Larry Dodson of the Bar-Kays honored by state as an "Arkansas Traveler"

(February 18, 2023) He was one of the keys to the success of the second generation of the legendary act the Bar-Kays, and now singer supreme Larry Dodson is being honored by his home state of Arkansas with the prestigious Arkansas Traveler award.

Presented at the state capitol rotunda this past week, the award is part of the state’s celebration of Black History Month.

Dodson came to the Bar-Kays at a pivotal moment for the group. The tragic 1967 plane crash that killed a majority of the group’s member as well as soul legend Otis Redding (trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash and bassist James Alexander missed the flight altogether) left the survivors traumatized and the group in limbo.

But Cauley and Alexander went on to form a new version of The Bar-Kays, with Dodson as the flamboyant lead singer. Impressively, the group had a second and even third life, moving from serving as Redding’s back-up band to a headlining group with a long career as a soul band with Stax Records (hitting the top ten with “Soul Finger”) and later as an 80s funk group with a string of hits (such as “Freakshow on the Dance Floor”).

In the past decade Dodson established a solo career, mostly recently charting with the bluesy single “Mr. Harmonica Man.” He continues to perform and sounds as great as ever. So this honor from the State of Arkansas (another in a series of honors that Dodson has received over the years) is a well deserved recognition of more than a half century of musical greatness. Congratulations, Larry D!