[badassbaldbastard]

Otis Redding, a music icon, died on December 10, 1967. Redding, age 26, perished in a plane crash in Wisconsin's Lake Monona. The crash occurred at approximately 3:28 PM, in foggy and icy conditions, claiming the lives of Redding and six others, including members of his band, The Bar-Kays. The only survivor was Ben Cauley, a trumpeter of the band.

Redding, known for his deep, emotive voice and passionate performances, was at the peak of his career. Just three days before his death, he had recorded the now-iconic song "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which posthumously became his biggest hit and the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts in the U.S. The crash's cause was never definitively determined, though it was speculated that poor visibility and inexperience with the specific aircraft model may have been contributing factors.

Pictures Below Show:
Ben Cauley-survivor
The Bar-Kays-4 of the six died.
Otis Redding with his plane.
Otis Redding's body still buckled in his seat.

[murofhsirgo]

cool post thanks for sharing

[kellyhound]

stiff as a board. great post
few more.

[Bruiseviolet]

Surprisingly intact for a plane crash. Going out still strapped in your seat

[gimlet]

Guy I know was in the crowd in Madison, Wisconsin waiting for Otis Redding to take the stage. MC came onstage and said Otis's plane had crashed. Some women started crying and then everyone left...

[gimlet]

More from WIKI:

By 1967 the band was traveling to performances in Redding's Beechcraft H18. On December 9, 1967, they appeared on the Upbeat television show produced in Cleveland. They played three concerts in two nights at a club called Leo's Casino.[51][58][59] After a phone call with Zelma and their children, Redding's next stop was Madison, Wisconsin; the next day they were to play at the Factory nightclub, near the University of Wisconsin.[58][60]

Although the weather was poor, with heavy rain and fog and despite warnings, the plane took off.[61] Four miles (6.4 km) from their destination at Truax Field in Madison, the pilot radioed for permission to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed into Lake Monona. Bar-Kays member Ben Cauley, the accident's sole survivor,[51] was sleeping shortly before the accident. He woke just before impact to see bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and exclaim, "Oh, no!" Cauley said the last thing he remembered before the crash was unbuckling his seat belt. He then found himself in frigid water, grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat.[53] A non-swimmer, he was unable to rescue the others.[62] The cause of the crash was never determined.[63] James Brown claimed in his autobiography The Godfather of Soul that he had warned Redding not to fly in the plane.[64]

Aretha Franklin stated, "I heard it on the TV. My sister Caroline and I stopped everything and stayed glued to the TV and radio. It was a tragedy. Shocking."[65] Other victims were pilot Richard Fraser,[66] drummer Matthew Kelly, lead guitarist of the Bar-Kays Jimmy King, tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones, organist Ronnie Caldwell and drummer Carl Cunningham.[67]

Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lake bed was searched.[68] The family postponed the funeral from December 15 to 18 so that more could attend.[65] The service took place at the City Auditorium in Macon. More than 4,500 people came to the funeral, overflowing the 3,000-seat hall, although many did not know who he was. Johnny Jenkins and Isaac Hayes did not attend, fearing their reaction would be worse than Zelma Redding's.[69] Redding was entombed at his ranch in Round Oak, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Macon.[70] Jerry Wexler delivered the eulogy.[71] Redding died just three days after recording "The Dock of the Bay".[72][51] He was survived by Zelma and three children, Otis III, Dexter and Karla.[73] Otis, Dexter and cousin Mark Lockett later founded the Reddings, a band managed by Zelma.[74] She also maintained or worked at the janitorial service Maids Over Macon, several nightclubs and booking agencies.[75] On November 8, 1997, a memorial plaque was placed on the lakeside deck of the Madison convention center, Monona Terrace.[76]

[SirX70]

One of the doors from the plane used to be in a display at the Hard Rock Hotel, Vegas. Maybe it's still there - been years since I've been there.

[Pyramid_Head]

Still strapped in his seat...wow.

[><0300><]

Awesome post

[Moonshine&Molly]

Someone help me out here- what's sticking out of his mouth?

Ditto to whoever posted about the condition of his body, it's the best I've ever seen anyone look who died in a plane crash.