Family of musician Otis Redding creates children’s book in his memory

September 9, 2020

Jatrissa Wooten,

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)– September 9th is the birthday of late singer-songwriter Otis Redding. This month is also coined National Literacy Month — a time to encourage young people to read.

Karla Redding-Andrews — the daughter of the late musician and vice president of the Otis Redding Foundation — says the family created a book in honoring his legacy.

“Last year, we partnered with the publisher of Akashic Books books to do a neat little lyric children’s book entitled Respect,” Redding-Andrews said.

Redding-Andrews says the picture book illustrates ways one can earn respect.

“Every little kid should be able to express and experience that from their friends,” she said. “And it’s perfect for what we are going through in the country. Right now, there is such a need for all of us to understand the value of being respected and giving respect.”

Redding-Andrews says the inspiration for the book came from her father’s 1967 hit Respect which later became a signature song for the late Aretha Franklin.

Redding-Andrews says her father believed in love and respect, regardless of age, so creating a children’s book made sense.

She says before her father’s untimely death, he started an education camp to promote reading and writing for Macon’s underserved communities. “We wanted kids of all races, but we really wanted our black and brown kids represented throughout the book,” she said.

Redding-Andrews says she hopes the book lives just like the music of her father.