Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist of Booker T. & the MG’s, who also worked with Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers, died this Wednesday at the age of 84, as confirmed to the American magazine Variety the musician’s son, Cameron. Cropper was a soul music guitarist, instrumentalist, producer and songwriter on the Stax Records label.
Cropper was famous for his recognizable solo performance in the multiracial instrumental group Booker T. & the MG’s. However, his work also inspired dozens of songs, some of which he produced or engineered himself, recorded in the Stax Records studio by soul greats such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Rufus and Carla Thomas and Eddie Floyd, he explains. Variety.
In 1996, the monthly British music magazine Mojo named him the second greatest guitarist of all time, after Jimi Hendrix. As a composer he was co-author of MG’s hits Green Onions, Soul-Limbo y Time is Tightas well as great R&B hits like (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay y Mr. Pitiful the Salvation, In the Midnight Hour y 634-5789 picket, Knock On Wood y Raise Your Hand of Floyd, and Seesaw y Sookie Sookie de Don Covay.
Although Cropper’s association with Stax ended amid administrative problems in 1970, the MG’s regrouped to record and tour throughout the ’70s and ’90s, and supported artists such as Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Neil Young and The Band’s Levon Helm, he recalls. Variety.
Cropper’s most notable work in recent years was as lead guitarist for The Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s musical group.