đź”— Share this article Legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, member of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, dies aged 84 Steve Cropper formed the backbone of the in-house studio band of the seminal 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 contributed to and co-wrote Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, passed away this past Wednesday in Nashville. Often cited among the finest backing bands in the history of soul music, the group Booker T. Jones and the MGs was the resident studio band of the groundbreaking Memphis label Stax and is most famous for their classic 1962 track Green Onions. Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and played on their successful version of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose immense talent impacted countless people around the world," his family said in a statement. "While we grieve the loss of a family man and friend, we are consoled knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they noted. A specific cause was not released at this time. An associate, Eddie Gore, recalled he was with Cropper just the day before in Nashville, where the guitarist had been working on fresh material. "He's such a kind human," Gore remarked. "We were lucky to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, right, with artists Sheryl Crow and Eddie Floyd. An Illustrious Journey Ranked the second-best guitarist of all time by a British music magazine in 1996, Cropper started his career at Stax 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 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. "I've always considered myself to be a rhythm guitarist," Cropper explained in a previous conversation. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something repeatedly, while other guitar players avoid that approach. They won't even play the same lick twice." Not only was he a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative songwriter, and alongside 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 late 1961 through the end of 1970". "We would truly spend 15 hours a day in the studio," Cropper once recalled. "I think we had a roster of artists on the roster, so we had a pretty busy schedule."