Otis Redding to Receive Posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Otis Redding is about to get a little “Respect” – to borrow the title of one of his most famous compositions – from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The late soul music legend will be honored posthumously with a star on Friday, Oct. 4, at 11:30 a.m. PT at 6150 Hollywood Blvd. Redding’s star is in the category of live theatre/live performance. Five-time Grammy-winning producer (and previous Walk of Fame honoree) Jimmy Jam will emcee the star ceremony. Killer Mike, who won three Grammys in the rap field in February, will speak. Accepting the award will be the singer’s daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews. “The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is honored to dedicate a star to the legendary Otis Redding, whose music continues to inspire generations,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said in a statement. Redding has long been regarded as one of the greatest soul singers in popular music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 1999. Three of his recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame – his 1965 hit “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now),” his 1967 reinvention of the 1933 pop standard “Try a Little Tenderness” and his deeply moving 1968 classic “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay.” Aretha Franklin’s classic 1967 version of “Respect,” which Redding wrote and had the initial hit with in 1965, is also in the Grammy Hall. Redding had a volley of hits between 1964 and 1967. He even played at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. But less than six months later, on Dec. 10, 1967, he died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisc. en route to a concert. He was just 26. The first sign that his music would live on came when “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” shot to No. 1 in early 1968 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Top Selling R&B Singles (as the chart was then called). Redding also had a pair of top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the spring of 1968 – History of Otis Redding and The Dock of the Bay. In early 1969, “Dock of the Bay” won two Grammys – best rhythm & blues song and best rhythm & blues vocal performance, male. Redding’s influence continues through the work of the Otis Redding Foundation, ran by his widow Zelma and daughter Karla Redding-Andrews, which seeks to preserve his legacy through empowering music education for all youth. The star ceremony will be streamed live at WalkOfFame.com.