🔗 Share this article Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, member of the soul group Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84 Steve Cropper served as a key member of the house band of the pioneering Memphis label Stax Records. The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with the iconic band Booker T & the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84. The musician, who played on and collaborated on writing Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, died this past Wednesday in the city of Nashville. Often cited among the greatest studio bands in soul and R&B, the quartet Booker T & the MGs was the house band of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax/Volt and is most famous for their classic 1962 track Green Onions. Cropper went on to join the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd act The Blues Brothers in the late '70s and performed on their popular rendition of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved guitarist, composer, and producer whose immense talent impacted generations around the world," his family expressed in a statement. "While we grieve the loss of a family man and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they added. A reason for his passing was not immediately known. An associate, Eddie Gore, mentioned he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on new music. "He's such a good human," Gore said. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, pictured on the right, with fellow musicians Eddie Floyd and Sheryl Crow. A Storied Musical Path Ranked the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper first found employment at Stax in 1961 at the age of 20. A year later, the MGs were founded, featuring organist 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 considered myself to be a rhythm guitarist," Cropper explained in a past interview. "I get off on the fact that I can play something over and over, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They refuse to play the same riff twice." As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and in addition to 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 the majority of record issued by Stax from 1961 through year end 1970". "We would literally spend marathon sessions in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists we worked with, so we had a very hectic schedule."