đź”— Share this article Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, guitarist of Booker T and the MGs, has died aged 84 Steve Cropper formed the backbone of the resident musical group of the pioneering Memphis label Stax Records. The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the celebrated guitarist with Booker T and the MGs, has died at the age of 84. The musician, who played on and helped pen Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, died this past Wednesday in Music City, Nashville. Considered among the finest backing bands in soul and R&B, the four-piece band Booker T & the MGs was the core musical unit of the historic Memphis label Stax and is best remembered for their 1962 track Green Onions. Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and featured on their successful version of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved guitarist, composer, and producer whose profound talent impacted millions of lives around the world," his family said in a statement. "While we grieve the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we take solace knowing that Steve will live forever through his music," they noted. A cause of death was not disclosed. An associate, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on fresh material. "He's such a kind human," Gore commented. "We were lucky to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, pictured on the right, with fellow musicians Sheryl Crow and Eddie Floyd. A Prolific Career Ranked the number two guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper first found employment at the Stax label 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 entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. "I've always seen myself as a player who focuses on rhythm," Cropper explained in a previous conversation. "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 refuse to play the same lick twice." As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative songwriter, and in addition to Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he collaborated on Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood. According to historical accounts, he was "a part of virtually every record issued by Stax from 1961 through 1970". "We would literally spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had a roster of artists signed to the label, so we had a extremely demanding schedule."