Otis Redding was born 73 years ago today. Redding was a soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul music and rhythm and blues, and one of the greatest singers in popular music. His open-throated singing was an influence on other soul singers of the 1960s, and he helped to craft the lean and powerful style of R&B that formed the basis of the Stax Sound. After appearing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, he wrote and recorded (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay,” which became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts after his death in a plane crash. Redding was born and raised in Dawson, Georgia. At age 15, he left school to support his family by working with Little Richards backing band, The Upsetters, and by playing talent shows for prize money. In 1958, he joined Johnny Jenkinss band, The Pinetoppers, and toured the Southern United States while serving as driver and musician. An unscheduled appearance on a session led to a turning point in his career. He signed a contract with Stax Records and released his debut album, Pain in My Heart, in 1964. This album produced his first Stax single, These Arms of Mine.” Although Reddings initial popularity was with African Americans, he later became equally popular among the broader American public. He and his group first played small gigs in the South, then performed at the Whisky a Go Go nightclub, their first concert in the western U.S. Reddings death was devastating for Stax, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. Later, Stax discovered that Atlantic Records owned the rights to the entire catalog. By 1967, Redding’s band, The Bar-Kays, had taken to traveling on Reddings Beechcraft H18 to gigs. They flew to Nashville, and on December 9, 1967, appeared on the nationally syndicated Upbeat television show produced in Cleveland. They played three concerts in two nights at a small club called Leos Casino. After a phone call with his wife and children, Reddings next stop was in Madison, Wisconsin. On the next day they were to play at the Factory nightclub near the University of Wisconsin after the opening act The Grim Reapers,” precursor of Cheap Trick. Although the weather was poor, with heavy rain and fog, and Redding had been warned to postpone the flight, they did not stop their trip. Four miles from their destination at Truax Field in Madison, the pilot radioed for permission to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed into Lake Monona. Redding died at age 26. Here is Redding, in 1966, performing “Can’t Turn You Loose.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 04:01:32 +0000
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