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Dock of the Bay (part 2)  It’s 50 years on Sunday since Redding and four of his band members perished while flying to a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. To this day the cause of the crash remains a mystery. Born in Georgia in 1941, Redding left school when he was 15 and worked as a well driller but his dream was to be a musician. The former Baptist church choir member performed at talent shows to win cash to support his family and became a backing singer for Little Richard.  Like many successful touring musicians in that era Redding had purchased a private plane for him and his band The Bar-Kays to crisscross the vast US. On December 9 they appeared on a TV show in Cleveland, Ohio, and next day set out to fly the 500 miles to Madison, Wisconsin, where they were due to perform at The Factory nightclub.  It was a filthy day and it’s claimed that pilot Richard Fraser was warned about stormy weather, but decided to take off. James Brown also claimed in his autobiography, The Godfather Of Soul, that he warned Redding not to fly. The Beechcraft plane was four miles from its destination when Fraser radioed for permission to land. > >>>>>>> WARNING>>>>> DO NOT PROCEED IF GRAPHIC CONTENT BOTHERS YOU<<<<< > > > > > > > > > > >  Then on its approach the aircraft plunged into icy Lake Monona, coming to rest briefly on the surface before disappearing.  Four band members, their valet and the pilot died along with Redding whose body was found the next day still strapped in his seat.  He’d been knocked unconscious on impact and drowned. The sole survivor was trumpet player Ben Cauley, a non-swimmer, who was thrown clear and clung to a cushion until he was rescued. He died in 2015, aged 67. Another band member, James Alexander, lived because he travelled by commercial aircraft as there was no room on board the Beechcraft.  Eight days after the crash 4,500 mourners attended Redding’s funeral, in Macon, Georgia and Dock Of The Bay was released in early January 1968 on a tide of emotion. The cause of the fatal crash was never established, although numerous theories have been put forward including sabotage.  More likely it was a combination of the poor weather and pilot error, but that year alone there were more than 600 fatal crashes in the US involving private aircraft and investigations were not thorough. However, it was noted that the pilot was used to flying in the warmer south and was unfamiliar with the wintry conditions in Wisconsin.  Jonathan Gould, author of a biography of Redding called An Unfinished Life, says: “The great tragedy is that Otis Redding had everything to live for. With the impending release of Dock Of The Bay he was on the cusp of a new kind of musical success. It went on to become one of the world’s mostplayed songs.” |
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12/9/2017 5:35 pm |
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
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12/9/2017 5:35 pm |
Watchin' the tide, roll away
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12/9/2017 5:41 pm |
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay...
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12/9/2017 6:31 pm |
wasting time.............
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What a tragic end to a young song writer and performer. The song will live on forever. It's one of my all time faves.
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12/9/2017 10:23 pm |
What a tragic end to a young song writer and performer. The song will live on forever. It's one of my all time faves.
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the world gives but takes so much. they forget about the other performers of the Bar-Kays that passed away in the crash. but to this day he's on the mount Rushmore of soul singers
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Makes you wonder if the song looking out to the water singing at the bay (the lake Monona) from the dock was a premonition of his end of life into the other side of a mysterious infinite. hmm! Perhaps a ghost is at a dock on that lakeshore?
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12/10/2017 8:03 am |
the world gives but takes so much. they forget about the other performers of the Bar-Kays that passed away in the crash. but to this day he's on the mount Rushmore of soul singers
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12/10/2017 8:05 am |
Makes you wonder if the song looking out to the water singing at the bay (the lake Monona) from the dock was a premonition of his end of life into the other side of a mysterious infinite. hmm! Perhaps a ghost is at a dock on that lakeshore?
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