Otis Redding was one of the great soul men of the 1960s. He combined the rhythmic rawness of
James Brown with the sweet gospel voice of
Sam Cooke. The Georgia-born singer wrote his own songs. Redding scored his first hit in 1963 with These Arms Of Mine. Many more were to follow. His punchy, emotional vocals, with blaring wind arrangements, defined the sound of the
Stax label. His performance at the
… Monterey Pop Festival proved that Redding could also appeal to a white rock audience. Otis's big break seemed like just a matter of time. Sadly, Redding lost his life in a plane crash. He was only 26 years old. Despite a cruelly cut-off career, Otis Redding would continue to have a lasting impact on singers after him.more
