Otis Ray Redding

Background

Otis Redding was born on September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia. When he was 5 years old, Redding's family moved to Macon, Georgia, where he grew up listening to the music of Sam Cooke and Little Richard.

Education

Otis Redding attended Ballard-Hudson High School. He also took lessons for singing and sang in his school band as well as on local radio. His father fell severely ill when Redding was 15, so he left school and began to support his mother in providing for the family.

Career

In the late 1950s, Redding joined the Upsetters, the band that had formerly backed Little Richard.

In 1960, Redding moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began releasing singles. He returned to Georgia a year later and recorded "Shout Bamalama." He befriended guitarist Johnny Jenkins and joined his band, the Pinetoppers. During one of Jenkins's recording sessions at Memphis's Stax studios, Redding recorded a ballad he'd written, "These Arms of Mine." The song quickly took off, rising to No. 20 on the R&B charts in 1963.

Redding began a career recording at Stax, playing guitar and arranging his own songs. He was known for his energy in the studio and, in 1965, recorded the album Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul in one day. He released "I've Been Loving Your Too Long (to Stop Now)" that same year, and "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" a year later.

In 1967, Redding released a successful duet album with Carla Thomas. That same year, he produced Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music," which went to No. 2 on the R&B charts. Other artists of the day were influenced by Redding and Aretha Franklin's rendition of his song, "Respect," became legendary. Hoping to become more involved behind the scenes, Redding started his own label, Jotis.

In addition to sales, Redding's magnetic stage presence and sincere performances and made him star. On June 17, 1967, Redding performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival, where he was enthusiastically received. His emotional style and powerful singing became synonymous with soul music.

On December 6, 1967, Redding recorded "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay." The song hit No. 1 on the pop and R&B charts the following year, but Redding wouldn't live to see his success. Four days after the recording session - on December 10, 1967 - Redding and four members of his band, the Bar-Keys, were killed after their chartered plane crashed into a Wisconsin lake.

Otis Redding’s prowess as a businessman led him to form his own label, Jotis records, in 1965. In addition to his many business interests in fields related to music, he was engaged in other business interests in his native state such as real estate, investments, stocks, and bonds. His business acumen meant that Otis knew how to earn and invest his money, unlike some of the other soul artists of the ’60s. In addition to the 300-acre Big-O Ranch, complete with a three-story home, livestock and a three and a half acre lake with fish, Redding acquired two private planes. It was his twin-engine Beechcraft that he was riding on that tragic day, December 10, 1967, when it crashed into Lake Monona in Madison.

Achievements

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  Otis Redding is considered one of the greatest soul musicians. His "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" is credited with influencing the soul movement by combining traditional rhythm and blues with folk.
  
  In 1989, Redding was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards.
  
  After Redding's death, France's Académie du Jazz (Academy of Jazz) named an award after him.

Works

More photos

• music

  • Pain in My Heart 1964
  • Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads 1965
  • Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul 1965
  • The Soul Album 1966
  • Complete & Unbelievable. The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul 1966
  • King & Queen 1967
  • Dock Of The Bay 1968
  • Immortal Otis Redding 1968
  • Love Man 1969
  • Tell the Truth 1970
  • Remember Me 1992

Views

Otis Redding cited the singers Little Richard and Sam Cooke as his main inspirations and stated that there were definitive elements of their music in his work.

The idea that music could be a universal force, bringing together different races and cultures, was central to Otis’ personal philosophy and reflected in his everyday life.

Some of Redding’s best-known recordings - “These Arms of Mine,” “Mr. Pitiful,” “Pain in My Heart” - are full-voiced petitions against loneliness and zealous efforts to stave off loss, displaying his sensitivity to pain and desire.

Personality

Redding was a wealthy man and he earned around $35,000 per week for his concerts. He used to spend considerably on philanthropic projects and organized summer camps for disadvantaged African American children.

Physical Characteristics: Otis stood 6’2″ tall and weighed over 220 lbs.

Connections

Otis was a family man. He met his wife, Zelma Atwood, in 1959 and they married in August 1961. Together they have three children: Dexter, Karla, Otis III, and Demetria, who was adopted after Otis’ death.

Father:

Otis Redding, Sr.

Mother:

Fannie Roseman

colleague:

Little Richard

Wife:

Zelma Atwood

Son:

Dexter Redding

Daughter:

Karla Redding-Andrews

Karla Redding-Andrews is the VP/Executive director for The Otis Redding Foundation.

Son:

Otis Redding

References

• Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life
  2017
• Dreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul
  2015
• American Legends: The Life of Otis Redding
• Otis Redding
  2019
• Otis!: The Otis Redding Story
  2001
• Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness
  2001