Steve Cropper, blues guitarist and Stax Records icon, passes away

Blues guitarist Steve Cropper, Stax Records legend, passes at 84

Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist of the Blues Brothers and founding member of Booker T. & the MG’s, has died at 84 in Nashville, his family confirmed.

A cause of death has not been disclosed. Longtime friend Eddie Gore said Cropper had recently suffered a fall and was working on new music.

Cropper played a key role in shaping Memphis soul, famously featured in Sam & Dave’s 1967 hit Soul Man, where Sam Moore calls out, “Play it, Steve!”

He was known for his collaborative style, telling The Associated Press in 2020, “I listen to the other musicians and the singer… that’s my style.”

As part of Booker T. & the MG’s, along with Booker T. Jones, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Al Jackson, Cropper helped define the racially integrated Memphis sound.

He also performed with the Blues Brothers and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.

Steve Cropper’s music, influence, and spirit leave a lasting legacy in soul, R&B, and rock.