Steve Cropper, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist who helped coin the “Memphis Soul” sound on Stax Records recordings by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Booker T. & the MG’s, died on Wednesday. He was 84 years old.
“It is with deep sadness that the Cropper family announces the death of Stephen Lee Cropper, who passed away peacefully in Nashville today at the age of 84,” his family said in a statement. A cause of death was initially not available. “Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter and producer whose extraordinary talent touched millions of people worldwide.”
“As we mourn the loss of a husband, father and friend, we find comfort in the knowledge that Steve will live forever through his music,” they added. “Every note he played, every song he wrote and every artist he inspired ensures that his spirit and art will move people for generations.”
Cropper’s significance and legacy
“Steve Cropper’s contributions to American music are significant. But his contribution to soul and R&B music is immeasurable,” said Pat Mitchell Worley, president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, which operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis. “His songwriting and guitar work shaped the language of soul music. A gifted songwriter, producer and musician, Cropper created timeless hits that continue to influence artists and people worldwide. His distinctive style defined an era. And cemented his legacy as one of the most important guitarists in modern music history.”
As guitarist for the Stax house band during the Memphis label’s hit phase, Cropper played on classics such as Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” Booker T. & the MG’s’ “Green Onions,” Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” and Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Cropper also co-wrote the latter three songs.
“Cropper was the secret ingredient in some of the greatest rock and soul songs,” RoOLLING STONE wrote when Cropper was ranked No. 45 on the list of the 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
“His spare, soulful playing can be heard on the records of dozens of rock and R&B artists. Including a lengthy stint in the band the Blues Brothers. Think of the intro to Sam and Dave’s ‘Soul Man,’ the explosive bending notes in Booker T’s ‘Green Onions.’ Or the delicate guitar fills in Redding’s ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.’ Sound, the quintessence of soul guitar.”
“I don’t want to be the center of attention,” Cropper once said. “I’m a band member, I’ve always been a band member.”
The death of Otis Redding and the completion of the song
For “Dock of the Bay,” ranked No. 26 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Cropper contributed guitar chords and rhythm to Redding’s lyrics about his stay on a houseboat in Sausalito.
“As a purist, I said, ‘Otis, have you ever thought that when a ship rolls, it takes on water and sinks?'” Cropper recalled in Rolling Stone in 2017. “And he said over the lyrics, ‘Damn, Crop, that’s exactly what I want,’ and Otis always got what he wanted.”
However, the number one song, which sold millions of copies, was not released until January 1968, a month after Redding’s death in a small plane crash. Cropper completed work on the song immediately after Redding’s death. “I didn’t know we were the same age until I read an obituary,” Cropper told RS in 2024. “I always thought Otis was older. And I looked up to him like an older brother. Why? He was so wise.”
One of the hardest moments of his life was mixing this song, Cropper told Rolling Stone. “I was awake for 24 hours mixing the song. The next morning I went to the airport, onto the tarmac, and a stewardess came down the steps and I handed her the master tape.”
The Early Years and the Mar-Keys
Born in Missouri, Cropper moved to Memphis as a child, where the city introduced him to gospel music. As a teenage guitarist, he founded the band The Mar-Keys, which recorded the classic instrumental “Last Night” for the local Stax label in 1961 – one of the first tracks the label released after renaming Satellite Records to Stax.
The Mar-Keys soon became Stax’s house band; In addition to accompanying the artists recording at the Stax studio, members of the Mar-Keys reformed as Booker T. & the MG’s (led by Mar-Keys keyboardist Booker T. Jones) for their own releases.
After nearly a decade of legendary work at Stax, Cropper moved to Los Angeles and became an in-demand session musician. He played on tracks by artists such as John Lennon (1975’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll”), Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Rod Stewart and especially the Blues Brothers, in whose 1980 comedy film he also appeared (reprising his work on Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man”). “Duck [Dunn, MG’s-Bassist] and I got a lot of criticism” for the Blues Brothers, Cropper told RS in 2024. “They said, ‘What are you doing, playing with some crazy comedians?’ I said, ‘Come on. You’re crazy. Don’t you know that John led a band, played drums and sang before Second City? And Dan really plays the harmonica.’”
Producer, session musician and later career
During the ’70s, Cropper also produced albums by the Jeff Beck Group, John Prine, Poco and John Mellencamp (including his early hits “Ain’t Even Done with the Night” and “This Time”). Cropper and the MG’s also accompanied Neil Young on his 2002 album “Are You Passionate?” and went on tour with him for a short time.
Cropper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of Booker T. & the MG’s. The two-time Grammy winner also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.