Steve Cropper, the guitarist best known for playing in Booker T. & The M.G.'s, has died. His son confirmed his passing to Variety today. He was 84.
Cropper was born in Dora, Missouri on October 21, 1941. He moved to Memphis at age 9 and picked up guitar at 14. In 1961, he formed the Royal Spades with fellow high school students and later renamed to the Mar-Keys, whose hit single was called "Last Night."
He then began working at the Stax Records store and studio before becoming a founding member of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s along with Hammond organ player Booker T. Jones, drummer Al Jackson Jr., and bassist Lewie Steinberg, who was later replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn. Cropper played on Otis Reddings' "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour," among other hits.
At Stax, Cropper played guitar, produced, and engineered, working with legends like John Lennon, Rod Stewart, and John Prine. He departed from the studio in 1970. Cropper was inducted into the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame as a member of Booker T. & The M.G.'s in 1992.
UPDATE: Booker T. Jones has shared a statement on social media about Cropper's passing. Read it below.
I am saddened by the passing of Steve Cropper. God rest his soul in peace.
I remember riding my bicycle as a kid to Satellite Records and meeting Steve who was working as a clerk there. Day after day he allowed me to play records, free of charge, knowing I had no money to pay for them. He was such a nice guy.
He was an innovator and I was fortunate to work with him.
I will miss him.
