🔗 Share this article Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, member of Booker T and the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84 Steve Cropper formed the backbone of the in-house studio band of the pioneering Memphis label Stax Records. The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84. The artist, who contributed to and collaborated on writing Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, succumbed recently in Music City, Nashville. Often cited among the best supporting groups in soul music, the group Booker T & the MGs was the core musical unit of the historic Memphis label Stax Records and is most famous for their 1962 instrumental track Green Onions. Cropper also joined the blues revival band The Blues Brothers in the late '70s and performed on their successful version of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose profound talent inspired countless people around the world," his family said in a statement. "While we feel sorrow for the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will be remembered through his music," they continued. A specific cause was not disclosed. A friend, Eddie Gore, mentioned he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist was in the process of creating fresh material. "He's such a good human," Gore said. "We were blessed to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, right, with peers Sheryl Crow and Eddie Floyd. An Illustrious Journey Named the number two guitarist of all time by a British music magazine in 1996, Cropper began working at the Stax label in 1961 at the age of 20. A year later, the MGs were founded, comprising keyboardist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was succeeded by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964. The band was honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. "I've always thought of myself as a rhythm player," Cropper remarked in a past interview. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players don't want to even know about that. They won't even play the same lick twice." As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and alongside Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he co-wrote Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood. According to his official biography, he was "involved in nearly all record released by Stax from late 1961 through the end of 1970". "We would often spend marathon sessions in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists we worked with, so we had a extremely demanding schedule."