Shortly before Genesis formed, their future singer gave a performance that changed his relationship with music
Founded in 1967, the Genesis had not yet officially formed when Peter Gabriel He watched, by chance, the best show of his life. The future lead singer of one of the biggest progressive rock bands in history was working with other musicians when he checked out the legendary Otis Redding on stage.
The experience was reported by the artist in 1986, during an interview with the magazine Spin. At the time, Gabriel He was already on a solo career.
The situation occurred in mid-1966. Peter says that he distanced himself a little from the colleagues who would give rise to the Genesis the following year to play drums in an R&B covers group, the Spoken Word.
With his new partners, he paid a visit to the Ram Jam Club, a place in London that would go down in the history of the ska and R&B scene. The artist reported what he saw and heard that night:
I don’t think there was a white face visible other than mine and it was the best show of my life as a spectator. Otis Redding was singing, with Wayne Jackson on the trumpet, and that night I met my heroes. Otis shot in ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and the public response was extraordinary. I stayed in the middle of the club, as close to the front as I could be without drawing attention to myself.”
In fact, the performance changed the trajectory of Gabriel. It guarantees:
There I decided that I wanted to be a musician for the rest of my life.”
The rest is history for Peter Gabriel
Shortly after the reported event, two bands merged into one. Peter Gabriel and Tony Banksfrom garden walltogether with Andy Phillips and Mike Rutherfordfrom The Anoncreated the Genesis.
The new group made history with sound innovations that were certainly inspired, at least on the vocalist’s part, by the presentation of Otis Redding that night last year.
About Otis Redding
Otis Reddingnot for nothing called the “King of Soul”, was one of the most important artists in American music. His singing style, based on gospel sounds, influenced several other vocalists of different styles.
The very rock in which Peter Gabriel has established itself, has several fans of Redding. Musicians from Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Grateful Dead cited him as an influence.
Two of his children, Dexter and Otis Redding IIIkept their father’s legacy alive in the following decades.
In 1967, not long after the performance that Gabriel witnessed, a plane with Reddingaged 26 at the time, and his backing band at the time, the Bar-Kaysfell into a lake in the US state of Wisconsin. The only survivor of the accident was the trumpeter Ben Cauleywho passed away in 2015.
Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
