Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, has passed away 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 collaborated on writing the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, passed away on Wednesday in the city of Nashville.
Often cited among the finest supporting groups in soul and R&B, the quartet Booker T & the MGs was the resident studio band of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax and is primarily known for their 1962 instrumental track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd act The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and featured on their popular rendition of Soul Man.
"Steve was a deeply admired artist, writer, and producer whose extraordinary talent inspired millions of lives around the world," his family stated in a message.
"While we mourn the loss of a family man and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will be remembered through his music," they continued.
A reason for his passing was not immediately known.
A friend, Eddie Gore, mentioned he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist was in the process of creating fresh material.
"He's such a kind human," Gore remarked. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure."
An Illustrious Journey
Named the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a British music magazine in 1996, Cropper started his career at the Stax label 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 entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always thought of myself as a rhythm guitarist," Cropper explained in a previous conversation. "I get off on the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They refuse to play the same lick twice."
Not only was he a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative 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 "involved in nearly all record put out by Stax from 1961 through year end 1970".
"We would often spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had 17 or 18 artists on the roster, so we had a very hectic schedule."
