Otis Ray Redding Jr. September 9, β December 10, was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues.
Nicknamed the " King of Soul ", [ 3 ] Redding's style of singing drew inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre.
His vocal style influenced many other soul artists of the s. Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia , and his family soon moved to Macon. He dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to support his family, working with Little Richard 's backing band, the Upsetters , and performing in talent shows at Macon's historic Douglass Theatre. In , Redding joined Johnny Jenkins 's band, the Pinetoppers, with whom he toured the Southern states as a singer and driver. An unscheduled appearance at a Stax Records recording session led to a contract and his first hit single, " These Arms of Mine ", in Stax released Redding's debut album, Pain in My Heart , two years later.
Initially popular mainly with African Americans, Redding later reached a wider American pop music audience. Along with his group, he first played small shows in the American South. In , he performed at the Monterey Pop Festival.
Redding's premature death devastated Stax. Already on the verge of bankruptcy, the label soon discovered that the Atco division of Atlantic Records owned the rights to his entire song catalog. In addition to " Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay", some of his best-known songs include his self-penned " Respect " , which later became more widely associated with Aretha Franklin 's cover, and his rendition of " Try a Little Tenderness " Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia , the fourth of six children, and the first son of Otis Redding Sr.
