Steve Cropper, musician 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 artist, who played on and co-wrote Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, succumbed on Wednesday in Nashville.
Considered among the greatest backing bands in soul music, the quartet the MGs was the core musical unit of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax Records and is primarily known for their 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the blues revival band The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and featured on their hit cover of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished musician, songwriter, and producer whose immense talent inspired countless people around the world," his family said in a statement.
"While we feel sorrow for the loss of a family man and friend, we take solace knowing that Steve will be remembered through his music," they noted.
A cause of death was not released at this time.
An associate, Eddie Gore, stated he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on new music.
"He's such a kind human," Gore remarked. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure."
A Prolific Career
Voted the number two guitarist of all time by a UK publication in 1996, Cropper started his career at Stax 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 honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always considered myself to be a player who focuses on rhythm," Cropper said in a past interview. "I enjoy the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They refuse to play the same lick twice."
In addition to being a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and in addition to Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he co-wrote Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to historical accounts, he was "a part of nearly all record put out by Stax from the fall of 1961 through 1970".
"We would literally spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists we worked with, so we had a very hectic schedule."
