Chapter 4 Otis
Ray Redding Jr (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967)
Written {my part} 12-19-21 My account follows Wikipedia
I just realized, today, a thing I had never thought of before. James Brown sold his plane to Otis Redding - so I read. Maybe he bought another one, I don't know. If he did it is possible I RODE IN THE PLANE THAT KILLED OTIS REDDING! One thing that struck me is that I got the worst headache of my life in that plane - no one else, of about 5-6 people did - his staff & my gal pal Ginger. This was not a headache, but a pain so bad it felt like my head would blow apart. I believe it could have been LACK OF OXYGEN. My brain apparently uses more of it than other people. Could something have been seriously wrong with this plane? In the account I read, a woman said, "I told Otis not to buy that plane from James," & I thought the woman was tripping, just making stuff up to be o the internet. But maybe she was right, maybe there was something wrong with that plane! And maybe James, since Otis was his top competitor, wanted him dead - did not warn him of any problem with the plane! But that is far fetched I hope it's not true. Oh, I forgot, to those who aren't familiar with my story, James Brown had me taken in his plane from LA to Ohio, to spend some time with him there that's why I was in his plane.
from Wikipedia:
was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of
the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and
a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues.
Nicknamed the "King of Soul", Redding's style of singing gained inspiration
from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced
many other soul artists of the 1960s.
Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia,
and at age two, moved to Macon, Georgia.
Redding quit school at age 15 to support his family, working with Little Richard's
backing band, the Upsetters, and by performing in talent
shows at the historic Douglass Theatre in Macon. In 1958, he joined Johnny Jenkins's
band, the Pinetoppers, with whom he toured the Southern states as a singer and
driver. An unscheduled appearance on a Stax recording
session led to a contract and his first hit single, "These Arms of Mine",
in 1962.
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. Redding later performed at the popular Los Angeles night club Whisky a Go Go and
toured Europe, performing in London, Paris and other major cities. He also
performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia,
the fourth of six children, and the first son of Otis Redding Sr. and Fannie
Roseman. Redding Sr. was a sharecropper and
then worked at Robins Air Force Base, near Macon,
and occasionally preached in local churches. When Redding was three, the family moved to TindallHeights, a predominantly African-American
public housing project in Macon.[4] At
an early age, he sang in the Vineville Baptist Church choir and
learned guitar and piano. From age 10, Redding took drum and singing lessons. At Ballard-Hudson High School, he sang in the
school band. Every Sunday he earned $6 by performing gospel songs for Macon radio station WIBB, and
he won the $5 prize in a teen talent show for 15 consecutive weeks.[7] His
passion was singing, and he often cited Little Richard and Sam Cooke as
influences. Redding said that he "would not be here" without
Little Richard and that he "entered the music business because of Richard
– he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his rock 'n' roll
stuff ... My present music has a lot of him in it."
At age 15, Redding left school to help support his family;
his father had contracted tuberculosis and
was often hospitalized, leaving his mother as the family's primary income
earner. He worked as a well digger, as a gasoline station attendant and
occasionally as a musician. Pianist Gladys Williams, a locally well-known
musician in Macon and another who inspired Redding, often performed at the Hillview
Springs Social Club, and Redding sometimes played piano with her band
there. Williams hosted Sunday talent shows, which Redding attended with two friends,
singers Little Willie Jones and Eddie Ross.
Redding's breakthrough came in 1958 on disc
jockey Hamp Swain's "The Teenage Party," a talent contest
at the local Roxy and Douglass
Theatres. Johnny Jenkins, a locally prominent guitarist,
was in the audience and, finding Redding's backing band lacking in musical
skills, offered to accompany him. Redding sang Little Richard's "Heebie
Jeebies." The combination enabled Redding to win Swain's talent contest for fifteen
consecutive weeks; the cash prize was $5 (US$45 in 2020 dollars[1]). Jenkins
later worked as lead guitarist and played with Redding during several later gigs. Redding was soon invited to replace Willie
Jones as frontman of Pat T. Cake and the Mighty
Panthers, featuring Johnny Jenkins.Redding was then hired by the Upsetters
when Little Richard abandoned rock and roll in
favor of gospel music. Redding was well paid, making about $25 per gig
(US$224 in 2020 dollars), but did not stay long. In mid-1960, Otis
moved to Los
Angeles with his sister, Deborah, while his wife Zelma and their
children stayed in Macon, Georgia.[17] In
Los Angeles Redding recorded his first songs, including "Tuff Enuff"
written by James McEachin, "She's All Right," written with McEachin,
and two Redding wrote alone, called "I'm Gettin' Hip" and "Gamma
Lamma" (which he recorded as a single in 1961, under the title "Shout
Bamalama").[5]
Early career
When Walden started to look for a record label for
Jenkins, Atlantic Records representative Joe Galkin showed
interest and around 1962 sent him to the Stax studio
in Memphis. Redding drove Jenkins to the session, as the
latter did not have a driver's license.[22] The
session with Jenkins, backed by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, was
unproductive and ended early; Redding was allowed to perform two songs. The
first was "Hey Hey Baby", which studio chief Jim Stewart thought sounded too much like
Little Richard. The second was "These Arms of Mine", featuring
Jenkins on guitar and Steve Cropper on piano. Stewart later
praised Redding's performance, saying, "Everybody
was fixin' to go home, but Joe Galkin insisted we give Otis a listen. There was
something different about [the ballad]. He really poured his soul into
it."[23][24] Stewart
signed Redding and released "These Arms of
Mine", with "Hey Hey Baby" on the B-side.
