Otis Redding was a renowned singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout known for such classic hits as “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” and “Try a Little Tenderness”. One of the most famous and beloved American soul and rhythm and blues singers of all time, Otis was tragically lost at the height of his career in a plane crash into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin on December 9, 1967 while trying to get to his show in Madison which was happening the next day.

The Otis Redding memorial plaque is installed in a rooftop garden that overlooks Lake Monona. There are benches around the plaque that allow for sitting and reflection. As with most memorials we have ventured to, this visit was indeed a somber one. It’s terrible tragic to think of such a talented individual being lost at only age 26.

GRIM FACTS AND GRISLY DETAILS

• The song “Dock of the Bay”, written shortly before Redding’s death was the first posthumous number one on both the Billboard 100 and R & B charts.
• Redding won two posthumous Grammy Awards for “Dock of the Bay” in 1969 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
• The Madison concert that was scheduled the day after the crash is the only show Redding ever missed.