Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the soul group Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84
Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with the iconic band Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84.
The musician, who performed on and helped pen the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, died this past Wednesday in Nashville.
Often cited among the greatest backing bands in soul music, the four-piece band the MGs was the resident studio band of the historic Memphis label Stax Records and is primarily known for their 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the late 1970s and performed on their hit cover of Soul Man.
"Steve was a deeply admired musician, songwriter, and producer whose immense talent impacted generations around the world," his family stated in a statement.
"While we mourn the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they added.
A specific cause was not disclosed.
A friend, Eddie Gore, mentioned he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on fresh material.
"He's such a good human," Gore said. "We were blessed to have him, for sure."
A Prolific Career
Voted the second-best guitarist of all time by a British music magazine in 1996, Cropper first found employment at the Stax label in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were founded, featuring organist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964.
The band was honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always considered myself to be a rhythm player," Cropper explained in a previous conversation. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They are reluctant to repeat the same lick twice."
As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative songwriter, and alongside Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he helped write Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to historical accounts, he was "a part of virtually every record released by Stax from late 1961 through 1970".
"We would often spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists on the roster, so we had a very hectic schedule."