The single was released by Volt in October 1962 and charted in March the following
year.[25] It
became one of his most successful songs, selling more than 800,000 copies.[26]
Apollo "These Arms of Mine" and other songs from
the 1962–1963 sessions were included on Redding's debut album, Pain in My
Heart. "That's What My Heart Needs" and "Mary's
Little Lamb" were recorded in June 1963. The latter is the only Redding track with both background singing and brass. It
became his worst-selling single.[25][27] The
title track, recorded in September 1963, sparked copyright issues, as it
sounded like Irma Thomas's "Ruler of My Heart".[25] Despite
this, Pain in My Heart was released on March 1964,[28][29] with
the single peaking at number 11 on the R&B chart, number 61 on the Billboard Hot
100, and the album at number 103 on the Billboard 200.[30]
In November 1963, Redding, accompanied by his brother Rodgers
and an associate, former boxer Sylvester Huckaby (a childhood friend of
Redding's), traveled to New York to perform at the Apollo Theater for
the recording of a live album for Atlantic Records. Redding and his band were paid $400 per week
(US$3,381 in 2020 dollars[13])
but had to pay $450 (US$3,804 in 2020 dollars[13])
for sheet music for the house band, led by King Curtis,
which left them in financial difficulty. The trio asked Walden for money.
Huckaby's description of their circumstances living in the "big old
raggedy" Hotel Theresa is quoted by Peter Guralnick in his book Sweet
Soul Music. He noted meeting Muhammad Ali and
other celebrities. Ben E. King, who was the headliner at the
Apollo when Redding performed there, gave him $100 (US$845 in 2020 dollars[13])
when he learned about Redding's financial situation. The resulting album featured
King, the Coasters, Doris Troy, Rufus Thomas, the Falcons and
Redding.[31] Around
this time Walden and Rodgers were drafted by the army; Walden's younger
brother Alan joined Redding on tour, while Earl "Speedo" Simms replaced
Rodgers as Redding's road manager.[32]
Most of Redding's songs after "Security",
from his first album, had a slow tempo. Disc jockey A. C. Moohah Williams
accordingly labeled him "Mr. Pitiful",[33] and
subsequently, Cropper and Redding wrote the eponymous song.[23] That
and top 100 singles " Chained and Bound", "Come to Me" and
"That's How Strong My Love Is"[34] were
included on Redding's second studio album, The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul
Ballads, released in March 1965.[35] Jenkins
began working independently from the group out of fear Galkin, Walden and
Cropper would plagiarize his playing style, and so Cropper became Redding's leading guitarist.[36] Around
1965, Redding co-wrote "I've Been Loving You Too Long"
with Jerry Butler, the former lead singer of the Impressions.
That summer, Redding and the studio crew arranged new songs for his next
album. Ten of the eleven songs were recorded in a 24-hour period on July 9 and
10 in Memphis. Two songs, "Ole Man Trouble"
and "Respect", had been finished earlier,
during the Otis Blue session. "Respect" and
"I've Been Loving You" were later recut in stereo. The album,
entitled Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul,
was released in September 1965.[37]Otis
Blue also includes Redding's much-loved cover of "A Change
Is Gonna Come" in 1965.[38]
Whisky a Go Go and "Try a Little
Tenderness"
Redding's success allowed him to buy a
300-acre (1.2 km2) ranch in Georgia, which he called the "Big O
Ranch."[41] Stax
was also doing well. Walden signed more musicians, including Percy Sledge, Johnnie Taylor, Clarence Carter and Eddie Floyd,
and together with Redding, they founded two production companies. "Jotis
Records" (derived from Joe Galkin and Otis)
released four recordings, two by Arthur Conley and
one by Billy Young and Loretta Williams. The other was named Redwal Music
(derived from Redding and Walden), which was
shut down shortly after its creation.[42] Since
Afro-Americans still formed the majority of fans, Redding chose to perform at Whisky a Go Go on
the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Redding was one of the first soul artists to
perform for rock audiences in the western United States. His performance received critical
acclaim, including positive press in the Los Angeles Times, and he penetrated
mainstream popular culture. Bob Dylan attended
the performance and offered Redding an altered version of one of his
songs, "Just Like a Woman".[23]
In late 1966, Redding returned to the Stax studio and recorded
several tracks, including "Try a Little Tenderness", written
by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods in
1932.[39] This
song had previously been recorded by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra,
and the publishers unsuccessfully tried to stop Redding from recording the song from a
"negro perspective". Today often considered his signature song,[43] Jim
Stewart reckoned, "If there's one song, one performance that really sort
of sums up Otis and what he's about, it's 'Try a Little Tenderness'. That one
performance is so special and so unique that it expresses who he is." On
this version Redding was backed by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, while staff
producer Isaac Hayes worked on the arrangement.[44][45] "Try
a Little Tenderness" was included on his next album, Complete &
Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul. The song and
