Steve Cropper, who died Dec. 3 at 84, did as much as anyone to make Stax a soul powerhouse in the ’60s – playing guitar in the house band, Booker T and the MG’s, co-writing a clutch of R&B classics, including “The Dock of the Bay,” “Knock on Wood” and “In the Midnight Hour,” and producing albums for the label’s biggest stars.
After leaving Stax in 1970 he got even busier. He produced albums for a wide range of artists – Jeff Beck, John Prine, Poco and Buddy Miles among them – and worked as a sideman for dozens more. His most notable gig was with the Blues Brothers, but he played with almost everyone, including both John Lennon and Wayne Newton.
Cropper’s list of accomplishments might overshadow his most impressive quality: He never stopped making new music. He regularly released albums of new material, the most recent just last year. “Friendlytown” is more blues than R&B and features Cropper sharing guitar duties with Bill Gibbons of ZZ Top, with a guest appearance by Queen’s Brian May. He even wrote a political tune for it. Spoiler alert: The chorus calls them “liars, crooks and clowns,” showing that he could have added punditry to his portfolio.
