Otis Redding

Biography

Born in the town of Dawson, Georgia, it passed all its childhood to Macon (Georgia) of which he will become later the mayor of honor. His/her father cumulated one part time of priest and earned his living on the basis of air force. As much of singers Black-Americans, the religious influence of its family was prevalent in her songs.

Very quickly, small Otis must leave the school to provide for the needs for the family. Inter alia odd jobs, for six dollars the morning, it is beater for the groups of Gospel of Sunday morning.

Otis grows, remains a long time in Macon evolving/moving between his family life, capital, near his Zelma wife. Its meeting with Johnny Jenkins is a big step. This boosted white guitarist who played the guitar with back proposes him to join his group, the Pinetoppers. At this time, Otis is yet only one member among others and Jenkins the star of the local scene Rhythm and blues.

But its association with Jenkins makes it possible Otis to meet the agent of this one: Phil Walden . Otis convinces the recording company thanks to “Arms Thesis off Mine”, ballade drunk person which makes it possible to the black singer to express the tremor of its voice, with excess and success. These are the ballades which ensured successes of Otis initially (“That' S what my heart needs”, “Bread in my heart”, to languorous “I' ve been loving you”…)

Whereas the harder titles and more rates/rhythms, coppers always playing a fundamental role, are a less success.

With “Mr. Pitiful”, the things change for the singer. The title enables him to return in the signal ten of the songs Rhythm and blues. According to the legend, Otis called Mr. Pitiful because of his voice melancholic person would have created this song in a few minutes with the assistance of its arranger Steve Cropper.

In 1965 the album “Otis Blue” leaves. The most complete album of the career of the singer in particular including “Respect” (which became a fulgurating success of Aretha Franklin), “I' ve been loving you”, “Ole Man Trouble”, and of many recoveries like “Satisfaction” (of the Rolling Stones) with the discussed genesis, “Shake” (of Sam Cooke), “My girl” (Smokey Robinson), “Down in the Valley” (Solomon Burke).

With “Try little tenderness has”, Otis arrives at the roof of the control of its Article a song which starts like a ballade and finishes in the fury of large coppers and the large cases. The drunk singer unified under the same title his two familiar kinds, the circled ballade and drunk person.

Of its collaboration with Carla Thomas in 1967, one can especially retain the titles “Lovey, Dovey” and especially volcanic “the Tramp”, connecting insult on insult. Later the same year, Redding played extremely influential International festival of pop music of Monterey.

After an operation of the throat, Otis can rechanter again. The melancholic person “F-F-F-F-F (sad song)”, symbol of its years pitifull and melancholic persons answers truculent “The Happy Song”. In an astonishing mixture of the kinds, Otis wants to take again many of its songs besides by accelerating the ballades and by attaching its endiablées songs.

It will not have time of them. The December 10th, 1967 the personal plane of Otis Redding with on its board the members of the Bars-Kays is crushed in a lake of the Wisconsin. There are one survivor, Otis died, three years day for day after the death of Sam Cooke, one of its large idols with the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Many tubes will leave after its death, like “Match Range” and of course “Sittin' one the Dock off the Bay” If this song is today that which the general public most readily associates in the name of Otis, it is not only because of the tragic death of the author, which has occurred a few days after its recording. For much it is about a pop turn which the career of Otis could have taken, at the top of its glory.

Its sons Dexter and Otis founded with their cousin Mark Locket the group of funk/disco music “The Reddings” at the end of the Années 1970.

In 2002, was set up a statue in the city where it passed its childhood, Macon (Georgia).

Discography

Of alive sound

Bread In My Heart: 1964
The Great Otis Redding Sings Drunk Ballads: 1965
Otis Blue : 1965
Drunk The Album: 1966
Dictionary off Drunk: 1966
King & Queen: 1967
Live In Europe: 1967

Posthumous

The Dock Off The Bay: 1968
The Immortal Otis Redding : 1968
The Whiskey has Go Go: 1968
Coils Man: 1969
Such The Truth: 1970
The Ultimate Otis Redding : 1986
Remember Me: 1992
The Very Best Off Otis Redding: 1992
The Monterey International Pop Festival: 1992
Good To Me: 1993
The Final Otis Redding: 1993
The Very Best Off Otis Redding Volume II: 1995
The Otis Redding Anthology : 1998
Coils Songs: 1998
In Concert-Live: 1999

Internal bond

Stax Records

External bonds

of Otis Redding in concert
Personal site in French
Official site in English
More information on Otis Redding

Simple: Otis Redding

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