Steve Cropper, legendary Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist and Memphis soul artist, has died at the age of 84.
The musician, songwriter and producer passed away yesterday (Wednesday December 3), according to a statement from his family (via Rolling Stone).
“The Cropper family announces with profound sadness the passing of Stephen Lee Cropper, who died peacefully in Nashville today at the age of 84,” it read.
“Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose extraordinary talent touched millions of lives around the world.”
A cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
The message added: “While we mourn the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will live forever through his music.
“Every note he played, every song he wrote, and every artist he inspired ensures that his spirit and artistry will continue to move people for generations to come.”
Cropper played in Booker T & the MG’s, who were originators of the Stax Records sound. He also contributed to recordings on the Memphis label by the likes of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.
Pat Mitchell Worley, president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation that operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, commented: “Steve Cropper’s offerings to American music are significant but his contribution to soul and R&B music are immeasurable.
“His songwriting and guitar work shaped the very language of soul music. A gifted songwriter, producer, and musician, Cropper helped create timeless hits that continue to influence artists and people worldwide. His signature style helped define an era and cemented his legacy as one of the most important guitarists in modern music history.”
Cropper was a founding member of Booker T & the MG’s, who were Stax Records’ studio house band. Per the label’s website, the group “laid the groundwork for the spread of Memphis soul throughout the globe”. In addition, he worked as the label’s A&R director.
He contributed to classic tracks 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 is also credited as a co-writer and producer on the latter three cuts.
He won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1992 as a member of Booker T & The MG’s. In 2007, the band received the Grammys’ lifetime achievement award.
Paying tribute on social media, the Rock Hall praised Cropper’s “passion for R&B with a unique rhythm style that set him apart from his contemporaries”, adding that he “co-wrote many unforgettable classics”.
The late artist also worked with John Carpenter, contributing to the soundtrack to 1998 blockbuster Vampires. His other major collaborators include Elton John, Ringo Starr and Paul Simon.
Notable later shows by the MG’s included them serving as the backup band at Bob Dylan’s 1992 ’30th Anniversary Concert’ at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The following year, they toured with Neil Young in the US. In 1995, they were the house band at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame museum’s opening ceremonies.
Cropper co-founded the band The Mar-Keys as a teen. They released the instrumental ‘Last Night’ in 1961 for Stax, which was previously called Satellite Records.
“Born on October 21, 1941 on a farm near Dora, Missouri, Steve Cropper moved with his family to Memphis at the age of nine,” a post on the Stax website reads.
“In Missouri he had been exposed to a wealth of country music and little else. In his adopted home, his thirsty ears amply drank of the fountain of Gospel, R&B and nascent Rock and Roll that thundered over the airwaves of both black and white Memphis radio.
“Bit by the music bug, Cropper acquired his first mail order guitar at the age of 14. Personal guitar heroes included Tal Farlow, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed, Chet Atkins, Lowman Pauling of the Five Royales and Billy Butler of the Bill Doggett band.”
Cropper launched his own label, too, Play It, Steve! Records. Its inaugural release, also called ‘Play It, Steve!’, was released in 1998.