Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, has died aged 84
The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84.
The musician, who performed on and helped pen Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, died on Wednesday in the city of Nashville.
Considered among the best studio bands in soul music, the four-piece band Booker T & the MGs was the resident studio band of the historic Memphis label Stax and is primarily known for their classic 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and featured on their successful version of Soul Man.
"Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose profound talent inspired generations around the world," his family said in a message.
"While we feel sorrow for the loss of a family man and friend, we are consoled knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they added.
A specific cause was not released at this time.
A colleague, Eddie Gore, recalled 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 commented. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure."
An Illustrious Journey
Voted the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax Records 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 seen myself as a rhythm player," Cropper said in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They won't even play the same riff twice."
As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and alongside Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he collaborated on Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to available information, he was "a part of virtually every record put out by Stax from late 1961 through the end of 1970".
"We would often spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper noted in an interview. "I think we had 17 or 18 artists we worked with, so we had a very hectic schedule."
