By Bo Emerson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Before Macon soul singer Otis Redding died in 1967, he spent several weeks in the Stax studios, recording "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," and other tunes.

He was at the end of a three-month layoff, following surgery to remove throat polyps. The new song was slow and mournful, rather than an upbeat burner like "Shout Bamalama." Redding was testing his tender voice, going in a new direction.  And he was worried.

Visiting him in the studio was label-mate William Bell, who had already helped establish the Stax sound with  "You Don't Miss Your Water" in 1961. "It was so different," remembers Bell, of listening to the playback of "Dock of the Bay" in the studio. He also remembers reassuring the recovering soul king.

"We said ‘hey, don't worry about it,' " says Bell. "‘It's going to be a great song.'"

Three days later, on Dec. 10, Redding's small plane plunged into an icy lake outside Madison, Wis. Released posthumously, his song went to No. 1.

Thursday night, at Symphony Hall,  Bell will sing "Tribute to a King," a salute he wrote after Redding's death, struggling through his own sadness and summing up his mixed feelings of loss and admiration:

"Otis, Otis Redding was his name/Without his soulful singing, this old world won't be the same."

Bell's performance will be one part of "An Evening of Respect: A Musical Tribute to the Immortal Otis Redding," a gala at which veterans such as Bell and Eddie Floyd will join new soul singers such as Anthony Hamilton and Kenny Lattimore, along with Redding's sons, Dexter and Otis Redding III, to benefit "The Big ‘O' Youth Educational Dream Foundation."

The foundation, directed by Redding's wife Zelma and his daughter Karla Redding-Andrews,  supports the Otis Redding Singer/Songwriter Camp in Macon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and scholarships for students at Mercer University Law School, among other projects.

It's the first time the biennial event has been staged in Atlanta (three previous fund-raisers took place in Macon) and the first time the foundation has teamed up with the Woodruff Arts Center.

The partnership is in line with the Arts Center's fondness for home-grown artists of excellence, said Woodruff's president and CEO Joseph Bankoff. It will also expose a new group to the Redding foundation's efforts.

"We'll have people coming who would never have come to Macon," Bankoff said.

At a private awards dinner before the performances, rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and NASCAR racer Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will receive honors for their efforts to help children.

"My mom has always said [Bridges] is just like a young Otis with a vision and a dream, taking care of his business but never forgetting to take care of home," said Karla Redding, daughter of Zelma and Otis Redding.

EVENT PREVIEW

"An Evening of Respect: A Musical Tribute to the Immortal Otis Redding," awards dinner, 5 p.m.; performances 8 p..m. Thursday; featuring Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild, Estelle, Avant, Karina Pasian, Kenny Lattimore, Chante’ Moore, William Bell, Eddie Floyd and others. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center,  1280 Peachtree St.; tickets to performance, $50 and $85;  available at www.otisredding.com, www.woodruffcenter.org, or call 404-733-5000. A limited number of seats are available to the dinner at $500 each.