Steve Cropper, musician and producer from Booker T and the MGs

Steve Cropper, who passed away at 84, played a defining role in shaping the Southern Soul identity of Stax Records in Memphis during the 1960s. His work supported the rise of artists including Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Johnnie Taylor and William Bell.

British listeners first encountered Cropper through Booker T and the MGs instrumental hit Green Onions. The track opened with Booker T Jones on Hammond organ, but its surge of energy came from Croppers sharp, electrifying guitar lines. Recorded in less than an hour in 1962, the song became both a commercial success and a lasting emblem of the Stax sound, unintentionally captured after a cancelled session.

The MGs short for Memphis Group were the in-house musicians behind Staxs early catalogue. In a segregated South, the band stood out: Booker T Jones, Al Jackson and Lewie Steinberg were Black, while Cropper was the only white member until Donald Duck Dunn replaced Steinberg in 1965. Together, they forged a gritty, soulful alternative to the polished aesthetic of Motown.

Beyond his guitar work, Cropper shaped nearly every Stax release from 1961 to 1970 as producer, engineer, arranger and songwriter. He co-wrote and produced some of the labels defining singles, among them Knock On Wood with Eddie Floyd, In the Midnight Hour with Wilson Pickett and (Sittin On) the Dock of the Bay with Otis Redding.

Born on October 21, 1941, in Dora, Missouri, Cropper moved to Memphis at age nine and fell in love with both country and the R&B played on WDIA radio. He purchased his first guitar from a catalogue with money earned from summer jobs, later forming a high-school group that evolved into the Mar-Keys, who scored a hit with Last Night in 1961 and became early contributors to what would grow into Stax Records.

When Stax producer Chips Moman departed, label founder Jim Stewart placed Cropper in the role, recognising his instinct for sound and detail. Beatles manager Brian Epstein even explored the idea of Cropper overseeing the bands Revolver sessions, though the plan was ultimately abandoned.

Many visiting musicians stayed at the Lorraine Motel, one of the few integrated accommodations in Memphis and later the site of Martin Luther Kings assassination. Cropper and Pickett wrote In the Midnight Hour there, while Knock On Wood was also developed on its premises.

By late 1967, Otis Redding arrived at Stax with handwritten lyrics inspired by time spent on a houseboat in California. Cropper helped shape (Sittin On) the Dock of the Bay, adding the bridge before the pair recorded it quickly. After Reddings fatal plane crash in December that year, Cropper completed the song by adding seaside effects as Redding had imagined. The single became a major crossover success in 1968 and sold nearly five million copies.

Cropper left Stax in 1970 after disagreements with new management, giving up his publishing stake to exit his contract. He later founded TMI Inc, produced for artists such as Poco and Tower of Power and recorded with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton and Etta James. His distinctive sound gained new prominence through his performances with the Blues Brothers, leading to hit records and a feature film.

He continued recording and producing across subsequent decades, including soundtrack work and solo releases. His 2021 studio album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. He received two Grammy awards during his career and was ranked the second-greatest guitarist of all time by Mojo magazine in 1996.

Cropper often downplayed his own abilities, crediting his longevity to simplicity, feel and groove. He lived in Nashville from 1998 until his death.

He is survived by his wife Angel, their children Cameron and Andrea, and two children, Stephen and Ashley, from his first marriage.

Author: Noah Whitman