The iconic guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the soul group Booker T & the MGs, has died aged 84
Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has left us at the age of 84.
The guitar virtuoso, who contributed to and co-wrote the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, passed away this past Wednesday in the city of Nashville.
Widely regarded among the best supporting groups in soul music, the four-piece band Booker T & the MGs was the core musical unit of the influential Memphis label Stax Records and is most famous for their 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper went on to join the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the late 1970s and performed on their popular rendition of Soul Man.
"Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose profound talent touched countless people around the world," his family said in a release.
"While we mourn 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 immediately known.
An associate, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist was developing fresh material.
"He's such a wonderful human," Gore commented. "We were lucky to have him, for sure."
A Storied Musical Path
Voted the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a UK publication in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax 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 succeeded by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always considered myself to be a rhythm player," Cropper remarked in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something over and over, while other guitar players wouldn't consider it. They won't even play the same riff twice."
In addition to being a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and besides 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 the majority of record put out by Stax from 1961 through 1970".
"We would truly spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had nearly 20 artists on the roster, so we had a very hectic schedule."
