Steve Cropper

Biography

Steve Cropper, born in Dora, Missouri and raised in Memphis, was the guitarist of *Booker T. & the M.G.'s*, the #Stax Records# house band behind much of Southern soul. He co wrote 'In the Midnight Hour', 'Knock on Wood' and '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay', produced widely at Stax, and later played with *The Blues Brothers*. His spare, vocal rhythm guitar style, built on economy and tone rather than display, made him one of the most influential sidemen and songwriters in American rhythm and blues. He died in Nashville in 2025.