Otis! The Otis Redding Story

Rolling Stone‘s Jon Landau described Otis Redding’s music as “the highest level of expression rock ‘n’ roll has yet attained.” And now from the critically acclaimed author of Midnight Riders: The Story of the Allman Brothers Band comes an intimate look at soul brother number one and the undisputed king of soul, Otis Redding.

Music was his sole occupation. Inspired by the works of Little Richard, a singer raised in a small town just miles from his own, Otis Redding knew he wanted to become a singer. This dream, his father said, would lead him nowhere, but when Otis Redding first burst onto the scene in 1962 with his R&B hit “These Arms of Mine” music enthusiasts knew they were listening to the voice of a star. With over fourteen songs gracing the top 20 chart, Otis Redding soon became a music phenomenon. Crooning tunes such as “Respect,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and “Try a Little Tenderness,” Otis Redding defined a new generation of R&B music.

He solidified his position as a superstar by stealing the spotlight at concerts like the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. But at the height of his career, three days after completing his most popular song “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding died in a tragic plane crash over Madison, Wisconsin.

Now, Otis!: The Otis Redding Story tells the true life story of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend who changed the face of R&B music. This revealing portrait is hailed as the most definitive text on the man who embodied the very essence of soul.