Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of Booker T and the MGs, has died at the age of 84
Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84.
The musician, who contributed to and helped pen the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, passed away this past Wednesday in Nashville.
Often cited among the greatest backing bands in soul and R&B, the quartet the MGs was the house band of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax and is primarily known for their 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and performed on their successful version of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished musician, songwriter, and producer whose extraordinary talent inspired countless people around the world," his family expressed in a message.
"While we mourn the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we take solace knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they added.
A cause of death was not immediately known.
A colleague, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper just the day before in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on new songs.
"He's such a kind human," Gore commented. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure."
A Storied Musical Path
Ranked the second-best guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were formed, featuring organist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was succeeded by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964.
The band was entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always considered myself to be a player who focuses on rhythm," Cropper explained in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players don't want to even know about that. They won't even play the same lick twice."
In addition to being a guitarist, Cropper was a productive songwriter, and alongside 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 nearly all record released by Stax from 1961 through year end 1970".
"We would truly spend marathon sessions in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had 17 or 18 artists we worked with, so we had a very hectic schedule."
