Otis Redding: Soul Ambassador
Fri May 31, 9-10pm, BBC4
The rollcall of famous fans paying tribute in this richly enjoyable profile includes Elton, Rod and Sir Tom (who inevitably crowbars in a compliment from Otis). The real insights, however, come from the backroom boys at record label Stax: the likes of Al Bell, Booker T and Steve Cropper, who joined Redding on the 1967 revue tour of Europe that turned him into a superstar and Stax, hitherto an oasis of racial integration and tolerance, in on itself in a frenzy of jealousy and ballooning egos.
His wife and daughter speak of him fondly too, although the suspicion lingers that Otis was less than a saint off-stage. But who wouldn’t fall for such an electrifying performer? The generous archive is, as so often, the main reason to tune in tonight.
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