An Evening of R-E-S-P-E-C-T: A Tribute to Otis Redding
Edited by Jennifer L. Price
I n March of 1967, soul singer Otis Redding and the Stax-Volt Revue took Europe by storm, earning rave reviews and
accolades across the continent. Stateside in May, King and Queen, Redding’s
album with Carla Thomas, hit #5 on Billboard’s R&B chart, and three weeks later,
Aretha Franklin took her version of Redding’s song, “Respect,” to the #1 spot on
the pop chart. In the wee hours of June 17, following an appearance by Jefferson
Airplane, Redding took the stage at Monterey Pop Festival and asked, “This is
the love crowd, right?....we all love each other right?,” before launching into
a now-legendary performance, accompanied by Booker T. and the MG’s and The
Mar-Keys. In October, the readers of England’s influential Melody Maker magazine
named Redding the top male vocalist in the world, unseating Elvis Presley, who
had held the title for almost a decade. Then, on Dec. 10, 1967, the world lost
one of its most promising artists when Redding, along with his pilot, an
assistant and four members of the band, The Bar-Kays, were tragically killed in
a plane crash outside Madison, Wis., en route to a show.
Recorded just days before his death, Redding’s “(Sittin’
On) The Dock of the Bay” was released in January 1968 and the song quickly
topped Billboard’s Hot 100. The only number one hit single of his career, it is
both a final triumph and an enduring classic that suggests the musical greatness
that was yet to come. In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the untimely
passing of Otis Redding, his hometown of Macon, Ga., will be hosting a series of
events to honor his life, his legacy and his music.
The Redding family presents “An Evening of Respect…The
Legacy Continues” on Fri., Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. at the historic Grand Opera House
in Macon. The musical tribute features Redding’s sons Dexter and Otis Redding
III, the Macon Symphony Orchestra and a host of celebrity performers, including
Taj Mahal, the Bar-Kays, Diana DeGarmo and more to be announced. Proceeds will
benefit The Big “O” Educational Dream Foundation, which was established by
Redding’s widow, Zelma, to empower youth to remain confident, motivated and
interested in education through music and arts programs. Otis Redding’s personal
mission was to encourage young people to stay in school and before his passing,
he had developed programs to be held at his ranch just outside Macon, with
figures from the music industry to lecture children on the importance of
education and learning. Of her husband’s efforts, Zelma Redding says, “Otis
would tell me, ‘If it takes music to get the attention of these young people,
then let’s educate them through music’.”
Also on Sept. 14, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon
unveils a major exhibition, Otis Redding: I’ve Got Dreams to Remember, on
display through Sept. 10, 2008. Over 100 rare artifacts including photographs,
hand-written lyrics, posters, letters and other memorabilia vividly tell the
story of Redding’s rise to international stardom, while multi-media kiosks
enable visitors to experience his musical evolution as a singer, composer,
arranger, producer and performer.
Guest curator Ellen Fleurov, president of Atlanta’s
Crossroads Traveling Exhibitions, and a nationally recognized independent
scholar, writer and curator says, “Born in Dawson, raised in and then ultimately
buried close to Macon, Redding derived his strength, sustenance and mighty
inspiration from this red-clay soil of Georgia. I can think of no more fitting
tribute than this exhibition taking place in the town he so loved and at a
museum located around the corner from the Douglass Theatre, the former Redwal
office building, and so many of the clubs and joints where soul music first
exploded on the scene.”
To learn more about the tribute to a musical great, visit
www.otisredding.com for more details.
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