The Boy Loved to Sing
Otis made it clear to those around him that he had talent, but his passion was singing. He often cited Little Richard and Sam Cooke as his influences. Redding had once said that he “would not be here” without Little Richard. In his own words, he said how he “entered the music business because of Richard – he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock ‘n’ Roll stuff. My present music has a lot of him in it.”
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But when Otis was 15, he had to put music on the back burner and leave school to help support his family. His father contracted tuberculosis and was frequently hospitalized, leaving his mother as the sole breadwinner. So, Otis had to hit the workforce. He got a job as a well digger, a gas station attendant, and even sometimes managed to get a gig as a musician.