The Otis Redding Foundation has released a statement to announce that it is "celebrating Zelma Redding, its Founder and President, who received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Mercer University on May 12, 2025 at the university’s Macon ceremony in Macon, GA, where she received a standing ovation."
"Mrs. Redding, the widow of the late, great Otis Redding, was bestowed with the honorary doctorate, for her longtime philanthropy, advocacy for youth, education and the arts, and for being an entrepreneur and civic leader in her community," they said.
Zelma Redding said, “I am thankful to President Underwood, the Trustees and Mercer University for this amazing honorary doctorate, and congratulations to all the outstanding Mercer graduates! At the Otis Redding Foundation, we have enjoyed an ongoing partnership with Mercer University and a dedication to building brighter futures for youth through education, and look forward to continuing our work together for years to come.”
"Since Otis Redding’s untimely passing in a plane crash in 1967, Zelma Redding has kept the legendary music artist’s legacy alive through the meticulous management of his name, likeness and catalogue, and keeping his commitment to educating and empowering youth through the work that the Otis Redding Foundation does," they continued. "Since 2007, the foundation has provided scholarships, and education, music and arts programs to young people in Macon and across middle Georgia. Most recently, Mrs. Redding led the efforts to build the Otis Redding Center for the Arts (ORCA), which opened its doors in March 2025. The state-of-the-art facility is a cultural hub for the foundation’s ongoing work, to serve children and adults in Macon and the surrounding middle Georgia community."
"The 15,000 sq-ft space features seven creative labs, five private lesson rooms, the Zelma Redding Amphitheater, and the O3 Recording Studio, named after Otis Redding, III, who passed away in April, 2023. In addition to celebrating Zelma Redding’s most recent achievement, the foundation is preparing to host its signature annual camps (the Otis Music Camp and Camp Dream) at ORCA for the first time. The Otis Music Camp, taking place June 2 – 21, 2025, is for youth ages 12-18 interested in the music business. Camp Dream is an arts camp for children ages 5-11 and will take place July 14 - 25, 2025. The Otis Music Camp encourages students to grow in their craft, with hands-on learning about music theory, songwriting, performance, production, and business aspects including copyrights, money management, and more. And Camp Dream provides the children opportunities to explore a wide range of creative arts including piano, ukulele, percussion, songwriting, visual arts, theatre, and dance."
For more information on the Otis Redding Foundation, its programs and ORCA, visit https://www.otisreddingfoundation.org/ and https://www.orcamacon.org/. Connect on Instagram, Facebook @otisreddingfoundation @orcamacon
