Tom McNeely (Canadian, B. 1935) "Otis Redding" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover of the 29c Otis Redding American Music Series stamp issued June 16, 1993. As a high school student in Macon, Georgia, Otis Redding was so impressed by local blues-shouting singer Little Richard that he decided to pursue a full-time career as a professional musician himself. In 1959, at just 18, Redding was already on his way toward achieving that goal, cutting his first record, She's Alright. He continued to doggedly follow his dream for the next three years but with little success, until fate took a hand and propelled him to stardom. Visiting his friend Johnny Jenkins during a recording session in Memphis, Redding used Jenkins' left-over studio time to quickly cut These Arms of Mine, his first record to break into the Hot 100. Over the following four years, Redding charted with a number of other hits, including Try a Little Tenderness, Mr. Pitiful, and That's How Strong My Love Is. Redding's rendition of Jerry Butler's I've Been Loving You Too Long hit Number 21 in 1965. The up-tempo Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa also climbed the charts, reaching Number 29 in early 1967. But Redding's career was to be all too short. Eight years after rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in an airplane crash, history repeated itself. Redding and several members of his band were killed when their plane smashed into a frozen lake in Wisconsin on December 10, 1967. Ironically, the ballad Dock of the Bay, released a month later, became Redding's biggest hit. It reached the Top 10 in both the United States and Britain, ensuring his status as a Rock 'n' Roll legend. Image Size: 22 x 17 in. Overall Size: 29.5 x 24 in. Unframed. (B14287)