The late Otis Redding is being honored in a special way. On Thursday, Sept. 9 — what would have been the late Grammy-winning singer’s 80th birthday — the state of Georgia declared the day Otis Redding Day. Redding, the hitmaker behind 29 Billboard Hot 100 songs, was a Georgia native, born in the city of Dawson. He died in a plane crash on Dec. 10, 1967, at just 26 years old.
Otis Redding Day will be celebrated at The Otis Redding Museum in Macon, Ga., where the museum will showcase a new collection of memorabilia chronicling Redding’s life and music legacy. The collection is set to include handwritten notes, unseen photos and more from the late star.
On Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, DJ D-Nice will host a virtual Club Quarantine party in honor of Redding, who was popularly known as the King of Soul. The virtual fundraiser will benefit the Otis Redding Foundation. The philanthropic organization, established by Redding’s widow Zelma in 2007, will honor D-Nice with the Award of Respect.
In a post D-Nice shared on Instagram Wednesday (Sept. 8), he wrote, “My friends, Club Quarantine returns tomorrow and I’m excited to celebrate what would have been Otis Redding’s 80th Birthday! I’m going to rock a special set inside of CQ for the Legendary King of Soul. I will also be receiving the ‘Award of Respect’ from his wife Zelma Redding for my dedication to uniting the world with music. This is truly an honor.”
D-Nice later added, “When Otis was in his 20s he was providing scholarships for underserved youth with college aspirations and hosting a summer camp for elementary aged youth at his 300 acre ranch, with plans to present the camp annually before his passing.”
In addition to his philanthropic work, Redding saw much success in his own music career. His iconic 1968 smash hit record “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making it the first-ever song to appear at No. 1 on the chart after the artist had died. The tune charted for 16 weeks.
In August 2011, JAY-Z and Kanye West released their fan-favorite track “Otis,” featuring vocals from the late Redding. The song peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 10o and charted for 20 weeks. It peaked at No. 2 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay tally, where it charted for 20 weeks.
