(September 1941, Dawson, Georgia, USA, d. 10 December 1967) 

Photo of Otis

The son of a Baptist minister, Redding assimilated gospel music during his childhood and soon became interested in jump blues and R&B.  He remained something of a cult   figure until 1965 and the release of the magnificent OTIS BLUE in which original material nestled beside the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction and two songs by a further mentor, Sam Cooke. Redding’s version of the Temptations’ My Girl then became a UK hit, while the singer’s popularity was further enhanced by the visit of the Hit The Road Stax revue in 1967.  A triumphant appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival suggested that Redding was about to attract an even wider following but tragedy struck on 10 December 1967. The light aircraft in which he was travelling plunged into Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin, killing the singer, his valet, the pilot and four members of the Bar-Kays. The wistful (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, a song Redding recorded just three days earlier, became his only million-seller and US pop number 1. To get the book  Otis Redding: From Memphis to the Mainstream, Vol. 8