The iconic guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84
Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the renowned guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84.
The musician, who played on and co-wrote the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, died this past Wednesday in Music City, Nashville.
Widely regarded among the finest backing bands in the history of soul music, the four-piece band Booker T & the MGs was the house band of the influential 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 1970s and featured on their popular rendition of Soul Man.
"Steve was a cherished guitarist, composer, and producer whose immense talent impacted generations around the world," his family said in a message.
"While we grieve the loss of a loved one and companion, we are consoled knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they added.
A specific cause was not released at this time.
An associate, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on fresh material.
"He's such a wonderful human," Gore remarked. "We were lucky to have him, for sure."
An Illustrious Journey
Ranked the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a British music magazine in 1996, Cropper first found employment at Stax Records in 1961 at the age of 20.
A year later, the MGs were founded, comprising organist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964.
The band was entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
"I've always seen myself as a rhythm guitarist," Cropper remarked in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They won't even play the same phrase twice."
In addition to being 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 his official biography, he was "involved in the majority of record released 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 nearly 20 artists on the roster, so we had a pretty busy schedule."
