On its final approach to Madison, Wisconsin on December 10, 1967, the into the frigid waters of a small lake three miles short of the runway, killing seven of the eight men aboard, including Redding. His megahit “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” would be released in its “unfinished” form several weeks later. It would soon become history’s first posthumous #1 hit and the biggest pop hit of Redding’s career.
When left his final recording session in Memphis, he intended to return soon to the song he’d been working on—“Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.” He still had to replace a whistled verse thrown in as a placeholder with additional lyrics that he’d yet to write. In the meantime, however, there was a television appearance to make in Cleveland, followed by a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. And so he boarded the fateful flight.
In the six months leading up to his death, Otis Redding had gone from one great success to another. In June, had taken a cover version of his song “Respect” all the way to #1 on the pop charts. Later that same month, the adulation of the young audience of rock fans at the Monterey International Pop Festival had transformed him into an icon of the blossoming counterculture thanks to his blistering, now-legendary live performance there. But if Otis Redding was only beginning to gain momentum within the largely white mainstream in 1967, he was already a giant in the world of soul music.
