Sitting in a houseboat in Sausalito, CA, overlooking San Francisco Bay, 51-years ago, was the inspiration for Otis Redding’s now classic (“Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” which he later put to words and music with co-writer Steve Cropper, the legendary Memphis guitarist, who also co-wrote “In the Midnight Hour.”
(“Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” topped both the Pop and R&B charts in 1968, and today it’s formally recognized by music publishing organization BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) as the sixth most performed song of the 20th century.
Redding was 26-years old when he died in a plane crash in Madison, WI in 1967.
I had the pleasure of working for Stax Records in the ’70’s, several years after Otis’ death. I would have really loved to have met him. He was very special and this record was magic. I did get to meet both Steve Cropper and got to become friends with Donald “Duck” Dunn. Duck had many wonderful stories about Otis, many of them about the European Stax tour that Otis became the star of. Check out Otis Live in Europe! Thank you for featuring this wonderful song.