Remembering King of Soul

Otis Ray Redding, Jr.
(September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967)
 
Otis Redding was an American soul singer. Often called the "King of Soul", he is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." In addition, rock critic Jon Landau said in 1967, "Otis Redding is rock & roll." 

Redding, along with members of the Bar-Kays Band, died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisconsin, at the age of 26, December 10, 1967, one month before his biggest hit, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", was released. The plane crashed into Lake Monona several miles from the Madison airport. Only Ben Cauley (trumpet player for the Bar-Kays) survived the crash - Redding's body was found the day after the crash, still strapped into his plane seat. [Source: Sounds of the 60s & songfacts.com]

"When you hear something that's better than anything you ever heard, you know it, and it was unanimous. We almost wore out the tape playing it afterwards. 'These Arms of Mine' was the first of 17 hit singles he had in a row." [Source: songfacts.com] 

About Otis Redding...

Born in Dawson, Ga., Otis Redding, Jr. and his family moved to Macon when he was five years old. At an early age he began his career as a singer and musician in the choir of the Vineville Baptist Church. Otis attended Ballard Hudson High School and participated in the school band. He began to compete in the Douglass Theatre talent shows for the five-dollar prize. After winning 15 times straight, he was no longer allowed to compete. Read the rest of the story...

Redding's debut album, Pain in My Heart, was released in early 1964 on Stax's Volt label.

 

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...