the album were critically and commercially successful—the former peaked at
number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 4 on
the R&B chart.[46]
The spring of 1966 marked the first time that Stax booked
concerts for its artists.[47] The
majority of the group arrived in London on March 13,[45][48] but
Redding had flown in days earlier for
interviews, such as at "The Eamonn Andrews Show". When the crew
arrived in London, the Beatles sent
a limousine to
pick them up.[47] Booking
agent Bill Graham proposed that Redding play at the Fillmore Auditorium in
late 1966. The gig was commercially and critically successful, paying Redding around $800 to $1000 (US$7,976 in 2020
dollars[13])
a night.[49][45] It
prompted Graham to remark afterward, "That was the best gig I ever put on
in my entire life."[50]Redding began touring Europe six months later.[51]
Carla Thomas
In March 1967, Stax released King &
Queen, an album of duets between Redding and Carla Thomas,
which became a certified gold record. It was Jim Stewart's idea to produce a
duet album, as he expected that "[Redding's] rawness and [Thomas's]
sophistication would work".[52] The
album was recorded in January 1967, while Thomas was earning her M.A. in
English at Howard University. Six out of ten songs were
cut during their joint session; the rest were overdubbed by Redding in the days following, because of his
concert obligations. Three singles were lifted from the album: "Tramp" was released in April,
followed by "Knock on Wood" and
"Lovey Dovey". All three reached at least the top 60 on both the
R&B and Pop charts.[52] The
album charted at number 5 and 36 on the Billboard Pop and
R&B charts, respectively.[34]
Redding returned to Europe to perform at the Paris Olympia.
The live album Otis Redding: Live in Europe was
released three months later, featuring this and other live performances in London and Stockholm,
Sweden.[41] His
decision to take his protege Conley (whom Redding and Walden had contracted directly to
Atco/Atlantic Records rather than to Stax/Volt) on the tour, instead of more
established Stax/Volt artists such as Rufus Thomas and William Bell, produced negative reactions.[45][53]
In 1967, Redding performed at the influential Monterey Pop Festival as the closing act
on Saturday night, the second day of the festival. He was invited through the
efforts of promoter Jerry Wexler.[54] Until
that point, Redding was still performing mainly for black audiences.[55] At
the time, he "had not been considered a commercially viable player in the
mainstream white American market."[56] But
after delivering one of the most electric performances of the night, and
having been the act to most involve the audience, "his performance at
Monterey Pop was therefore a natural progression from local to national
acclaim,...the decisive turning-point in Otis Redding's career."[56] His
act included his own song "Respect" and a version of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction."[57] Redding
and his backing band (Booker T. & the M.G.'s with the Mar-Keyshorn section)
opened with Cooke's "Shake", after which he delivered an
impromptu speech, asking the audience if they were the "love crowd"[58] and
looking for a big response. The ballad "I've Been Loving
You" followed. The last song was "Try a Little Tenderness",
including an additional chorus. "I got to go, y'all, I don't wanna
go", said Redding and left the stage of his last major concert.[43] According
to Booker T. Jones, "I think we did one of our best shows, Otis and the
MG's. That we were included in that was also something of a phenomenon. That
we were there? With those people? They were accepting us and that was one of
the things that really moved Otis. He was happy to be included and it brought
him a new audience. It was greatly expanded in Monterey."[59] According
to Sweet Soul Music, musicians such as Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix were
captivated by his performance; Robert
Christgau wrote in Esquire, "The Love Crowd screamed
one's mind to the heavens."[60]
Before Monterey, Redding
wanted to record with Conley, but Stax was against the idea. The two moved
from Memphis to Macon to continue writing. The result was "Sweet Soul
Music" (based on Cooke's "Yeah Man"),[42] which
peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[61][62] By
that time, Redding had developed polyps on
his larynx,
which he tried to treat with tea and lemon or honey. He was hospitalized in
September 1967 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York to undergo surgery.
"Dock of the Bay"
In early December 1967, Redding again recorded at Stax. One new song
was "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay",
which was written with Cropper.[64]Redding was inspired by the Beatles
album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band and tried to create a similar sound, against the
label's wishes. His wife Zelma disliked its atypical melody. The Stax crew
were also dissatisfied with the new sound; Stewart thought that it was not
R&B, while bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn feared
it would damage Stax's reputation. However, Redding wanted to expand his musical style and
thought it was his best song, correctly believing it would top the charts.[65] He
whistled at the end, either forgetting Cropper's "fadeout rap" or
paraphrasing it intentionally.
