Booker T. & the MG’s Guitarist Steve Cropper Dies at 84

Steve Cropper was born in Dora, Missouri, in 1941, and moved to Memphis with his family when he was nine years old. It was there he first heard Black church music. His career began with a band he formed called the Mar-Keys, named after the sign outside the future Stax Records headquarters. In 1962, he joined Booker T. & the MG’s, the house band for Stax Records. Cropper co-wrote several hit songs, including “Green Onions,” Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” and “Knock on Wood.” He left Stax in 1970 due to disagreements with management, as reported by Variety. Even after Cropper’s departure, the MG’s continued to perform, backing prominent artists such as Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, and Neil Young.




