Otis Redding III, the youngest child of 1960s soul singer Otis Redding, has passed away at 59 after a battle with cancer.
Otis’ sister, Karla Redding-Andrews shared the news on Facebook on Wednesday, April 19, through her father’s foundation page.
“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.,” she wrote. “…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.”
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Otis Redding III Followed in His Father’s Iconic Footsteps
Otis Redding III was only 3 years old when his father died at 26 in a plane crash that also killed four members of the Bar-Kays band.
His mother, Zelma, raised him and his three siblings on the family’s 300-acre Big O Ranch in Colorado where Otis Redding is buried. He and his brother Dexter followed in their father’s footsteps and formed a funk band called The Reddings in the 1980s with their cousin, Mark Lockett. Otis played guitar alongside Dexter on the bass and Mark on the keyboard. Zelma managed the trio.
Together, the group dropped six albums, with their last in 1988. According to the New York Times, The Reddings hit the Billboard charts a few times during their run. Remote Control hit No. 6 on the Hot Soul Singles. And their final record landed at No. 88 on the Billboard album chart.
While he was never officially attached to another band, Otis continued performing throughout his life. He went played guitar for Eddie Floyd during a European tour. And In 2018, he played at Carnegie Hall during a tribute concert for his father.
Otis Redding III spent the years of his life working with The Otis Redding Foundation, which Zelma formed in 2007.
In his life, the original soul singer worked to award students with college scholarship. And his wife continued those effort after he passed. The foundation expanded on those efforts with summer camps that focused on music classes for children. Along with helping his mother manage the charity, he also sat at the board president for his local Meals on Wheels program, reports the Associated Press.
Otis Redding III is survived by Zelma, Karla, Dexter, and his sister, Demetria Redding.
