MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Steve Cropper, the influential guitarist, songwriter and producer whose understated style shaped the sound of Stax Records and powered Booker T. and the M.G.’s, has died at 84.
Pat Mitchell Worley, president and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, said Cropper’s family informed her that he passed away Wednesday in Nashville. The foundation oversees the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, built on the original Stax Records site where Cropper spent much of his career.
A cause of death has not been released. Eddie Gore, a longtime friend and collaborator, said he visited Cropper on Tuesday at a Nashville rehabilitation facility following a recent fall. Gore said Cropper had been working on new material during his stay.
Known for riffs that were sharp, soulful and deceptively simple, Cropper helped define the Memphis soul sound. His guitar work — rarely flashy but instantly memorable — anchored countless recordings. At a time when white musicians often overshadowed Black artists, Cropper earned respect for his willingness to collaborate, not dominate.
His legacy includes co-writing timeless hits such as “Green Onions,” “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour.”
Cropper’s name became part of pop culture in 1967 through Sam & Dave’s hit “Soul Man,” when Sam Moore famously shouted, “Play it, Steve!” as Cropper delivered one of his signature riffs, using a Zippo lighter for its distinctive slide sound. The moment was echoed years later when he played with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as part of “The Blues Brothers,” contributing to their popular cover of the same song.
Admiration for Cropper ran deep among fellow musicians. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones once summed up his respect with two words: “Perfect, man.” Guitarist Joe Bonamassa, in an online instructional video, noted that even those who don’t recognize Cropper’s name would know his sound, adding that his techniques have been widely imitated.
“If you haven’t heard the name Steve Cropper, you’ve heard him in song,” Bonamassa said.
