
Five Magnificent Years: On Otis Redding - tintinnabula
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/09/28/otis-redding-five-magnificent-years/
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jboggan
This man's life is definitely worth studying. Before it closed the Georgia
Music Hall of Fame in Macon, GA had a wonderful exhibit on Redding's life,
including much of his correspondence and newspaper interviews. He was
incredibly shrewd both in matters of business and culture at such an early
age, and I firmly believe that if he had not been taken so young that he would
have been a major force not just in the music business but in American
politics.

Also of note is that he married extremely well - Zelma Redding has a huge
story of her own. Due to the nature of the music business back then Otis
Redding owned none of his catalogue at the time of his death. Zelma took the
insurance money (from the plane, not life insurance on Otis) and used it to
systematically buy back his songs over the years, financing the next purchase
with the accrued royalties, until eventually his entire output was returned to
the family.

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epalmer
Zelma's work to buy back the catalog was a great move.

