Steve Cropper, member of Booker T and the MGs, has died aged 84
The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with the iconic band Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84.
The musician, who performed 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 the city of Nashville.
Considered among the greatest backing bands in soul and R&B, the four-piece band Booker T & the MGs was the house band of the influential Memphis label Stax Records and is most famous for their classic 1962 track Green Onions.
Cropper also joined the blues revival band The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and featured on their successful version of Soul Man.
"Steve was a beloved guitarist, composer, and producer whose immense talent inspired generations around the world," his family said in a message.
"While we mourn the loss of a loved one and companion, we take solace knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they added.
A reason for his passing was not disclosed.
A friend, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on new songs.
"He's such a kind human," Gore said. "We were blessed to have him, for sure."
An Illustrious Journey
Ranked the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a UK publication in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax Records in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were formed, consisting of 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 thought of myself as a rhythm player," Cropper said in a past interview. "I enjoy the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players don't want to even know about that. They are reluctant to repeat the same riff twice."
As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative songwriter, and alongside Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he co-wrote Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood.
According to available information, he was "involved in virtually every record put out by Stax from the fall of 1961 through year end 1970".
"We would truly 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."
