Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T & the MG’s and Otis Redding, dies aged 84

Steve Cropper, the legendary American guitarist and Memphis soul artist, has died at the age of 84.

The prolific musician, songwriter and producer died yesterday, according to a statement from his family.

“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.

Cropper was a founding member of Booker T & the MG’s, the soul quartet who were originators of the Stax Records sound and widely considered the best backing band in soul music.

He co-wrote classics like Booker T & the MG’s blues track ‘Green Onions’, Otis Redding’s ‘(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay’ and Wilson Pickett’s ‘In The Midnight Hour’, as well as contributed to Sam & Dave’s ‘Soul Man’ - in which singer Sam Moore calls out "Play it, Steve!" as Cropper pulls off a ringing riff.

Cropper also backed legendary performers like Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Neil Young and the Band’s Levon Helm, and was the lead guitarist for John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s musical act The Blues Brothers. He played on their 1978 album 'Briefcase Full of Blues' as well as four other albums, and also appeared in the 1980 feature film The Blues Brothers and its 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000. Cropper also went on to work with director John Carpenter on the soundtrack to the 1998 horror blockbuster Vampires.

Pat Mitchell Worley, president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation that operates the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, said: “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 won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1992 as a member of Booker T & The MG’s. He was named the second-best guitarist of all time (second to Jimi Hendrix) by British music magazine Mojo in 1996.

In 2007, Booker T & The MG’s received the Grammys’ lifetime achievement award.

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

RIP Steve Cropper 1941-2025