Steve Cropper, guitarist of Booker T and the MGs, has died at the age of 84
Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has left us at the age of 84.
The musician, who performed on and co-wrote Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, passed away recently in the city of Nashville.
Often cited among the best supporting groups in the history of soul music, the quartet Booker T. Jones and the MGs was the core musical unit of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax Records and is best remembered for their classic 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper later became a member of the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the late '70s and featured on their successful version of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished musician, songwriter, and producer whose profound talent inspired generations around the world," his family expressed in a statement.
"While we mourn the loss of a family man and friend, we are consoled knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they noted.
A specific cause was not released at this time.
A friend, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on new songs.
"He's such a good human," Gore said. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure."
An Illustrious Journey
Named the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax Records in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were formed, comprising organist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always seen myself as a rhythm player," Cropper remarked in a past interview. "I get off on the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They won't even play the same riff twice."
As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a productive songwriter, and in addition to Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he helped write Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to his official biography, he was "integral to virtually every record issued by Stax from 1961 through 1970".
"We would often spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had nearly 20 artists signed to the label, so we had a extremely demanding schedule."
