker T & the MG's, who usually served as Otis' backing band in the studio). Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote another hit "I've Been Loving You Too Long". One of his few songs with a significant mainstream following was "Tramp" (1967) with Carla Thomas.

Later that year, a triumphant appearance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival gave indication that Redding was about to attract an even wider following. He appeared on stage completely out of fashion with the colourful beads and bells of the audience, wearing one of his familiar dark green silk and mohair suits, with tie and smart shoes. His explosive set was, along with that of Jimi Hendrix, the highlight of the festival. More importantly, he calmed and unified the "love crowd" like never before. He brought his music of black origin into the hearts of white hippies (many of them middle-class kids who had never heard soul music).

"(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" was recorded only three days prior to Redding's death. It became famous the next year, becoming his first #1 single and first million-seller. The fact that "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay" ultimately became Redding's greatest commercial success is somewhat ironic, not only because its release came after his death, but also because the song is actually a significant stylistic departure from the bulk of his other work.  It was unlike anything he had ever written, influenced by Redding's admiration for the Beatles' classic "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. Otis played The Beatles' album constantly during a week he had spent on a houseboat in Sausalito when performing at San Francisco's Fillmore West Theater in the summer of 1967.  It had a light, memorable hook, and a great story. While it was atypical of Redding's previous recordings, it signaled his creative expansion as a writer and artist. That song posthumously went on to become Otis Redding's biggest worldwide hit and signature.

After years of ambition and drive, Otis Redding's sacrifices paid off. He appeared throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean. His concert tours were among the biggest box office successes of any touring performer during his time. He was nominated in three categories by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) for recordings he made during 1967. 1968 was destined to be the greatest year of his success with appearances slated at such locations as New York's Philharmonic Hall and Washington's Constitution Hall. Redding was booked for several major television network appearances including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers Show, and a television special starring Redding. 

Above all Otis was a family man. He met his wife Zelma Atwood in 1959 and later married in August 1961. Together they have four children: Dexter, Karla, Otis III, and Demetria who was adopted after his death. His family was close to his heart and soul. In 1965, he moved them into a spacious 300 acre property, "The Big O Ranch" in Round Oak, Georgia, affectionately named after "The Big O" himself.

Who knows where Otis Redding's career path might have taken him. On 10 December 1967, the light aircraft in which he was traveling plunged into Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin, killing the singer, his valet, the pilot and four members of the Bar-Kays. Ben Cauley, one of the members of Redding's backup band, The Bar-Kays, was the only person aboard the plane to survive. He had been asleep until just seconds before impact, and recalled that upon waking he saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and say, "Oh, no!" Cauley then unbuckled his seat belt, and that was his final recollection before finding himself in the frigid waters of the lake, grasping a seat cushion to keep himself afloat. The cause of the crash was never precisely determined.

Redding was laid to rest in a tomb on his private ranch in Round Oak, Georgia, about 20 miles north of Macon. He had recently been voted the world's top male singer by Melody Maker. This was highly significant because for the previous 10 years Elvis Presley had held the crown. He died on the cusp of greatness at the age of 26 not living to see how important a figure he would become.

Otis Before a Show

In 1970, Warner Brothers released an album of live recordings from the Monterey International Pop Festival, June 1967, featuring Otis Redding on one side and Jimi Hendrix on the other. This record is evidence that the hip white audiences, better known as the "love crowd", were digging Otis Redding just as much as the black audiences for whom he had always played. His energy and excitement, his showmanship, and his relationship with the crowd made Redding a master as a performer who had the rare gift of being able to reach audiences the world over.

It was his international songs, all composed, written, and arranged by Redding, that lead to his commercial success. Three of his compositions alone accounted for over three and one half million record sales. Today, his songs are being recorded by persons in various fields of music, including country, jazz, and pop.