The iconic guitarist Steve Cropper, guitarist of Booker T and the MGs, dies aged 84
The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has died at the age of 84.
The artist, who performed on and co-wrote the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, passed away on Wednesday in Nashville.
Considered among the finest studio bands in soul and R&B, the group Booker T. Jones and the MGs was the house band of the historic Memphis label Stax and is best remembered for their classic 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper later became a member of the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the late 1970s and featured on their successful version of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished artist, writer, and producer whose immense talent touched generations around the world," his family stated in a message.
"While we mourn the loss of a family man and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they noted.
A specific cause was not released at this time.
A colleague, Eddie Gore, stated he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on fresh material.
"He's such a good human," Gore remarked. "We were blessed to have him, for sure."
A Storied Musical Path
Named the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a UK publication in 1996, Cropper first found employment at Stax in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were formed, featuring organist 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 seen myself as a player who focuses on rhythm," Cropper said in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They refuse to play the same lick twice."
In addition to being a guitarist, Cropper was a productive 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 "integral to the majority of record issued by Stax from the fall of 1961 through year end 1970".
"We would often spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had 17 or 18 artists on the roster, so we had a very hectic schedule."
