The essence of soul music is personified in the songs of Otis Redding. He represented the Black experience in the US, blending rhythm and blues with gospel, then adding in funk. His gravelly voice, natural songwriting and arranging ability, and generous country boy nature drew soul fans to his music. Though his recordings were only made over a period of four years he left behind a legacy of hits.
He was born Otis Ray Redding Jr., on September 9, 1941 in Dawson, GA. Redding grew up listening to Sam Cooke and Little Richard, and following their example, he started singing romantic ballads. In the late 1950s he joined The Upsetters, then his big discovery occurred while he was singing with guitarist Johnny Jenkins’ band, The Pinetoppers.
Redding moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and recorded for the first time with The Pinetoppers and began releasing singles, including the Little Richard-style song “Gamma Lamma.” During one of their sessions in ’62, Redding recorded a ballad he had written called “These Arms of Mine.” Instant popularity propelled the song to No. 20 on the R&B charts in ’63.
In 1965, Redding recorded Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, which is considered a quintessential soul album, in just one day. The rich soul tracks included “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now),” “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song),” and “I Can’t Turn You Loose.”
He and Carla Thomas released the duets album King & Queen in ’67. Containing ten covers of soul classics, it finished with ‘Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis,” a song co-written by Redding. For Thomas, the Queen of Memphis Soul, it was her fourth album. For Redding it was his sixth and final studio album before his death.
At this point he was influencing other artists and wanted to work more behind the scenes. He produced Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music,” an adaptation of Sam Cooke’s “Yeah Man,” in ’67. It went to No. 2 on the R&B charts and became a soul standard. Aretha Franklin’s rendition of his song “Respect” became a legendary song across all genres. His next step was to start his own label, Jotis Records.
Redding’s sincerity, powerful voice, and stage presence during performances made him very popular at live shows. He ad-libbed songs and used false endings, which was done to perfection in his memorable performance of “Try a Little Tenderness” at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 17, 1967.
In December 1967, Redding recorded “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.” It became a pop and R&B hit, reaching No. 1 the next year and held the spot for four weeks. Four days after he recorded the song he and four members of his band, the Bar-Keys, died when their twin-engine Beechcraft chartered plane crashed in Lake Monona in Wisconsin. Redding died on December 10, 1967 at the age of 26.
Because he had recorded so much music, four albums of Redding’s work were released after his death. The Dock of the Bay and The Immortal Otis Redding came out in ’68, Love Man in ’69, and Tell the Truth in ’70. “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” is considered to have heavily influenced soul music through its combination of R&B and folk. Other posthumous singles included “Love Man,” “Hard to Handle,” and “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember.” A live album recorded in ’66, In Person at the Whisky a Go Go, was released, including the 1969 hit “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”
Despite a brief tenure in the spotlight, appreciation for Redding’s music continued on. In 1989, Little Richard inducted Redding into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and ten years later he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
