State of Georgia to declare Sept. 9 ‘Otis Redding Day,’ on what would have been soul legend’s 80th birthday

Otis Redding is getting shown some “Respect.”

Sept. 9 would have been the 80th birthday of the late soul legend, who was the original singer of the song that made Aretha Frankin the “Queen of Soul.”

To commemorate the milestone, the “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” crooner’s home state of Georgia will declare that day “Otis Redding Day.”

The official proclamation will be announced during an event Thursday at The Otis Redding Museum in Macon, Georgia. The venue will also unveil a new collection of Redding memorabilia that will celebrate the Redding’s life, legacy and his influence on the world.

The exhibit will feature handwritten notes, unseen photos and more about the Dawson, Georgia, native, known as the “King of Soul,” who called Macon his hometown.

Macon recently launched a new art exhibition “INSPIRED BY OTIS” in partnership with Macon Arts Alliance, showcasing local artists’ works of art inspired by Redding and his legacy. The exhibition runs through Sept. 24.

To coincide with the octogenarian birthday, Rhino will release new immersive Dolby Atmos mixes of seven of Otis’ popular recordings – “These Arms of Mine,” “Pain in My Heart,” “Love Man,” “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” and the classic holiday covers “Merry Christmas Baby” and “White Christmas” – to all streaming platforms that feature immersive audio.

Also on Thursday, DJ D-Nice will host a Redding birthday celebration as part of one of his Club Quarantine virtual parties on Instagram, starting at 8 p.m. EDT.

For his support of Redding’s legacy, the popular deejay will receive the Award of RESPECT from The Otis Redding Foundation, a philanthropic organization that was established in 2007 by his widow, Zelma Redding.

This fall, a series of special remixes of classic Redding songs created by various artists will be released. The first of the series, launching Thursday, will be a remix of his classic 1967 duet with Carla Thomas, “Tramp,” by Australian electronic duo Korky Buchek.

Redding died in a Dec. 10, 1967, plane crash in Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. He was 26.

The tragedy occurred just three days after he finished recording his enduring soul ballad “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.”