Ben Cauley
A trumpet player who survived a plane crash that killed Otis Redding, then rebuilt a band and a life from the wreckage.
1947–2015 (age 68)·American musician·Birthday: October 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ben Cauley’s story is one of profound loss and quiet resilience. As a founding member of the Bar-Kays, the young trumpet player was part of the crack Stax Records house band, providing the fiery brass for Otis Redding’s electrifying sound. In December 1967, their chartered plane crashed into a Wisconsin lake, killing Redding and four of Cauley’s bandmates. Cauley, who couldn’t swim, survived by clinging to a seat cushion in the icy water. The sole survivor, he faced unimaginable grief but felt a duty to carry on. He helped rebuild the Bar-Kays, steering them toward a funkier, successful second act in the 1970s. For decades, Cauley performed, a living link to a golden soul era, his music forever shadowed by tragedy but defined by his gentle perseverance.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ben was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2015Died at 68
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Was a founding member and trumpet player for the Stax Records group the Bar-Kays.
- Performed on and co-wrote songs for Otis Redding's iconic recordings, including '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay'.
- Helped reconstitute the Bar-Kays after the 1967 plane crash, leading them to chart success with funk hits like 'Son of Shaft'.
- His life and survival became a central part of the narrative surrounding Otis Redding's legacy and the history of Southern soul.
Did You Know?
He reported hearing the repeated horn riff from the Bar-Kays' hit 'Soul Finger' as the plane went down.
He could not swim, yet survived in the freezing water for about 20 minutes before rescue.
He later formed a band called the Ben Cauley Survivors.
A talented visual artist, he painted a well-known portrait of Otis Redding.
“I was the only one who survived the crash. I had to keep playing.”
