Otis Redding was one of the most influential artists to emerge from the Southern Soul music community in the 1960s. The performer had a rough but expressive voice that could convey joy, confidence, or heartache. He brought a passion and seriousness to his vocals that few of his peers could match.
He was also a gifted songwriter with an understanding of the creative possibilities of the recording process. Redding became more recognized in death than in life, and his recordings were regularly reissued.
The Early Years and the Beginnings of Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding was born September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia. His father was a sharecropper and part-time preacher. When the future singer was 3 years old, his family moved to Macon, settling in a residential complex.
He gained his first vocal experience at Macon's Vineville Baptist Church, participating in the choir. As a teenager, he learned to play the guitar, drums and piano. While in high school, Otis was a member of the high school band. He performed regularly as part of the Sunday Morning gospel broadcast on WIBB-AM Macon.
When the guy was 17 years old, he signed up for a weekly teen talent show at the Douglas Theatre. As a result, before he was eliminated from the competition, he won the main prize of $15 5 times in a row. Around the same time, the performer left school and joined The Upsetters. This is the band that played with Little Richard before the pianist left rock and roll to sing the gospel.
Hoping to "get ahead" somehow, Redding moved to Los Angeles in 1960. There he honed his songwriting skills and joined the Shooters. Soon the band released the song She's Alright, which became their first single. However, he soon returned to Macon. And there he teamed up with guitarist Johnny Jenkins and his band Pinetoppers.
Otis Redding Career
Fortune began to smile at the artist in 1965. In January of the same year, he released That's How Strong My Love Is, which became an R&B hit. And Mr. Pitiful missed the Pop Top 40 at number 41. But I'm Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (1965) reached No. 2 in R&B, becoming the singer's first single to hit the pop top 40, peaking at No. 21.
In late 1965, Otis became more ambitious as an artist. He focused on his songwriting skills, learning to play the guitar and becoming more involved in arranging and producing.
The artist was a tireless live performer, often touring. He was also a savvy businessman who ran a music studio and successfully invested in real estate and the stock market. 1966 saw the release of The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads and, with a short break, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul.
Artist popularity
In 1966, Otis released a bold cover version of the Rolling Stones Satisfaction. It became another R&B hit and led some to speculate that the singer may have been the song's true writer. In the same year, he was awarded the NAACP award and performed at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood.
Redding was the first major soul artist to perform on this stage. And the concert buzz boosted his reputation among white rock 'n' roll fans. In the same year he was invited to tour Europe and the United Kingdom, where he was received very enthusiastically.
British music publication Melody Maker named Otis Redding the best vocalist of 1966. This is an honor that Elvis Presley has received for 10 years in a row.
In the same year, the artist released two strong and eclectic albums: The Soul Album and Complete and Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul, in which he explored modern pop melodies and old standards in his signature soulful style. As well as an excerpt from Dictionary of Soul (a passionate interpretation of Try a Little Tenderness), which has become one of his biggest hits to date.
The last period of the life and death of Otis Redding
In early 1967, Otis went into the studio with soul star Carla Thomas to record an album as the duo King & Queen, which spawned several Tramp and Knock on Wood hits. Then Otis Redding introduced his protégé, vocalist Arthur Conley. And the melody he produced for Conley, Sweet Soul Music, became a bestseller.
After the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles) to the top of the charts, the album was a loud call for the hippie movement. Redding was inspired to write more thematic and ambitious material. He cemented his reputation with a rousing performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, where he captivated the crowd.
Then the artist returned to Europe for further tours. Upon his return, he began work on new material, including a song that he regarded as a creative breakthrough, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay. Otis Redding recorded this song at Stax Studio in December 1967. A few days later, he and his team went to perform a series of concerts in the Midwest.
On December 10, 1967, Otis Redding and his band boarded his plane for a flight to Madison, Wisconsin for another club gig. The plane crashed into Monona Lake in Dane County, Wisconsin due to bad weather. The crash claimed the lives of everyone on board, except for Ben Cauley of Bar-Kays. Otis Redding was only 26 years old.
Posthumous confession of Otis Redding
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay was published in early 1968. It quickly became the artist's biggest hit, topping the pop music charts and winning two Grammy Awards.
In February 1968, The Dock of the Bay, a collection of singles and unreleased compositions, was released. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994, the singer was inducted into the BMI Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
