The Otis Redding Foundation is paying tribute to Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Jermaine Dupri.
According to recent reports, Dupri will receive the prestigious Otis & Zelma Redding Award of Respect from the Otis Redding Foundation during the upcoming King of Soul Music Festival in Macon, Georgia.
“We are thrilled to honor Jermaine Dupri at this year’s King of Soul Music Festival,” Karla Redding-Andrews, vp/executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation, said.
Redding-Andrews continued, “Jermaine and his father Michael Mauldin have been connected to the Redding family since he was a young man visiting the Big ‘O’ Ranch with his dad. And we are so proud of his remarkable contributions to the music industry as a songwriter, producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. He was very close to my brother Otis III, who passed away in April, and credits him with teaching him to make beats. Jermaine aligns with Otis Redding’s spirit and the foundation’s mission to inspire and empower young artists.”
Dupri also spoke about the recognition and thanked the Redding family for being apart of his life prior to his fame.
“The Reddings and Otis III became my musical family before the world knew of Jermaine Dupri,” he said. “While I understand the family is honoring me, in my mind I am also honoring them for all they have allowed me to do, see and be a part of at a time when they didn’t have to.”
