A plane crash following a concert in Madison, Wisconsin took the life of Otis Redding on this date in 1967. Despite an all-too-short career, the acclaimed 26-year-old soul singer is recognized among the greatest vocalist to ever utter sound into a microphone. In honor of Redding, here’s a look back at seven sets performed back in 1966 at the historic Whisky A Go Go club in Hollywood, California.
Redding held court at The Whisky from April 8 through April 10 in 1966, performing two sets on the 8th, three sets on the 9th and two more on the 10th. Earlier this year the complete remastered recordings of the entire run at The Whisky A Go Go culled from the original 4-track analog tapes were released comprising 65 tracks and nearly five hours of live Otis.
The residency was attended by such fellow now-legendary musicians as Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson of The Band, Van Morrison and Robby Krieger of The Doors. Here’s Robertson’s recollection of his experience seeing Redding in Hollywood:
Just before heading overseas on Bob Dylan’s 1966 ‘Going Electric’ tour, we heard that Otis was playing at the Whisky. He was my favorite singer at that time. Bob and I decided to go check it out and Otis didn’t disappoint. He sang with such power and passion it took your breath away. We got to spend time with him and his manager Phil Walden after the show. It was a night I’ll never forget.
Included in the Live At The Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings collection are such Redding favorites as “Pain In My Heart,” “These Arms Of Mine,” “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” “Respect” and others. He also covered The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night.” Stream the complete Whisky collection below:
