The son and namesake of the legendary 1960s soul singer, Guitarist Otis Redding III has died from cancer at age 59, his family said Wednesday.
“It is with heavy hearts that the family of Otis Redding III confirms that he lost his battle with cancer last evening at Atrium Health Navicent in Macon, Ga. Otis was 59 years old. Please keep our family in your prayers at this time and please respect our privacy as we consume this huge loss. Arrangements will be announced at a later date,” said his sister, Karla Redding-Andrews, in a statement posted on the Facebook page of the Otis Redding Foundation, the family’s charity in Macon.
Redding was just 3 years old when his father, Otis Redding, perished along with several band members in a plane crash on Dec. 10, 1967. More than a decade later, the younger Redding and his brother, Dexter, formed the funk band The Reddings, which recorded six albums in the 1980s.
He was once hired for a European tour as guitarist for soul singer Eddie Floyd, under whose guidance the younger Redding became comfortable performing “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” and other songs of his famous father.
Otis Redding III, Who Followed Father Into Music, Died at 59
