Otis Redding, the iconic artist behind some of the most enduring songs of the 20th century, is finally receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The musician—who died in 1967 at the age of 26—will receive his star on Friday morning, October 4. Frequent Janet Jackson collaborator and Grammy winner Jimmy Jam will emcee the ceremony, while Killer Mike will speak and Redding’s daughter Karla Redding-Andrews will accept the honor on her late father’s behalf. Fans can watch the ceremony live on WalkOfFame.com at 11:30 am PT.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is honored to dedicate a star to the legendary Otis Redding, whose music continues to inspire generations,” Walk Of Fame producer Ana Martinez said in a press release.
As a singer, Redding is perhaps best known for his single “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay,” which became the first single to posthumously top the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in January of 1968. Other singles like “Try A Little Tenderness” and “Mr. Pitiful” have also become classics, but his most indelible musical contribution may be “Respect,” a song that Redding wrote which came to be known as the signature song for Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Franklin’s version of the song was named the greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2021.
Of course, Redding had no shortage of honors before his Walk Of Fame ceremony, even if most of them came after his death in a plane crash. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” received 2 Grammy Awards at the 11th annual ceremony in 1969. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, and was welcomed into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame five years later. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1999, and three of his songs—“Try A Little Tenderness”, “Dock Of The Bay”, and “I’ve Been Lovin’ You Too Long (To Stop Now)”— are in the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
Listen to the best of Otis Redding now.
