Before Otis Redding played Monterey Pop in 1967, his shows had been primarily for black R&B audiences. But Monterey was mostly white flower children (you can get a good idea of the demographic from the first couple minutes of the video). With the help of Booker T and the MG’s, it’s safe to say Otis left with a few more fans than he came with. Folks got turned on to something special that night.
Otis and the band closed the show with Try a Little Tenderness, and he sang an extra chorus before leaving stage, saying “I got to go, y’all, I don’t want to go”. Pretty fitting, as he died in a plane crash 6 months later, just 26 years old.
Gone too soon, but we still have this. For all the miniskirts. Now dig.