Personal life and wealth
Redding, who was 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and
weighed 220 pounds (100 kg), was an athletic family man who loved football and hunting.[67][68] He
was described as vigorous, trustworthy,[69] full
of fun[70] and
a successful businessman. He was active in philanthropic projects. His keen
interest in black youth led to plans for a summer camp for disadvantaged
children.[71]
Redding's music made him wealthy. According to
several advertisements, he had around 200 suits and 400 pairs of shoes, and he
earned about $35,000 per week for his concerts.[75] He
spent about $125,000 in the "Big O Ranch." As the owner of Otis
Redding Enterprises, his performances, music publishing ventures and royalties from
record sales earned him more than a million dollars in 1967 alone.[76] That
year, one columnist said, "he sold more records than Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin combined."[77] After
the release of Otis Blue, Redding became a "catalogue" artist,
meaning his albums were not immediate blockbusters, but rather sold steadily
over time.[42]
Death
By 1967, the band was traveling to performances in Redding's Beechcraft H18 airplane. On December 9,
they appeared on the Upbeat television show produced
in Cleveland.
They played three concerts in two nights at a club called Leo's
Casino. After a phone call with his wife and children, Redding's next stop was Madison, Wisconsin; the next day, Sunday,
December 10, they were to play at the Factory nightclub, near the University of Wisconsin.
Although the weather was poor, with heavy rain and fog, and
despite warnings, the plane took off. Four miles (6.5 km) from their
destination at Truax Field in Madison, pilot Richard Fraser radioed for
permission to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed into Lake Monona. Bar-Kays member Ben Cauley,
the accident's only survivor,[61] was
sleeping shortly before the accident. He woke just before impact to see
bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and
exclaim, "Oh, no!" Cauley said the last thing he remembered before
the crash was unbuckling his seat belt. He then found himself in frigid water,
grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat. As a non-swimmer, he was unable
to rescue the others. The cause of the crash was never
determined. The other victims of the crash were four members of the
Bar-Kays—guitarist Jimmy King, tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones,
organist Ronnie Caldwell, and drummer Carl Cunningham;
their valet, Matthew Kelly; and the pilot Fraser.
Redding's body was recovered the next day when
the lake was searched.[87] The
family postponed the funeral from December 15, to December 18, so that more
could attend,[76] and
the service took place at the City Auditorium in Macon. More than 4,500
people came to the funeral, overflowing the 3,000-seat hall. Redding was entombed at his ranch in Round
Oak, about twenty miles (30 km) north of Macon.[88]Jerry Wexler delivered
the eulogy.[89]Redding died just three days after
re-recording "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," and was survived
by Zelma and four children, Otis III, Dexter, Demetria, and Karla.[72] On
November 8, 1987, a memorial plaque was placed on the lakeside deck of the Madison convention center, Monona Terrace.[91]
"Respect is something Otis
achieved for himself in a way few people do. Otis sang 'Respect when I come
home.' And Otis has come home."
Posthumous releases and proposed
recordings and television appearances
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"
was released in January 1968. It became Redding's only single to reach number one on
the Billboard Hot 100 and the first posthumous number-one
single in U.S. chart history.[92] It
sold approximately four million copies worldwide and received more than eight
million airplays.[93][94] The
album The Dock of the Bay was
the first
posthumous album to reach the top spot on the UK Albums Chart.[95]
Shortly after Redding's death, Atlantic Records, distributor
of the Stax/Volt releases, was purchased by Warner Bros. Stax was required to
renegotiate its distribution deal and was surprised to learn that Atlantic actually owned the entire Stax/Volt
catalog. Stax was unable to regain the rights to its recordings and severed
its Atlantic relationship. Atlantic also held the rights to all unreleased Otis Redding
masters. It had enough material for three studio albums—The Immortal
Otis Redding (1968), Love Man (1969), and Tell
the Truth (1970)—all issued on its Atco Records label.[96] A
number of successful singles emerged from these LPs, among them "Amen" (1968), "Hard to Handle" (1968), "I've Got
Dreams to Remember" (1968), "Love Man" (1969), and "Look
at That Girl" (1969).[96] Singles
were also lifted from two live Atlantic-issued Redding albums, In Person at the Whisky a Go Go,
recorded in 1966 and issued in 1968 on Atco, and Historic Performances
Recorded At The Monterey International Pop Festival, a Reprise Records release
featuring some of the live performances at the festival by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on side
one and Redding on side two.[97]
In September 2007, the first official DVD anthology of Redding's live performances was released
by Concord Music Group, then owners of the Stax
catalog. Dreams to Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding featured
16 full-length performances and 40 minutes of new interviews documenting his
life and career.[98] On
May 18, 2010, Stax Records released a two-disc recording of three complete
sets from his Whisky a Go Go date in April 1966.[99] All
seven sets from his three-day residency at the venue were released as Live at the
Whisky a Go Go: The Complete Recordings in 2016,[100] a
6-CD box set that won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.[101]
Carla Thomas claimed that the pair had planned to record
another duet album in December the same year, but Phil Walden denied this. Redding had proposed to record an album
featuring cut and rearranged songs in different tempos; for example, ballads
would be uptempo and vice versa.[52] Another
suggestion was to record an album entirely consisting of country standards.[102]
Style
His hallmark was his raw voice and ability to convey strong
emotion. Richie Unterberger of Allmusic noted
his "hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, an emotional way with
both party tunes and aching ballads."[107] In
the book Rock and Roll: An Introduction, authors Michael Campbell
and James Brody suggested that "Redding's singing calls to mind a fervent
black preacher. Especially in up-tempo numbers, his singing is more than
impassioned speech but less than singing with precise
pitch." According to the book, "Redding finds a rough midpoint between
impassioned oratory and conventional singing. His delivery overflows with
emotion" in his song "I Can't Turn You Loose". Booker T.
