Otis!: The Otis Redding Story [Hardcover]

Scott Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2001

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Before his death in 1967 at the age of 26, the legendary soul singer Otis Redding was the premier act of the Stax-Volt record company, whose recordings by Booker T. & the MG's and Sam & Dave, among others, offered a Southern-based brew of R&B, funk and blues that was Motown Records' main competitor in the mid- to late-1960s. Freeman, whose excellent Midnight Riders explored the Allman Brothers' revolutionary Southern rock, has produced another well-written, expertly researched and culturally sensitive chapter in the history of Southern popular music, as well as the first truly in-depth view of the man whose powerful stage presence and commanding vocals made him the first soul artist to cross over to a predominantly white, rock-oriented audience. Redding's music is given its proper context in the black community of Macon, Ga. which also produced Little Richard and James Brown and in the managing career of Phil Walden, a young white soul fan who managed and directed Redding's career and began a Macon-based musical empire that, unlike most Southern labels, achieved success based on a true unity of black and white musicians . But Freeman is no hagiographer: he makes it clear that both Redding and Walden were tough characters with their eyes on the money, too. This nuanced account of Redding's celebrated career, which ended only three days after he recorded the song "The Dock of the Bay," proves that he deserves his place in the pantheon of great American singers. Eight pages of photos not seen by PW. (Dec.) Forecast: With a national radio campaign and supported by the enduring popularity of Redding's music, this should be a success with audiences interested in classic American roots music.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"He knew this was the record that was going to open a door long nailed shut; he just never got to step inside." That is how Freeman describes "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay," Redding's first No. 1 hit on both the R&B and pop charts in 1968. The song was another confirmation of Redding's skill as well as his break into the white artist-dominated mainstream. Sadly, he died in a plane crash days after recording it in 1967. As editor of Atlanta magazine and author of the critically acclaimed Midnight Riders: The Story of the Allman Brothers Band (Scott Freeman, 1995) Freeman, as only a Georgia native can, forthrightly portrays his subject's life from his meager, sometimes criminal, beginnings as a Little Richard wannabe in Macon, GA, to his rise to King of Soul with his fiery sessions for Stax Records and legendary performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival. With industrious research and countless interviews with Georgia musicians and locals, Otis! not only chronicles Redding's story but also explains how Motown rival Stax crafted its country-soul sound with a roster that included Booker T. and the MG's and James Brown. Jane Schiesel's The Otis Redding Story (1973) has long been out of print, so this update is welcome. For all public libraries. Eric Hahn, Fargo, ND
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (December 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312262175
• ISBN-13: 978-0312262174
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Rhythm & Blues

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Depth, August 28, 2006

By 

M. Buisman "Martijn Buisman" (Amsterdam, NL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Otis!: The Otis Redding Story (Paperback)

Don't get me wrong, it's a good biography of Otis, but it lacks a certain depth. It is somewhat one-sided and could have done with a lot more research and more interviews. As previous reviewers have already mentioned, would have been nice to hear from more people.

What is also completely lacking is the role that Otis played in American music, american history and what he meant for the black population. There are some hints towards it, but it is never fully explored. It could have been about any artist, there is no real sense that Otis was one of the most gifted and most important soul stars.

In that sense it's a little dissappointing, but to get a good overview of his life, the album is worth giving a look.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Freeman Does A Fine Job!, February 2, 2002

By 

Fred Decker (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Otis!: The Otis Redding Story (Hardcover)

Everything I have ever read about Otis Redding portrays him as perfect. He was a great singer, a great performer, and everybody loved him. Scott Freeman does a good job of showing a more complete Otis Redding. Sometimes Otis is surprising. He once got in complete a gun fight! The best part of the book is the research Scott Freeman did into the music scene that Otis lived in. Freeman played guitar in an R & B band in Macon, Georgia in the 1980's while writing for the Macon Telegraph and News. Many of the old musicians were still active and would sit in with the band. Freeman interviewed many of the old timers for this book, and their memories fill in the details of those times. This is a valuable book for Otis Redding fans!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Freeman Does A Fine Job!, February 2, 2002

By 

Fred Decker (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Otis!: The Otis Redding Story (Hardcover)

I have enjoyed Otis Redding's music for a long time, but I never realized how little I actually knew about him. Everything I have ever read about Otis Redding portrays him as close to perfect. He was a great singer, a great performer, and everybody loved him. That's nice, but what was he really like? Scott Freeman does a good job of showing a more complete and therefore more human Otis Redding. There are some definite surprises. Did you know that Otis once got in a gun fight? Scott Freeman did some nice research into the musical world that Otis lived in. He started this research almost by accident. Freeman played guitar in an R & B band in Macon, Georgia in the 1980's while writing for the Macon Telegraph and News. Many of the old musicians from Otis' times were still active and would sit in with the band. They were still playing great, and Freeman got interested in them. He wound up interviewing many of the old timers for this book, and their memories fill in the details of those times. This is a valuable book for Otis Redding fans!