Otis Redding died in a plane crash. He was only 26 years old.

What happened

On December 10, 1967, Otis Redding was flying to a scheduled concert in Madison, Wisconsin, when his small twin‑engine plane crashed into Lake Monona near the city. Most of his backing band, the Bar-Kays, were also on board and were killed in the crash, with only one band member surviving.

Official cause of death

Redding’s death was attributed to injuries from the crash and the subsequent impact with the icy lake waters rather than to illness or other natural causes. Investigations at the time did not establish a single, definitive mechanical cause for the accident, but bad weather and the aircraft’s condition have often been cited as likely contributing factors.