Jones described Redding's singing as energetic and emotional but said that his
vocal range was limited, reaching neither low nor high notes. Peter
Buckley, in The Rough Guide to Rock, describes his "gruff
voice, which combined Sam Cooke's phrasing with a brawnier delivery" and
later suggested he "could testify like a hell-bent preacher, croon like a
tender lover or get down and dirty with a bluesy yawp".
Redding received advice from Rufus Thomas
about his clumsy stage appearance. Jerry Wexler said Redding "didn't know how to move",
and stood still, moving only his upper body, although he acknowledged that Redding was well received by audiences for his
strong message. Guralnick described Redding's painful vulnerability in Sweet
Soul Music, as an attractive one for the audience, but not for his friends
and partners. His early shyness was well known.
Songwriting
In his early career Redding mostly covered songs from popular
artists, such as Richard, Cooke and Solomon Burke.
Around the mid-1960s he began writing his own songs—always taking along his
cheap red acoustic guitar—and sometimes asked for Stax members' opinion of his
lyrics. He often worked on lyrics with other musicians, such as Simms,
Rodgers, Huckaby, Phil Walden, and Cropper. During his recovery from his
throat operation, Redding wrote about 30 songs in two weeks. Redding was the sole copyright holder on all
of his songs.
In "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" he abandoned
familiar romantic themes for "sad, wistful introspections, amplified by
unforgettable descending guitar riffs by Cropper". The
website of the Songwriters Hall of Fame noted that the song "was a kind
of brooding, dark voicing of despair, ('I've got nothin' to live for/Look like
nothin's gonna come my way')" although "his music, in general, was
exultant and joyful." According to journalist Ruth Robinson, author of
the liner notes for the 1993 box set, "It is currently a revisionist
theory to equate soul with the darker side of man's musical expression, blues.
That fanner of the flame of 'Trouble's got a hold on me' music, might well be
the father of the form if it is, the glorified exaltation found in church on
any Sunday morning is its mother." The Songwriters Hall of Fame website
adds that "glorified exaltation indeed was an apt description of Otis
Redding's songwriting and singing style." Booker T. Jones compared Redding with Leonard Bernstein, stating, "He was the
same type person. He was a leader. He'd just lead with his arms and his body
and his fingers."
Redding favored short and simple lyrics; when
asked whether he intended to cover Dylan's "Just Like a Woman", he
responded that the lyrics contained "too much
text". Furthermore, he stated in an interview,
Basically, I like any music that
remains simple and I feel this is the formula that makes "soul
music" successful. When any music form becomes cluttered and/or
complicated you lose the average listener's ear. There is nothing more
beautiful than a simple blues tune. There is beauty in simplicity whether you
are talking about architecture, art or music.
Redding also authored his (sometimes
difficult) recordings' horn arrangements, humming to show the players what he
had in mind. The recording of "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" captures
his habit of humming with the horn section.
Legacy
Redding has been called the "King of Soul",[117] an
honorific also given to Brown[118] and
Cooke.[119][120][121] He
remains one of the genre's most recognized artists. His lean and powerful
style exemplified the Stax sound;[110][122][123] he
was said to be "the heart and soul of Stax",[124] while
artists such as Al Jackson, Dunn and Cropper helped to expand
its structure.[123] His
open-throated singing,[122] the tremolo/vibrato,
the manic, electrifying stage performances[125] and
perceived honesty were particular hallmarks,
along with the use of interjections (such as "gotta, gotta, gotta"),
some of which came from Cooke.[69][124] Producer
Stewart thought the "begging singing" was stress-induced and
enhanced by Redding's shyness.[112] His
LP releases earned him recognition from music critic Robert Christgau as
"one of soul's few reliable long-form artists"; Christgau
deems Otis Blue his "first great album",[126] and Mat Snow regards
it as an early indication of the album era,
in which the LP would overtake singles in commercial and artistic importance.[127]
Along with soul and R&B, Redding's contributions to rock
music have been noted by music scholars, particularly the "black rock"
performed by his contemporaries Wilson Pickett and Sly and the Family Stone.[128] "His
musical palette, a cosmic alloy of gospel and blues, hammered into a gritty
but elegant template by both black and white musicians, remodeled soul and
rock and anchored the most infectious native music America had heard since
the big bands",
wrote biographer Mark Ribowsky.[129] Artists
from many genres have named Redding as a musical influence. George Harrison called
"Respect" an inspiration for "Drive My Car".[130] The
Rolling Stones also mentioned Redding as a major influence.[131][132] Other
artists influenced by Redding include Led Zeppelin,[133][134]Grateful Dead,[135]Lynyrd Skynyrd,[136]the Doors,[135] and
virtually every soul and R&B musician from the early years, such as Al Green, Etta James,[41] William
Bell,[135]Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and
Conley.[137]Janis Joplin was
influenced by his singing style, according to Sam Andrew,
a guitarist in her band Big Brother and the Holding Company.
