Otis Redding （オーティス・レディング）

One of six children of a Baptist minister in the southern state of Georgia, Redding sang in his father’s church choir. In addition to sacred music, he became fascinated with R&B and Rock ‘n Roll music he heard on the radio. He was especially impressed by the luminous local performer Little Richard.

By the time that he recorded his first songs at Stax Studio in Memphis, he had developed into an exciting, energetic singer. Between 1962 and his tragic death in a plane crash in 1967, he recorded prolifically. Whether he was taking white crooner Bing Crosby’s “Try a Little Tenderness” or the Rolling Stone’s “Satisfaction” into the studio, he turned them all into distinctly “Otis songs.”

His original song “Respect”—which was made even more famous by Aretha Franklin—and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” became soul standards.

With the Stax house band Booker T. and the MG’s, Otis became a master performer with great appeal to audiences both black and white. Successful in America and Europe, he had a widely successful performance at the Monterrey Pop Festival.

This was just as he was working on “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay,” which became his first number one hit. Sadly, that classic song was not released until shortly after he died.
(214 words)

Recommended: The Otis Redding Story（『オーティス・レディング・ストーリー』）