Otis Redding (1941-1967) - Pioneering and Influential Soul and R&B Singer, Gaining Inspiration from Gospel

[The Hersch]

I just noticed to my horror than neither I nor anyone else ever started an Otis Redding thread. Well, now I have. Let me say up front that I don't like, and never have, "Dock of the Bay," Otis's biggest hit which was released just weeks after his death in a plane crash. The plaintive tone of the song and the fact of the singer-songwriter's recent death are what propelled the song to the top of the charts in 1967. I think it's really a ho-hum piece of material, and it has never ceased to bother me that, contrary to what I was taught at home, it uses "dock" to mean "pier" or "wharf" --an eternal no-no, like calling "foot and mouth disease" "hoof and mouth disease", or calling Welsh rabbit "Welsh Rarebit", or saying "My name is Mr. Browne". ("They call me Mr. Browne" would be perfectly acceptable, but "Mr" is part of no one's name.)  If someone cares to link to "Dock of the Bay" they may go ahead and do so, but I won't.

But among my favorites:

 

 

 

 

[saf]

I used to think I didn't like Otis Redding. Then we went to Memphis, and in the Stax gift shop, my husband (who should never be allowed unsupervised in a record store while in possession of his credit cards) bought some Otis recordings.

I like everything except the very overplayed "Dock of the Bay."

(I also learned who Carla Thomas is from that trip. Now I like her too.)

[DonRocks]

On 5/28/2017 at 10:31 PM, saf said:

I used to think I didn't like Otis Redding. Then we went to Memphis, and in the Stax gift shop, my husband (who should never be allowed unsupervised in a record store while in possession of his credit cards) bought some Otis recordings.

I like everything except the very overplayed "Dock of the Bay."

(I also learned who Carla Thomas is from that trip. Now I like her too.)

I wonder how many people realize that Redding died at age 26 - he may have well still been alive today, and performing into this decade.