She stated that she learned "to push a song instead of just sliding over
it" after hearing Redding.[138]
The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote
the song "To Love Somebody" for Redding to
record. He loved it, and he was going to "cut it", as Barry put it,
on his return from his final concert. They dedicated the song to his memory.
My Account
I was unable to recall the exact time I
met Otis but this article tells me he appeared at Whiskey a Go Go {Sunset Blvd
Hollywood} April 1966 for 3 nights – it must have been then.I do NOT recall seeing him on stage. Maybe I
tried & couldn’t get in – it was a small place, don’t think it held more
than 200 at most.It was right on the
corner of Sunset & what?And I knew
all or most of the stars who worked this place & nearby stayed at this
hotel which was but walking distance away –I can’t recall it’s name, but I
think it was like ‘Ciros’ or some name starting with C with like 4
letters.This area was known to me
intimately as I worked a lot across the street, very close, at what was the
biggest club in Hollywood – the old Jerry Lewis Club renamed ‘The Classic Cat’
with female dancers on one big & two small stages.There my name was in lights.
Back story of my dancing videos.These videos are from 2008 - I was 63 years old. They don't look like much but consider this: I had just decided to obey God, who told me to 'stop suffering, quit the celibacy, have fun.' It wasn't what I planned, but I tried to obey the best I could. Toward going out, dating, I was fat & I was ashamed & felt inferior being close to 200 lbs. I had not dated since May 1978 & also not danced for 20 years. And so, over a few months I lost 40 lbs - which is me here at about 160. I look chubby, but from where I came from it was a big improvement. Next, my dancing was totally rusty - I had no confidence there whatsoever. So I started practicing. These videos are me after losing 40 lbs & here I am trying to get back my dancing skills. In view of this, you might give me handicap & say it's not so bad after all.
My husband died months
before that.Yes, I recall living in a
house in Pacific Palisades after he died.We had been at 16525 Sunset Blvd, 3rd floor building, middle
apt with a lovely large balcony & view {which cost around $160 then, today’s
bread would be $1,323 - 2021} where he died in front of me.I got evicted months after that because the
guy I hired {gay black dancer named Mr Wiggles – he stole the name from a
stripper named ‘Miss Wiggles’} to teach me his dance steps {for a time} lived
with me & while I was working he blasted the radio so loud the man
downstairs complained. The man said he
slept in the day, worked at night, & couldn’t sleep for the music.{Really?I think the landlord just wanted to throw me out because Wiggles was
black.}
I found a modest
house for rent nearby; for I think $180 a month {$1,489 in 2021} – It was not
furnished & did not even have a fridge.I was a novice at buying things – got a huge used refrigerator for $400
{today $3,308—the salesman laughed all the way to the bank – the fridge
standing in my house in 2021 is brand new & cost only $200} & I recall
clearly standing in the kitchen of that house with Marlena, her describing my
appearance to Otis Redding to get him to cancel his plane & meet me.
I called the
hotel I suppose, took a chance, asked for him & he was there.He had to get to a plane fairly soon but
Marlena said,
“You have to
meet Kellie.This is what she looks
like.”She described my looks – all I
remember is she saying I was exotic & how shapely my body was.In those days I wore custom-made suits of
the finest material – Marlena made them.That’s how I met her.
As soon as husband died
I went to work in Santa Monica, a private club called ‘The Ball.’Marlena was there discussing clothing with a
dancer / waitress {all the waitresses had to dance topless between shifts}
that’s how I met her, so now the timeline makes sense.
Otis decided I was worth canceling a plane for & was at the
hotel.I got dressed in my custom-made Cashmere beige suit with the brown fur collar,
high heels {I usually wore suits or dresses with heels everywhere I went}
& was ready to impress.
We enter a huge suite.What stood out is the fat hanger-on in tux I had seen before – he was
around when I visited James Brown – now he’s here with Otis {I met James
within months after my husband died, I realize now looking at the time
table}.I also saw him later in Las Vegas, the same tuxedo, just hanging around
the gaming tables staring like he was relevant to it – obviously penniless –
just watching & wishing someone would send him on an errand for a large
tip.He was a stalker wherever there
was a chance of getting something.
There were MANY people
like that.I met two losers while
visiting James.One of them took
pictures of James & tried to sell them to me later for a huge price – they
were awful with James sitting on a table, a doc had a needle & tube in his
arm, sending some kind of liquid into his body, probably due to exhaustion
{why did he let this punk take photos?}The other pulled a scam on me & almost raped me – but I got
away.That tale will be told later.
So tuxedoed fatty is trying to sell something to Otis for a
large price - $8 a pop {$66 in 2021}.It’s earrings – he got gold wire {he says real gold, bullshyt} – with hooks
for pierced ears - where he takes a plier & fashions the name ‘Otis’ out
of it.It’s clever, but the price is
too high.Otis argues with him about
it, declines the trinkets. Otis would
make no profit, he’d be giving these things away to fans, like me I guess.I felt he should give it a go if the price
was right – but fatso wouldn’t budge.
