Otis Redding is undeniably one of the most famous voices in soul music—and deservingly so. In his short career, the ’60s singer created a legacy that has shaped rock bands and soul divas alike.
(The Rolling Stones scored a career-defining hit with their take on Redding’s “Satisfaction,” and Redding’s “Respect” is Aretha Franklin’s signature hit.)
However, when contemporary music stars turned out to pay tribute to the late Redding, the caliber of talent probably wasn’t quite as high as the legend deserved.
At a ceremony attended by Redding’s widow and children, stars such as Kanye West protégé Estelle and rapper-turned-actor Ludacris were among the biggest names in the room, Yahoo! News reports. The event, held at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, also included performances by Kenny Lattimore, Dexter Redding, Otis Redding III and others.
It’s not that we don’t appreciate the fact that these stars, including the (somehow) Grammy-winning Estelle b-list star, turned out to pay tribute to Redding, we’re just shocked that there weren’t more big-name stars involved in this tribute to someone so important to the music world—rock, pop, soul, r&b and beyond.
26-year-old Otis Redding died in a plane crash in 1967, just before the release of the song that would become his biggest hit, posthumously: “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.”
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