This book is not just about Otis Redding, but also about his family’s life and the social injustice for over 200 years. Beginning with his birth and going back through grandmothers who worked as slaves you are given the feeling of hard work to make it. The author also takes you through the fifties and the record companies owned by African American, Imperial, Keen, King, to name a few. Being an avid record collector for years I knew this but I am sure others do not. Though a lot of this information is like reading a history book. Once you get to Otis Redding actually story the last part of the book. This is a really good story. The last 100 pages I thought were the best. Of course the author goes into everything after his death and the release of the song “Dock of the Bay “and then an album by the same title. This led for more albums to be released. You also get a look into the dealings of Sax records and some of the major players behind the scenes. Once again you see a musician being taken advantage of by executives. What the author brings out is how it was effected being in the South during the 60’s. All of this leads to a very good book with a lot of information. My one complaint is that too much information. Especially for someone who is just wanting to read about his life. Overall a good book.

Much of a shared approach with Gould's previous Beatles bio, "Can't Buy Me Love," Gould focuses not just on Otis Redding but the times in which he lived and the world he inherited. Doing so, while structurally daring - Redding, after the first chapter, doesn't make much of an appearance until nearly halfway into the book - this is highly effective. Providing this context explains the actions of every person examined but also serves to underscore just how decisive an artist Redding was.

This book is an improvement, to my mind, over Gould's very enjoyable Beatles bio in one respect; here, he spends far less time describing the sound of each song examined. In the Beatles bio, this was like describing one's own face, so familiar are the songs covered. Here, Gould seems to have more confidence that less description works better.

The reader comes away with an appreciation for the African American experience in the South, the achievement of the Stax label (and its limitations) and, above all, the towering status of Otis Redding as an artist.

LOVED THIS BOOK! As a huge Otis Reading fan, I was unsure whether to read this in case it knocked one of my idols off their pedestal but Jonathan Goulding has done a fabulous job and I couldn't turn the pages quick enough! Definitely one for the music lover in your life.

THIS. BOOK. It gets ALL the heart eye emojis from me. I have read a lot of biographies and biopics but this book is among the best of the best I've ever read.

If you have any interest whatsoever in musical biographies this book is a MUST. READ. It was so, so, so good! It's been on my Kindle app for months waiting for me to finally get to it. I started it a few days ago and it's an amazing read.

A deeply researched, well written account not just on the life of Otis Redding, but also the South, civil rights, music, and life in general.

One of the most interesting books I have read in a long time.

This is a good one. I was thrilled to get my hands on this book since I've been a fan of Otis's music for some time. Jonathan Gould has prepared a book that doesn't only give details on the life of Otis Redding, but also touches on some of Otis's contemporaries, such as Ray Charles, Little Richard, and Sam Cooke. You get a good idea of the role Otis played in the success of Stax Records. I liked that the book was more of a musical history than a TMZ-style gossip rag. Gould could just tell us about Otis and leave it at that. Instead we get a bit of history of Georgia and how black Americans lived much differently from whites in not just the Jim Crow south, but across the nation.
Due to a fire in his family's home as a teenager, photos and letters that might have existed were lost, leaving us rely on the accounts of Otis's friends, family, and colleagues to paint a portrait of this soul man. Despite input from some of Redding's living relatives, there is a significantly larger representation of Otis the business man rather than the family man. You see that Redding was more than a singer and an integral part in the history of Stax Records, soul music, and his own destiny.
Upon his death at 26, he was just reaching a new plateau in his career. He had just recorded (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay which turned out to be his biggest hit and was part of a recording session that ushered in a new side of Otis, with a bit more depth to his lyrics and some more self - reflection.
The history lessons were a bit dense, making some parts a little slow to read. If you aren't musical yourself, some of the descriptors might be a bit difficult to follow. I give this 4.5 stars but the general breadth of information has me rounding up to 5 here.

I bailed on this read. I wanted to read about Odis, but this book read like a college text book. No flow. Just how many big words can the author use is one sentence (and believe me...50 is too many!). I usually do not like to post bad reviews. I do not want to damage someone's hard work based on my opinion. However, this book needs some major adjustment to make a good biography.

