Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, guitarist of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, has died aged 84
Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has left us at the age of 84.
The guitar virtuoso, who performed on and co-wrote the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, died this past Wednesday in the city of Nashville.
Widely regarded among the best supporting groups in soul and R&B, the quartet Booker T & the MGs was the resident studio band of the historic Memphis label Stax Records and is primarily known for their 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper later became a member of the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd act The Blues Brothers in the late 1970s and performed on their hit cover of Soul Man.
"Steve was a beloved guitarist, composer, and producer whose immense talent impacted millions of lives around the world," his family expressed in a release.
"While we grieve the loss of a loved one and companion, we find comfort knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they added.
A cause of death was not released at this time.
A friend, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist was developing new songs.
"He's such a wonderful human," Gore commented. "We were lucky to have him, for sure."
A Prolific Career
Ranked the number two guitarist of all time by a music periodical 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 honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always considered myself to be a rhythm guitarist," Cropper remarked in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something over and over, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They won't even play the same phrase twice."
As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and in addition to 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 "involved in the majority of record put out by Stax from 1961 through 1970".
"We would often spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists signed to the label, so we had a extremely demanding schedule."
