Steve Cropper: Stax Guitarist and ‘Memphis Sound’ Creator Dies at 84
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key data from the provided text, focusing on Steve Cropper and his relationship with Otis Redding, as well as his career:
Key Points about Steve Cropper & Otis Redding:
* “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the bay”: Cropper played guitar on this iconic song. Otis Redding specifically requested Cropper for the track, stating, “Hell, Crop, that’s what I want.”
* Age Disparity: Cropper was surprised to learn he and Redding were the same age. He always viewed Redding as an older brother figure due to Redding’s wisdom.
* Post-Death Completion: Cropper finished the song shortly after Redding’s tragic death in a plane crash in December 1967.
* Emotional Mixing Process: Cropper found it incredibly challenging to mix “(Sittin’ On) The dock of the Bay,” staying up for 24 hours to complete it. He personally delivered the master recording to a stewardess at the airport.
Steve Cropper’s Career Highlights:
* Early Years & The Mar-keys: Cropper moved to Memphis as a child and co-founded the band The Mar-Keys in the early 1960s. They recorded the instrumental hit “Last Night” for Stax Records in 1961.
* Stax Records house Band: The Mar-Keys became the house band for Stax Records.
* Booker T. & The MG’s: Members of the Mar-Keys were rebranded as Booker T. & The MG’s, with Booker T. Jones as the frontman,and released their own successful records.
* Session Musician in Los Angeles: After leaving Stax, Cropper moved to Los Angeles and became a highly sought-after session musician, working with artists like John Lennon.
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of the text!