The soul music sensation — who died tragically in a 1967 plane crash at the age of 26 — would turn 70 on Friday, September 9th. In celebration of his life, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music will host a new show: "Otis Redding: I've Got Dreams to Remember — An Exhibit from the Private Collection of Zelma Redding." An opening reception will be held at Stax on September 8th from 5;30-7:30 p.m. The public is invited and light refreshments will be served.
While some items in the exhibit were shown in 2007 at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia — Redding's hometown, which is also celebrating his memory with "An Evening of Respect" — some have never been on public display. These come from Redding's Big O Ranch outside Macon. Among these items are the two Grammy statues the singer won after his death for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," — the sixth most aired song in history — which Redding wrote with Steve Cropper and recorded just a month before the plane crash in Wisconsin on December 10, 1967. Also killed were members of Redding's traveling band, The Bar-Kays.
Other items reflect Redding's life as a businessman and party host. For instance, you'll see the grocery and supply list Redding wrote while prepping for an all-night barbecue at his ranch in 1967; and a hand-written press release that states, "The biggest mistake of my career has been not recording Bob Dylan's 'Just Like a Woman.'"
The exhibit will run through March 31, 2012. For more information, go to http://www.staxmuseum.com/visit/exhibits/view/otis-redding-i-ve-got-dreams-to-remember.
