The Otis Redding song that made Rod Stewart cry his eyes out
There are very few genres that Rod Stewart hasn’t tackled, and those he has stayed away from are probably better for it. While ‘Sweet Caroline’ might be an acceptable cover, people aren’t in a hurry to hear Stewart take on death metal or grime. He has excelled in the genres that he has dabbled in. Many have called him one of the best singers of his generation, and when you see what kind of impact he had on various styles and sounds, it’s pretty tough to disagree with them.
That being said, there is no escaping that, before any other genre, Rod Stewart is a soul man. He has an incredibly unique vocal tone, which, when applied to soul music, gives it a new edge which wasn’t there before he picked up a microphone. He impacted soul so much that even royalty such as James Brown acknowledged it, saying Stewart was one of the greatest living white soul singers.
With such a love for the genre, it is hardly surprising that soul music was engrained into Rod Stewarts’ brain early on. There are undoubtedly several different artists he discovered that had a significant influence on him, but none were more of an inspiration than Otis Redding.
Otis Redding remains a giant of the genre. The fact that he was only 26 at the time of his death but is still considered one of the best to take to the stage and is a constant gateway for people into the genre says everything you need to know about his impact. One of those people who he helped get into soul music was Rod Stewart, who was brought to tears at a gig when he saw Redding perform his hit ‘Try a Little Tenderness‘.
Stewart still cites this as one of his favourite songs of all time, and it was likely his seeing this performance that planted the song so firmly in his heart. “I saw Otis in 1967 at the Kuban State, and I cried my eyes out when he sang that song,” said Stewart, reminiscing on that memorable evening. “What was interesting about the show is that he only played for 20 minutes, they have booked Booker T & the MG’s, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave and they all did 10, 20 minutes and the show all over in an hour and a half.”
Stewart never tried to copy Redding’s style; that’s not how inspiration works. When you witness a moment in music that is so powerful it brings you to tears, what else is there to do other than try and contribute to that thing that moved you so much? That’s what Stewart did with his career, and whilst he isn’t Otis Redding, in his defence, neither is anybody else.
Redding had a vocal ability that is tough to put into words; the way that he projected his voice managed to uncover feelings that people weren’t even aware they had, and even as time passed and music changed, he continues to have that impact today. When you think about what he did in his short career, who he inspired and what music owes to him… it’s enough to make a grown man cry.
