New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Princess Cruises) Princess Cruises, Playing For Change, and the Estate of Otis Redding have teamed up to produce a new video to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Otis' iconic hit "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" filmed in port cities around the world visited by Princess Cruises - San Francisco, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, Hawaii,
Jamaica and Barcelona. The newest addition to Playing For Change's "Songs Around The World" series, features an all-star track including Jack Johnson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Aloe Blacc,
Dexter and Otis Redding III,
James Gadson, Louis Mhlanga, the students from the Otis Redding Foundation
Music Camp, Claire Finley, Irie Love, Mar Sanchez, and the Rass Brass Extension.
Proceeds from the video, which will be available on YouTube and screened onboard Princess Cruises' fleet of cruise ships will benefit the Otis Redding Foundation and the Playing For Change Foundation. Both organizations support youth empowerment through music education. From December 17th to March 31st, Princess Cruises guests and viewers can donate onboard Princess ships or at www.princess.com/DockOfTheBay. Princess Community Foundation will match donations up to $25,000.
"We are so thrilled to get to share the fruits of this partnership with the world," says Zelma Redding, president of the Otis Redding Foundation, and widow of Otis Redding. "This was a wonderful way to celebrate 50 years of "(Sittin' On The) Dock Of The Bay," and certainly an appropriate and heart-warming way to honor and remember the legacy of my husband."
"This was also an incredible opportunity for our students to travel and experience what it is like to work in this aspect of the music industry and explore the inner workings of a world-class cruise ship," added Karla Redding-Andrews, vice president and executive director of the Otis Redding-Foundation, and daughter of Otis Redding. "I am also excited to have the work of the Otis Redding Foundation get new exposure with the Playing For Change audience and Princess Cruises guests, and I hope that our mission of empowering, enriching, and motivating all young people through programs involving music, writing and instrumentation will resonate with all our new fans!"
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was the 6th most played track of the 20th century. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beloved songs of all time, streamed over 200 million times. It was the first song in pop music history to reach #1 posthumously on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.
"It's the honor of our lives to collaborate with the Otis Redding Foundation to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay.' This song has no boundaries and lives forever in the hearts and souls of everyone who listens," says Mark Johnson, co-founder of Playing For Change and the director of the video.
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is one of the most requested songs by guests enjoying their vacation onboard Princess Cruises. This video celebrates music around the world and the inspirational power of our oceans -- ideals that are important to us," said
Gordon Ho, Princess Cruises Chief Marketing Officer. "We're especially delighted to support music education for youths, some of whom may perform one day on Princess ships."
Fans can visit www.youtube.com/playingforchange to view the video. Behind the scenes content is available at www.princess.com/dockofthebay.
The release caps off a banner year for the song and for Otis Redding. The 50th Anniversary celebration launched in January with a celebrity-filled tribute show at the Apollo Theater during Grammy Week. The day and date of the release was commemorated with a limited-edition gold 7" vinyl release of the original single. It continued with the release of the Dock of the Bay Sessions, promoted by Rhino Entertainment, in May. Special, limited-edition 50th anniversary merchandise was released throughout the year. The release of the "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" Song Around The World is the last gift closing out a monumental year recognizing the illustrious hit.
ABOUT THE OTIS REDDING FOUNDATION
The Otis Redding Foundation's mission is to empower, enrich, and motivate all young people through programs involving music, writing and instrumentation. Each partnership and program sponsored since its inception in 2007 supports the philanthropic commitment of Otis Redding to empower and enlighten all young people to fulfill their dreams. For more information, please visit www.otisreddingfoundation.org
ABOUT PLAYING FOR CHANGE
Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multicultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 foundation supporting music education around the world. For more information, please visit www.playingforchange.com
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to more than 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts has created more than 150 award-winning itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises has been continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries."
Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, "Come Back New Promise" - a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line's onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise vacation. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursion to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and much more.
Three new Royal-class ships are currently on order with the next new ship, Sky Princess, under construction scheduled for delivery in October 2019. Princess recently announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests with expected delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has five ships arriving over the next six years between 2019 & 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK).
Additional media information is available at princess.com/news.
