Yet an aura of myth and mystery has always surrounded his life, which was tragically cut short at the height of his career by a plane crash in December 1967. As the architect of the distinctly southern, gospel-inflected style of rhythm & blues associated with Stax Records in Memphis, Redding made music that has long served as the gold standard of 1960s soul. Otis Redding remains an immortal presence in the canon of American music on the strength of such classic hits as '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay,' 'I've Been Loving You Too Long,' 'Try a Little Tenderness,' and 'Respect,' a song he wrote and recorded before Aretha Franklin made it her own. Save your Vroman's receipt it will be checked when you enter the signing line.The long-awaited, definitive biography of The King of Soul, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Redding's iconic performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

This policy applies to all Vroman's Bookstore events unless otherwise noted. For each purchased copy of the newest title, customers may bring up to three copies from home to be signed. Those wishing to get books signed will be asked to purchase at least one copy of the author's most recent title from Vroman's. His indelible portrait of Redding and the mass acceptance of soul music in the 1960s is both a revealing look at a brilliant artist and a provocative exploration of the tangled history of race and music in America that resonates strongly with the present day. His book never lets us forget that the boundaries between black and white in popular music were becoming porous during the years when racial tensions were reaching a height throughout the United States. In chronicling the story of Redding's life and music, Gould also presents a social history of the time and place from which they emerged.

Yet an aura of myth and mystery has always surrounded his life, which was tragically cut short at the height of his career by a plane crash in December 1967. In Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life, Jonathan Gould finally does justice to Redding's incomparable musical artistry, drawing on exhaustive research, the cooperation of the Redding family, and previously unavailable sources of information to present the first comprehensive portrait of the singer's background, his upbringing, and his professional career.

Otis Redding by Jonathan Gould