Goodbye to Steve Cropper

Steve Cropper, guitarist, composer and producer, has died: he was 84 years old. The family announced it, without revealing the cause of death.

Steve Cropper (Missouri, 1941) was one of the most influential guitarists in soul and R&B music (he is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame). Having moved to Memphis as a young man, he soon became part of the local scene and landed at Stax Records, where he contributed significantly to the definition of the Memphis sound.

In 1962 he was among the founders of Booker T. & the MG’s, Stax’s house band, author of iconic songs such as “Green Onions” and the soundtrack to the label’s historic hits. Cropper also established himself as an author and producer, penning classics such as “In the Midnight Hour”, “Knock on Wood” and, with Otis Redding, the famous “Dock of the Bay”.

In the ’80s he found new visibility thanks to the film “Blues Brothers”, a role which also made him known to the general public.