How Otis Redding Created His Masterpiece Before His Tragic Death
Otis Redding was one of the greatest soul singers of all time, but he never got to see the full impact of his music. He died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, at the age of 26, just three days after he recorded his most famous song, (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.
The song was inspired by his stay on a houseboat in Sausalito, California, where he watched the ships come and go and felt a sense of peace and tranquility. He had just performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in June, where he wowed the audience with his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. He was ready to take his career to the next level, and he wanted to explore new musical directions.
He collaborated with his producer and guitarist Steve Cropper, who helped him finish the lyrics and added the whistling and the sound effects of the waves. Cropper recalled how Redding came up with the idea for the song: “He had this little guitar riff he’d been playing for a while. He said, ‘I’ve got this idea for a song.’ He started singing it to me. It was one of those things where you…
