At first glance, the differences between southern soul and its fraternal twin deep soul seem to be hair-splitting at best. The primary artists working the sweaty side of soul's street often tended to candy-flip between the two styles, and while the pair of subgenres were virtually identical musically throughout their mid/late 1960s steak-and-potato days, southern soul always revealed less of a direct gospel influence than its deep soul counterpart. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Stax Records house band Booker T. & the MG's helped southern soul (based almost exclusively in Memphis and Muscle Shoals, Ala.) forge an earthier counterpoint to Motown's made-for-radio fare and Chicago's doo wop-derived brand of soul. Pickett frightened protective mothers of teenage girls with his wailing "In the Midnight Hour," while vocal duo Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" rumbled dance floors nationwide during its 1967 chart run. But of all southern soul's big names, Redding's star shone brightest despite his prolific but comparatively brief career. The considerable legend of this Stax fixture--whose most brilliant moments included the stellar 1966 LP Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul and the towering singles "Mr. Pitiful," "Try a Little Tenderness," and of course, "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay"--loomed large over the southern soul sphere after his untimely death in late 1967. As tastes changed at the dawn of the '70s, so did the mainstream fortunes of southern soul, which found itself overshadowed by the smooth productions of Memphis' Hi Records and the increasing popularity of both funk and Philly soul.

Notable Artists: Otis Redding; Wilson Pickett; Percy Sledge; Garnet Mimms