Tubby takes me aside & tells me Otis has a 13” dick.Ha ha, wonder how he makes the blood go into
the end.That was an inducement for me
to bed Otis in the next room –the plan.He would have had to have a large bottle of Vaseline to get it in – if
it’s true – probably exaggerating.
OK so what else happens?It’s basically pitter patter about lay down & give it to him.I’m slow to respond because I feel
embarrassed & put upon.Let’s face it;
this is crude exploitation.He did not even
try to seduce me.
He could have said,
“Hey Kellie, how about my taking you to dinner tonight, we
spend the night together & I catch my plane in the morning”?
We could have a romantic dinner – even if it was room service,
with drinks or wine.I suggested it but
he begged time being short.Nothing was
offered – just I’m the big star, you’re here, so lay me.
That was all there was to it.I felt depressed over the situation & as Marilyn & I were
leaving, here comes this little tomboy of a girl, entering the suite.I thought,
“Is this my replacement?I said no, so the next fan that called, he asked her to come up for a
bang – not even knowing what she looked like!”
This girl was about 5’ tall, all of 100 lbs. Her hair was cut
like a boy’s; she had no shape, was wearing a leather suede jacket with fringe,
not stylish, a dull color, a boy’s body. This increased my depression – that within
moments of my refusal this comes along, & she’ll do?
So Marlena & I are waiting by the valet for my car {a white
Corvette, “58 with manual steering I loved} when tomboy appears.He was already done with her, either he
dismissed her for lack of appeal or the bang took 60 seconds.End of story.
This begs for some channeling.Otis appeared to me a few years ago, when I was looking at his picture
with longing.He was suddenly here,
& said to me,
“I really turn you on, don’t I?”
I was so embarrassed, even though he’s in spirit.I said yes.And he told me,
“I will stay with you & help you until you find the right
man.”{Can’t recall exact words.It was when I started stepping out as a
cougar which was 2008}.I shall ask him
– did you lay that boy-girl?
OR {Otis Redding}:Decidedly not.I wouldn’t stoop
that low.
ME:Why weren’t you
nicer to me, more seductive, to persuade me to stay & make love?
OR:I didn’t have the
finesse or skill.That takes a con man
or pimp, in our culture. -I wasn’t
like that, just a plain ole’ farm boy.
ME:That explains why
you ‘Can’t Get no Satisfaction’, haha.
OR:Indeed
ME:You cancelled a
plane to meet me.How did you feel when
I left?
OR:I was disappointed
but you did the right thing, as I would have just used you & there would
have been no more contact.You kept
your dignity as a woman.
ME:Even though you died
way too young, how do you feel about the music legacy you left behind?
OR:I did a lot for my
age.It was meant to be for me to die,
I could not have proved any more than I did.Life on earth is suffering.I
left behind a great deal of beautiful songs.You love listening to them & seeing me perform.I did what I had to do & God took me
away.
ME:How do you think I
have fared in my life, have I done most of what I needed to do?
OR:You sure did.What woman did all you did?Hardly any.But you have not received your rewards, only a tiny speck of them.The rewards are coming.You will be a star again, name in lights,
bundles of money.
ME:Will I be happy in
my love life?I never have you know.
OR:You sure will be, I
helped you find the man.You’ll be with
him soon & you’ll both be happy.Better days are coming, you will live longer than that doctor
predicted, a ripe old age, your heart will hold out, you will get better, not
worse.
ME:What will my legacy
consist of?
OR:You will have left
behind examples for women to be bold, honest, truthful, fight for their
rights, hold their heads up high & take over the family & the
world.Many women will follow you &
many men will serve them, it’s a fine legacy.
ME:Thanks a lot
Otis.See you in Heaven.Or I should say I’m seeing you now, on earth
– you’ve been close to me for a long time.See you here & There.
PSThe blues turned into
rhythm & blues, then rock’n’roll, now hip hop & rap.Do you have any advise for the youngsters of
today about them & their musical aspirations?
OR:Tell them to hang on
no matter what & also – get a day job.The music business will not bring fame & fortune to everyone.Study the teachings of Jesus & the great
saints of all religions.See how they
fared, their patience, forgiveness, persistence in good & most of all
their FAITH.Fame & fortune is not
the ticket to Heaven, love is.Be part
of the ‘Love Crowd.’
ME:That Monterey Pop Festival
1967 was incredible, & it took you to another level.You were another level, you beat them all,
as far as I’m concerned, & I loved James Brown, but you were as good as he
in your performance.What do you think
of your accomplishment at the Festival?
OR:It was a
MILESTOWN.One of the most important
places I appeared.Also my work on
English TV was the tops.I did a lot in
my short life span, I was lucky.I
gained both fame & fortune, it was enough.Just 26 years old & I was a legend, not bad for an innocent country
boy from the South.
ME:This is my PS as far
as who was ‘the greatest’ as a man.You’ll see I met & dated a lot of black stars; Otis was #1 as far
as sex appeal.
