đź”— Share this article Steve Cropper, member of Booker T and the MGs, dies aged 84 Steve Cropper served as a key member of the resident musical group of the influential Memphis label Stax Records. Esteemed musician Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with the seminal soul group Booker T & the MGs, has passed away at the age of 84. The musician, who played on and helped pen the classic song Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and Wilson Pickett's In the Midnight Hour, passed away this past Wednesday in Music City, Nashville. Often cited among the best studio bands in soul and R&B, the four-piece band the MGs was the house band of the historic Memphis label Stax and is primarily known for their 1962 track Green Onions. Cropper went on to join the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and performed on their hit cover of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved artist, writer, and producer whose extraordinary talent touched millions of lives around the world," his family expressed in a release. "While we grieve the loss of a family man and friend, we take solace knowing that Steve will be remembered through his music," they noted. A specific cause was not released at this time. An associate, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper on Tuesday in Nashville, where the guitarist was in the process of creating fresh material. "He's such a kind human," Gore remarked. "We were fortunate to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, pictured on the right, with artists Sheryl Crow and Eddie Floyd. A Storied Musical Path Named the runner-up for guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax in 1961 at the age of 20. A year later, the MGs were formed, featuring keyboardist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964. The band was entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. "I've always considered myself to be a rhythm guitarist," Cropper remarked in a previous conversation. "I enjoy the fact that I can play something consistently, while other guitar players wouldn't consider it. They are reluctant to repeat the same phrase twice." Not only was he a guitarist, Cropper was a prolific songwriter, and in addition to Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he co-wrote Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood. According to available information, he was "a part of nearly all record issued by Stax from late 1961 through 1970". "We would literally spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had nearly 20 artists we worked with, so we had a very hectic schedule."