Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist for Booker T. & the MGs and key architect of the Stax Data sound, has died on the age of 84.

A press release shared on Cropper’s official Fb web page confirms that the musician handed away “peacefully in Nashville” on Wednesday (3 December): “Steve was a beloved musician, songwriter, and producer whose extraordinary expertise touched hundreds of thousands of lives around the globe,” the assertion reads.

“Whereas we mourn the lack of a husband, father, and pal, we discover consolation understanding that Steve will dwell eternally by means of his music. Each be aware he performed, each track he wrote, and each artist he impressed ensures that his spirit and artistry will proceed to maneuver individuals for generations.”

Born in 1941 in Dora, Missouri, Cropper rose to prominence because the guitarist for Booker T. & the MGs, the home band for Stax Data in Memphis. Typically hailed as one of many most interesting backing bands in soul, the group helped outline the label’s signature grooves, with Cropper’s distinctive guitar work that includes in a lot of Stax’s hit tracks.

Within the ’60s, Cropper co-composed the famed instrumental Inexperienced Onions and (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, the latter of which gained the primary Grammy Award for Finest R&B Track in 1969. As a member of the MGs, he was inducted into the Rock & Rock Corridor of Fame in 1992.

Past the band, Cropper additionally collaborated with legends like Otis Redding, Queen’s Brian Might, and John Lennon, co-writing and producing tracks that stay staples in American music.

Tributes have poured in from throughout the guitar and music neighborhood following information of the musician’s passing.

Describing Cropper as a “true nice”, Joe Bonamassa writes, “Phrases fail me in describing Steve Cropper’s affect on music. He was on the session when historical past was made. He got here up with the guitar elements all of us studied. He produced the information all of us worshipped. He was my pal and a real nice. Relaxation in peace. This one actually hurts.”

Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, too, calls Cropper “probably the most influential guitar gamers of our time”, saying “Thanks for all of your stunning music… and for being so type to me, coming to my camp in Memphis.”

Tyler Bryant, who carried out at Cropper’s Songwriters Corridor of Fame induction in 2005, additionally recollects the expertise: “I used to be so nervous that I wrote the lyrics to Midnight Hour on the highest of my guitar. I knew the track by coronary heart, however I etched them into the highest of my favorite guitar in any case,” he states. “The guitar acquired stolen and the lyrics have been sanded off. After a few years, the guitar got here again to me. I take into consideration that night time each time I play it. Some issues simply dwell on, particularly when they’re pure. The way in which Steve Cropper made music was pure.”

View extra tributes under.

In Memoriam: “Play it, Steve!” Immortalized with a shout-out in Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man,” 1992 Inductee Steve Cropper was considered one of music’s most acknowledged and in-demand guitarists. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/hwRAXPgOvQ

— Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame (@rockhall) December 3, 2025

RIP Steve Cropper… a blues brother to the top. pic.twitter.com/QPpJDFOWdx

— ✭Marc✭ (@marcmonster76) December 3, 2025