Born in Missouri in 1941 and raised in Memphis from childhood, Steve Cropper picked up the guitar at 14, drawn to gospel, R&B and early rock and roll. In 1961, at just 20 years old, he joined the staff at Stax Records, then a fledgling Memphis label, and soon became a founding member of Booker T. & the MG's. What began as studio backing soon produced pure magic, their 1962 instrumental hit 'Green Onions' turned them into soul legends. Over the next decade, Cropper's understated yet distinctive guitar — lean, rhythmic, and deeply soulful — would help define the 'Memphis soul' sound.
Beyond instrumental grooves, Cropper co‑wrote some of soul and R&B's greatest hits. He helped craft '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' with Otis Redding, a tender, haunting track that became a landmark in soul and pop music. He also co‑wrote 'In the Midnight Hour' (recorded by Wilson Pickett), another enduring classic. And, with Eddie Floyd, he penned 'Knock on Wood', a song whose groove remains instantly recognisable decades on. Cropper didn't chase flash or excessive solos. Instead, his genius lay in his feel, sharp rhythm and tasteful lines that served the song. As he once said, he considered himself 'a rhythm player'.
