Redding, Otis

Redding, Otis (1941–67) vocalist; born in Dawson, Ga. One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, he was raised in Macon, Ga., where he began as an imitator of Little Richard's manic style. He sang with Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers between 1959–62 playing colleges in the Southeast and making several singles for regional labels. In 1962 he made "These Arms of Mine" in his signature ballad style for Stax Records in Memphis. His performance at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem in 1963 confirmed him as a leader in the rhythm-and-blues field, but he did not gain mainstream acceptance until his appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. He died in a plane crash in December of that year. The posthumously-released ballad "Dock of the Bay" became his first number one hit early in 1968.