In the mid 1960s, Otis Redding was on the verge of becoming one of the brightest R&B and soul stars in the industry. His incredible voice and talent as a songwriter helped define the sound of his Stax Record label.
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But while his star was rising, his career was cut tragically short when a plane he was traveling in with members of his band crashed, killing all but one passenger on board. Although he didn’t live to see it, his the last song he wrote, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,” soared to the top of the charts and solidified his place among some of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.
This is the story of Otis Redding.
Georgia Born
Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia. His family moved to Macon, Georgia when Otis was young. Raised on the music of Sam Cooke and Macon native Little Richard, Redding grew up singing and playing instruments in church and his school band.
The Pinetoppers
As a teenager, Redding met a guitar player named Johnny Jenkins and joined his band, the Pinetoppers. Besides playing with the band, Redding, who was one of the few members with a driver’s license, often drove Jenkins and band members to various engagements.
“These Arms of Mine”
Redding got one of his first big breaks in the music industry in August 1962, when he drove Johnny Jenkins to Memphis, Tennessee for a recording session at Stax Records and was able to use some of the studio time to record songs of his own. The result was “These Arms Of Mine,” a single which climbed all the way to number 20 on the R&B charts in 1963.
The Stax Sound
“These Arms of Mine” helped launch Redding’s career as a solo artist. His voice impressed the executives at Stax, who signed him to their subsidiary label, Volt Records. He followed up his debut hit with other popular singles, including “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Try a Little Tenderness.”
He became one of the artists who helped define the unique blend of earthy southern soul and R&B that Stax Records – whose artist lineup also included Same and Dave and The Staples Singers – was known for.
“Respect” 1.0
Before it was Aretha Franklin’s number one hit, “Respect” was an Otis Redding song released in 1965. Although the original melody is similar, Redding’s lyrics are a little different:
“Hey little girl, you’re so sweet, little honey; And I’m about to give you all of my money; And all I’m asking, hey; A little respect when I come home.”
According to Franklin’s producer Jerry Wexler, Franklin came up with the idea to flip the script on Redding’s song, adding a feminist twist.
“Aretha wrote most of her material or selected the songs herself, working out the arrangements at home and using her piano to provide the texture,” he told Rolling Stone. “In this case, she just had the idea that she wanted to embellish Otis Redding’s song. When she walked into the studio, it was already worked out in her head.”
His Unique Style
Besides being a talented singer and songwriter, Otis Redding was a gifted performer, known for his soulful riffs and leaving it all on this stage with emotionally-charged, high-energy performances.
Taking His Show on the Road
Otis Redding’s incredible talent captivated audiences all over the world, even during the late 1960s, a time when racial tension was reaching a boiling point.
During the summer of 1967, Otis Redding captivated a whole new segment of fans when he performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival. The lineup included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Who, drew over 200,000 attendees Later that year, he took his act across the pond with other Stax artists on the Stax/Volt Revue tour of Europe.
Family Man
In 1961 Redding married Zelma Atwood. The couple had three children together. Redding did his best to keep his personal life private, moving his family to a private 300-acre Georgia ranch he named the Big O Ranch.
Though she was only 25 years old when her husband passed away, Zelma has said publicly that she has no plans of walking down the aisle with anyone else.
“Never will,” she told The New York Times in 2022. “I love being Mrs. Otis Redding. I’m the only one.”
Tragic Passing
On December 10, 1967, the world was shocked to learn that Otis Redding was killed when a private plane he was traveling on from a performance in Cleveland, Ohio with members of his band crashed into a lake on its final approach to Madison, Wisconsin. Only one of the passengers on board survived the crash. Otis Redding was only 26 years old.
“Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”
You can’t talk about Otis Redding’s catalog without mentioning “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” He started writing the song, which was inspired by thoughts he had while watching the ocean in California, while on tour with his band. But Redding was never able to finish the song before his life was tragically cut short. The whistling heard at the end was intended to be a placeholder.
Even incomplete, the song went on to become the first posthumous number one single in Billboard chart history and one of the biggest hits of Redding’s career.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 1989, Otis Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by one of his favorite artists, Little Richard. Redding’s class included other musical legends like Stevie Wonder and The Temptations.
A Lasting Legacy
After his death, Redding’s wife Zelma established the Otis Redding foundation, a non-profit which is carrying out Redding’s mission to empower young people.
Since his passing, the music industry has continued to honor Otis Redding’s memory taking inspiration from his style and his sound. Kanye West has sampled Redding’s music on two occasions, including the song “Otis,” a collab with Jay-Z which samples “Try a Little Tenderness.” The song won a GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance in 2012.
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