Author Jonathan Gould is not fooling around. You want to read about the brilliant, died-too-soon singer Otis Redding? Ok, but first Gould is gonna school you on how all of American music is inextricably tied up with race. He'll give a sharp, knowing rundown of the minstrel shows that swept the nation, why record labels embraced hillbilly music (ie. country) but turned its nose up at "race" records (yep, prejudice), the rise of radio stations and why a focus on r&b only happened when TV stole the attention of most households and so on. In lesser hands, this might have felt like padding out on life short on details (Redding was rarely interviewed, kept no journal and so on). Not here. Gould begins with Redding's ancestors and charts his career and the rise of indie r&b record labels (obviously including Stax) in very engaging detail. The book begins with Redding's monumental performance at Monterey, flashes back to the beginning and ends with his creative leap with the song "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," a song so terrific it might well have hit #1 on the charts even if he hadn't died tragically in a plane crash months earlier. One can't help wondering what this 26 year old just coming into his own might have accomplished. But Gould does justice to what he did achieve and paints a vivid, passionate picture of how one can't appreciate Redding or the rise of soul music without learning more about the never-ending struggle over race in America. -- Michael Giltz

An aptly titled biography, because his life was indeed unfinished. In fact, it could be said his professional singing career had just entered a new plateau. His best-selling song, Dock of the Bay was just completed before the tragic plane crash that took the life of Otis Redding. It was released posthumously to great fanfare selling a million copies and hitting number one on the charts. With this sweeping biography we get the details of Otis Redding’s life and his rise to become the King of Soul; firmly situated in the social dynamics that were at play in America, and the south, specifically Georgia. The author does an adequate job of setting the social table and is fair in describing the paternalistic attitude that existed amongst whites in reference to Blacks in Otis’s hometown of Macon.

He extends this impartiality while writing about the music business, white managers and Black talent. The prose is steady, giving you a real sense of what it was like to make records, tour the country and compete with other artists of your time. In Otis Redding’s case he had to contend with the star of James Brown, Little Richard briefly and Sam Cooke who died three years earlier than Otis. Otis had remarked after learning of Sam Cooke’s untimely passing, “I want to fill the silent vacuum that was left when Sam Cooke died.” As this biography details, Otis did indeed fill that vacuum. If you’ve ever heard any Otis Redding record, you would know why his voice is the one most identified with ‘soul.’ If you haven’t heard any song from Otis Redding, I would suggest buying this book and as the songs are being described listen to them and see if you can feel the author’s intense descriptions of horns, keyboards and drums, and how they combine with voice to make a great or bad recording.

It isn't necessary to be an Otis Redding fan to enjoy this biography, if you are a music fan, young or old and always wondered about the term 'soul music' this is certainly not a bad place to begin. I received this advance e-book from Netgalley in return for a review. The book publishes May 16, 2017.

As a huge music fan I love reading bios. I grew up listening to old school R&B so when this bio of Otis Redding came up I had to read it. I found this read interesting, while I didn't find out anything new I did enjoy reading about Otis and his rise to fame. This is a must for any music fan!

In addition to being a biography about Otis Redding, this book also talks about the area around him and what the times were like for everyone as a bit more of background so you can really understand what was going on at the time. I was sad to see that only 1 photo had survived from Otis' childhood. Otis knew that Sitting on the Dock of the Bay was going to be his million dollar selling song, but I don't think he realized that just days after recording it in 1967 he would be killed in a plane crash and it would top the charts becoming the first posthumous single to top the charts in the US. Many used Otis' death as a commercial opportunity to make money by selling his records. This was a very interesting and very thorough biography and a very sad story.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

This book doesn't just contain Otis Redding's story, but also information about his time. It's a history of African American families and covers the racial tensions, struggles, and social challenges he and his family endured throughout their lives. The author also touches on other artists including Ray Charles, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and Johnny Jenkins.

Those who aren't sure who Otis Redding is might remember him by some of his most popular songs like: "(Sitting on) the Dock of the Bay", "Try a Little Tenderness", and "Respect" (sang by Aretha Franklin). He was a singer, songwriter, and producer. His story reminds us how powerful and influential music was during the civil rights movement.
___________

Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time
___________

He had an astounding career before his life was cut short like some other great singers of that time including Sam Cooke. It's heartbreaking to think what his family experienced when he died.

This book is impressive, jam-packed with information, and includes many photos. I recommend it to Otis Redding fans, and anyone who wants to learn more about him.

5*****

Comprehensive, informative, and we'll written. It is as much about the America of Otis Redding, as the man himself. The most interesting aspect is what could have been if he had more time. An unfinished life indeed.

This was a very concise and clear book on the great Otis Redding. Very information, holds your attention. I would go so far as to call this book a must have for all Otis Redding fan's. What a life this man lived, and I do wonder what the world would have held for this dynamic man. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest reivew. Outstanding book!!! Kudos to Mr. Gould.