Jimmy King
1949 – December 10, 1967
Ronnie Caldwell
1948 – December 10, 1967
Phalon Jones
1949 – December 10, 1967
Carl Cunningham
1949 – December 10, 1967
Jimmy King, Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones and Carl Cunningham along with Ben Cauley and James Alexander were the orignal members of R&B group, the Bar-Kays. Formed in 1966, they quickly became the session band for Stax Records, working with numerous artists, but most notably, Otis Redding. They also recorded hits of their own, the biggest being, 1967’s “Soul Finger.” That same year, the band was selected to be Redding’s touring band, putting them on the plane on that tragic night of December 10, 1967. The aircraft in which they were all flying, crashed into a Madison, Wisconsin lake, killing Otis Redding, Jimmy King, Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones and Carl Cunningham. Only Ben Cauley survived the crash. Band member, James Alexander wasn’t on the plane. The latter reformed the group and continued on for many years.