… was born 74 years ago today in Dawson, Georgia. He, his manager, and four teen-age members of The Bar-Kays, were killed when their plane crashed into Lake Monona on approach to Madison, Wisconsin, early December 10, 1967.
Although his career was relatively brief, cut short by a tragic plane crash, Otis Redding was a singer of such commanding stature that to this day he embodies the essence of soul music in its purist form. His name is synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying. Redding left behind a legacy of recordings made during the four-year period from his first sessions for Stax/Volt Records in 1963 until his death in 1967. Ironically, although he consistently impacted the R&B charts beginning with “Pain In My Heart” in 1964, none of his singles fared better than #21 on the pop Top Forty until the posthumous release of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” That landmark song, recorded just four days before Redding’s death, went to #1 and stayed there for four weeks in early 1968. …
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
[The Bar-Kays trumpeter survived the crash. The bass player was on another plane.]
Listening to Otis Redding is always a good choice. He’s great for inspiration during exercise, since it seems he’s always working harder than me.