Otis Ray Redding Jr., born September 9th, 1941, Dawson, Georgia, U.S., was a singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He's regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding's style of singing was inspired by the gospel music that preceded the genre, while influencing many other soul artists of the '60s. During his lifetime, his recordings were produced by Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee.