Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, member of Booker T and the MGs, has passed away aged 84
Steve Cropper, the renowned guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84.
The artist, who performed on and collaborated on writing Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, passed away this past Wednesday in Music City, Nashville.
Considered among the greatest backing bands in the history of soul music, the quartet the MGs was the house band of the influential Memphis label Stax/Volt and is most famous for their classic 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper later became a member of the blues revival band The Blues Brothers in the late 1970s and played on their popular rendition of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished musician, songwriter, and producer whose immense talent touched generations around the world," his family stated in a statement.
"While we grieve the loss of a family man and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they added.
A cause of death was not released at this time.
A colleague, Eddie Gore, stated he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist was developing fresh material.
"He's such a wonderful 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 UK publication in 1996, Cropper first found employment at Stax Records in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs came together, comprising keyboardist 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 seen myself as a rhythm player," Cropper explained in a past interview. "I get off on the fact that I can play something over and over, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They refuse to play the same riff twice."
In addition to being a guitarist, Cropper was a productive songwriter, and besides Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he collaborated on Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to historical accounts, he was "a part of virtually every record put out by Stax from 1961 through the end of 1970".
"We would literally spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists on the roster, so we had a pretty busy schedule."
