Otis Redding To Be Honoured By The State Of Georgia
Otis Redding would have turned 80 years old this Thursday, 9 September. To honour the beloved soul singer, the State of Georgia will be declaring the day as “Otis Redding Day” throughout the state at an event at The Otis Redding Museum. The museum will also unveil a new collection of memorabilia chronicling Redding’s life, legacy, and influences on the world with handwritten notes, unseen photos, and more. For more information, visit The Otis Redding Foundation website.
Rhino is also introducing several releases that showcase the music that made Redding a star in the 60s and continues to win over younger generations. Redding’s legacy is stronger today than ever with his songs earning more than 3 billion (and counting) streams worldwide. And now, fans have a new way to hear some of Redding’s biggest hits as Rhino introduces new immersive Dolby Atmos mixes for seven of his best, including These Arms Of Mine, Pain In My Heart, Love Man, That’s How Strong My Love Is and I’ve Got Dreams To Remember, along with his two festive classics Merry Christmas Baby and White Christmas. All seven tracks will be available this Thursday, 9 September on all streaming platforms that feature immersive audio.
Born in 1941, Redding’s rise to fame started at a young age. As a teenager, he began to compete in the Douglass Theatre talent shows for the $5 prize. After winning 15 times straight, he was no longer allowed to compete.
In 1958, Redding joined Johnny Jenkins & The Pinetoppers. A few years later, in August 1962, Redding drove Jenkins to Memphis for a recording session at Stax Records. At the end of the session, Stax co-owner Jim Stewart allowed Redding to cut a couple of songs with the remaining studio time. The result was These Arms Of Mine, which came out later that year and became one of his best-selling songs.
Redding and the legendary Stax house band – keyboardist Booker T Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson Jr – recorded a string of Top 10 R&B hits between 1962 and 1967. That includes favorites like Chained And Bound, Mr Pitiful, and Try A Little Tenderness. He also wrote Respect, a song that reached #4 on the R&B chart in 1965. Two years later, Aretha Franklin covered the song and took it to #1 on the pop and R&B charts, making it her signature tune.
That same year, Redding recorded his signature song, (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay. Sadly, it was the last song he recorded before the plane crash that took his life in December 1967. The song would top the U.S. charts in 1968 making it the first posthumous No 1 single. It was also his biggest hit, selling more than four million copies around the world. Despite his short career, Redding recorded songs that helped define soul in the Sixties and beyond. Today, Redding and his music continue to win a place in the hearts of new generations of music lovers.