James Brown I’d put as #2 but it wasn’t his looks & sex
appeal, it was his dynamic energy.Otis
had all of it, looks, sex appeal, & dynamics on stage.Like James Brown, he RADIATED great energy
from within – which makes a STAR.
Where this comes from, I believe, is the HEART.And Otis, like Secretariat, - at the Belmont Stakes did not win by a nose, but by
31 lengths in the
greatest race of all time – gaining the Triple Crown!People SCREAMED & CRIED, the jockey,
looking back, couldn’t believe his eyes how far back the rest of the horses
were.
To Compare
Otis Redding to the great race Horse Secretariat, I found this:
“Secretariat’s
heart was estimated to be a whopping 22 pounds. The possible secret behind the
enormous size is the X Factor, a term coined by Marianna Haun. In Haun took the ‘X Factor’ to the nth
degree, Mark Simon of The Daily Racing Form,
remembers Haun and her dedication to this theory:
“Marianna had learned that Secretariat had an unusually large
heart – estimated at 22 pounds, while the average Thoroughbred heart is 8.5
pounds. This tremendous cardiovascular system, pumping oxygen into his lungs
at an abnormally high rate, was clearly a source of his stamina and power.
Though Marianna did not possess a scientific background she wondered if it was
genetic, and began looking into it – learning that Australian researchers had
studied heart size 40 years earlier and had concluded it was passed along the
X chromosome. But their research never gained traction here and they never
linked it to specific horses in North America.
In February 1994, she wrote a piece for
Thoroughbred Times entitledThe X Factor, which suggested that the large heart
traces to a single mare, Pocahontas, born in England in 1837, heralding back
to the great sire Eclipse. The article went into detail on the theory,
examining all available research to that time, and why it was so important to
the breeding world. It was a very good article.”
Haun’s first book, The X
Factor, What it is & how to find it: The Relationship Between Inherited
Heart Size and Racing Performance, was published in 1997. This was
followed up by Understanding the Power of the X Factor in
2001, and Solving the Mystery of Secretariat’s Heart in
2013. Haun passed away February 12, 2016, but her first, second, and third books can still be purchased.
The third book is aimed to help
breeders reproduce a heart similar to Secretariat’s by breeding bloodlines
that follow the X Factor pattern. While Secretariat was able to produce
a Thriving Legacy, including 1986 Horse of the
Year Lady’s Secret, he never replicated himself.
*** RASA
SAYS:I saw a documentary {above} which
explained Secretariat got his heart size FROM HIS MOTHER & this was passed
down only through the genes of the FEMALE & therefore, Secretariat COULD
NOT pass down his huge heart to his offspring.Secretariat & Sham – who
also had a HUGE HEART {18 lbs} & won races – in fact, raced against
Secretariat & did well – even being 2nd to Secretariat – both
had the same Damsire {Princequilla} – Secretariat’s heart was estimated to be
21-22 lbs.
Of course the heart
here is a SYMBOL.I’m talking about the
spiritual heart of Otis Redding who called his audience in Monterey ‘The Love Crowd.’
***
Back to Otis:
OK
then, as a woman who has seen a lot, done a lot, my opinion in the Triple
Crown Race of the black musical stars I knew is Otis Redding.The competitions consist of {1} Looks {2}
Masculine Sex Appeal {3} Talent with Dynamic Performance……
And
in all three races put together, Otis wins by a long shot, 31 lengths you
might say, like Secretariat at the Belmont.
Brown is up there, equaling the ‘time’ of Otis in the third race, but in the
first two, Otis has him beat.
Shall
I add who were the biggest losers?I
already stated Larry Williams & O.C. Smith were nags.Add to that, I will discuss later, Joe Tex
& Jackie Wilson.
There
are other stars I will not give accounts of, whom I dated, because they’re
still alive.I don’t want to get
SUED.People can sue for frivolous
reasons.It’s happened to me
twice.I was sued by Ms Universe Inc
& they got an injunction against me for the title ‘Ms Nude Universe’.Then a male model sued me on a frivolous
charge for 20 million!I won of course
but the deal dragged on for a year & a half, my attorney charged $300 an
hour & at the end I had wasted $20k!So no matter what, a person doesn’t want to get sued!
One
of these guys is way past his prime, if he dies before I finish this
Encyclopedia, I will give the account.I’m safe with the people I write about because most of them are dead –
you can’t be sued by a dead person nor can anyone sue you about them.Since I was young & most famous guys I
dated were older – I am now 76 – most have passed. Telling the truth does not
make you impervious to a lawsuit – take my word for that. {End Chapter 4}
This one came excellent as usual, Rasa. Very interesting and with great artwork and of course plenty of fuzzies. I will be sure to share it.
I have heard of Otis Redding and his music, especially "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which is still quite frequently played on the radio to this day. Very talented indeed.
This one came excellent as usual, Rasa. Very interesting and with great artwork and of course plenty of fuzzies. I will be sure to share it.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of Otis Redding and his music, especially "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which is still quite frequently played on the radio to this day. Very talented indeed.
Best wishes and keep up the great work,
Ajax