Steve Cropper - WikiHQ

Stephen Lee Cropper (October 21, 1941 – December 3, 2025), sometimes known as "The Colonel", was an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Neil Young. He also acted as the producer of many of these artists' records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 36th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists. He won two Grammy Awards out of his seven nominations.

Early life

Cropper was born in Dora, Missouri, on October 21, 1941. There, he was exposed to black gospel music, which had an impact on him musically.

Cropper got his first guitar at age 14, Eventually, the Mar-Keys began playing on sessions and had a hit single of their own with "Last Night" in 1961.

left|thumb|Cropper (second from right) with [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s, 1967]]

Besides being impressed with the young guitarist's playing, Stax Records president Jim Stewart saw professionalism and maturity beyond Cropper's years. When American Records founder Chips Moman left Stax, Cropper became the company's A&R man. He became a founding member of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, along with Hammond organ player Booker T. Jones, bassist Lewie Steinberg (who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn soon thereafter) and drummer Al Jackson Jr. As a house guitarist, he played on many recordings such as "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay", co-written with and performed by Otis Redding and Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" on which he was mentioned by name. When Cropper played on the song's remake by the Blues Brothers, lead singer John Belushi again mentioned Cropper. On the early Stax recordings, Cropper is known to have played a 1956 Fender Esquire and later used a blonde Fender Telecaster.

Along with influential work with Booker T & The M.G.'s, Cropper co-wrote "Knock on Wood" with Eddie Floyd, "In the Midnight Hour" with Wilson Pickett and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Otis Redding. In 1969, Cropper released his first solo album, With a Little Help from My Friends. Cropper then set up TMI Studios with Jerry Williams and former Mar-Key Ronnie Stoots. He worked with many musicians including Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, John Prine, and Jeff Beck.

By 1975, Cropper had moved to Los Angeles and along with Jones, Jackson, and Dunn, reformed Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Jackson, whom Cropper called "the greatest drummer to ever walk the Earth," was murdered in his Memphis home before the group could make their comeback.

In 1991, Cropper played on two separate nights of the Guitar Legends, Seville 1991 concerts as part of the celebration of Seville hosting the 1992 Expo exhibition. The concerts over five nights included some of the world's best guitarists such as Cropper, Keith Richards, BB King, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Brian May, Albert Collins, Bob Dylan, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai.

In 1992, Booker T. & the M.G.'s were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cropper appeared with a new line-up of the group for the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary concert, in October 1992 at Madison Square Garden, where they performed Dylan's songs in tribute. The concert was recorded and later released as The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993).

In 1996, Cropper was named "the greatest living guitar player" by Britain's Mojo magazine. When asked what he thought of Cropper, the guitarist Keith Richards said, "Perfect, man." In February 1998, Cropper released The Interview – Play It, Steve! which was a series of recording meant to reflect on his own career. The album title came from the "shout" of the title phrase by Moore on Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" and later by John Belushi (with the Blues Brothers). On June 9, 2005, Cropper was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

right|thumb|215px|Cropper toured Australia with [[Guy Sebastian, playing on Sebastian's The Memphis Album tour in March 2008]]

thumb|Cropper performing with [[the Blues Brothers at the 2008 Bilbao BBK Live festival|315x315px]]

He co-produced The Memphis Album (2007), recorded by Australian soul singer Guy Sebastian. Cropper also played guitar on the subsequent promotional tour, which was recorded and released two years later as The Memphis Tour. On March 2, 2008, Cropper and Sebastian were guests on the Vega Sunday Session with host Mark Gable from the rock band the Choirboys. On July 29, 2008, Cropper and Felix Cavaliere released the album Nudge It Up a Notch. In August 2008, Cropper appeared at the Rhythm Festival alongside the Animals.

On November 12, 2009, EMP/SFM presented Cropper with their "Founders Award". On October 17, 2010, Cropper was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

On August 9, 2011, Cropper released the album Dedicated which was his tribute to the "5" Royales. In 2013, he was a special guest at selected concerts as part of Peter Frampton's Guitar Circus Tour, including the first performance which featured Frampton, Robert Cray, and Vince Gill. Cropper appeared in April of that year with Jones, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, as well as Booker T. & the MG's at Eric Clapton's 4th Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In November 2021, Cropper's Fire It Up was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.

Death

Cropper died in Nashville on December 3, 2025, at the age of 84. A cause of death was not immediately known. A few days before, he was at a rehabilitation facility in Nashville recovering from a recent fall.

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable Sortable"

! Year

! Ceremony

! Category

! Nominated work

! Result

! Ref.

|1967

|Grammy Awards

|Best Rhythm and Blues Group Recording, Vocal or Instrumental

|Hip Hug-Her

|style="text-align:center;"|