Description

One of the great 1960s soul men, Otis Redding combined the rhythmic grit of James Brown with the sweet gospel croon of Sam Cooke. The Georgia-born singer/songwriter had his first flush of success in 63 with These Arms of Mine, and the hits kept flowing. Reddings punchy, horn-driven, emotive style helped define the classic Stax soul sound. His performance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 67 demonstrated his ability to appeal to a larger pop/rock audience, and he had indeed become a major star by that point. Sadly, Redding was killed in a plane accident later that year at the age of 26. Despite a career cut short by his tragic death, he has had a lasting influence on generations of singers in numerous genres.