Photo of Steven Cropper from Chuck Coker’s Facebook page | Steven Lee Cropper (October 21, 1941 – December 3, 2025), sometimes known as “The Colonel”, was an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 36th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, while he won two Grammy Awards from his seven nominations.
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Career
Cropper and guitarist Charlie Freeman formed the Royal Spades, who eventually became the Mar-Keys. The name referred to the marquee outside Stax studios, known as Satellite Records at the time. Eventually, the Mar-Keys began playing on sessions and had a hit single of their own with “Last Night” in 1961.
Besides being impressed with the young guitarist’s playing, Stax Records president Jim Stewart saw professionalism and maturity beyond Cropper’s years. When American Records founder Chips Moman left Stax, Cropper became the company’s A&R man. He became a founding member of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.’s, along with Hammond organ player Booker T. Jones, bassist Lewie Steinberg (who was replaced by Donald “Duck” Dunn soon thereafter) and drummer Al Jackson Jr. As a house guitarist, he played on many recordings such as “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay”, co-written with and performed by Otis Redding and Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man” on which he was mentioned by name. When Cropper played on the song’s remake by the Blues Brothers, lead singer John Belushi again mentioned Cropper. On the early Stax recordings, Cropper is known to have played a 1956 Fender Esquire and later used a blonde Fender Telecaster.
At this time, Cropper’s fame was not limited to the United States. The Beatles favored Cropper’s playing, and his production on Otis Redding records. John Lennon and Paul McCartney made tentative plans to record in Memphis and to work with the guitarist. However Brian Epstein canceled the sessions, citing security problems.
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By 1975, Cropper had moved to Los Angeles and along with Jones, Jackson and Dunn, reformed Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Jackson, whom Cropper called “the greatest drummer to ever walk the Earth,” was murdered in his Memphis home before the group could make their comeback.
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Cropper had a cameo in the “Weird Al” Yankovic mockumentary The Compleat Al (1985), where he plays a bit of “Soul Man” in an unsuccessful attempt to join Al’s band.
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Cropper died on December 3, 2025, at the age of 84.
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Go here to read more of Mr. Cropper’s life:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Cropper
OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Rapper and Frequent Travis Barker Collaborator PoorStacy Dead at 26
Story by Deirdre Durkan-Simonds, U.S. Associate Showbiz Editor Daily Mail
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner confirmed the heartbreaking news to TMZ, which reported that the musician died early Saturday after being rushed from a hotel ‘to a local hospital for a medical emergency.’
A hotel employee in Boca Raton told the outlet the performer (born Carlito Milfort) had been staying at the property for 10 days and had ‘checked in with a woman and a toddler.’ No one else was transported to the hospital, and no additional injuries were reported.
Authorities have not yet released his cause of death.
The young rapper-singer had built a devoted following and worked closely with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on several tracks, solidifying his place as one of the most exciting new voices to emerge from the emo-rap scene.
Of their three songs together, their 2020 track, Choose Life, off his album, The Breakfast Club, had the biggest success.
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Read more here:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/rapper-and-frequent-travis-barker-collaborator-poorstacy-dead-at-26/ar-AA1Rw1uh?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=692e20b5b500484198febb406959f996&ei=20
Posting for my Veteran/singer/songwriter/musician friend Troy Hoss: Heavy on my heart so here goes: This is a very real problem … 22 Veterans a day surrender to their demons. #SuicideAwareness | Call Veteran’s Hotline: 988 #1 or 844-647-1354
From Care2 via Jock Bartley on Facebook: Trump shut down our LGBTQ+ suicide and mental health hotline, but CANADA opened a US toll-free number to theirs… so our citizens can get help anytime, at no cost: 1-877-330-6366
Kindness & empathy have no borders.
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
December 2025
3: Steve Cropper, 84, American Hall of Fame guitarist (Booker T. & the M.G.’s), songwriter (“In the Midnight Hour”) and record producer (“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”).
2: Billy Nichols, 85, American musician and songwriter (“Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)”); Adrian Ple ca, 64, Romanian singer, stroke (more next week).
November 2025
30: Dag Spantell, 75, Norwegian singer, cancer; Warren Williams, 85, Australian rock musician.
29: Semion Duja, 79, Moldovan composer and clarinetist; Leslie Fish, 72, American folk musician (“Banned from Argo”), author and political activist; PoorStacy, 26, American musician; Alonzo Saclag, 83, Filipino musician and dancer; Bob “Bongo” Starkie, 73, Australian rock guitarist (Skyhooks), leukaemia; Chubby Tavares, 81, American singer (Tavares).
27: Peep Lassmann, 77, Estonian pianist; Vasco Martins, 68–69, Cape Verdean musician and composer.
26: Judy Cheeks, 71, American singer (“Reach”); Shpat Kasapi, 40, Albanian singer-songwriter, heart attack; Andrew Lauder, 78, British record company executive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2025
Photo: From Chuck Coker’s Facebook page; tribute:
R.I.P. Steve Cropper (Oct 21, 1941–Dec 3, 2025)
He was a guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band.
He was nominated for seven Grammy Awards and won two for Best Rhythm and Blues Song ((Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, 1968) and Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Cruisin’, 1994).
In 1992, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Booker T. & the M.G.’s.
In 1996, Cropper was named “the greatest living guitar player” by the UK’s Mojo magazine.
In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked him 36th in “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” However, in 2023, they ranked him 45th in “The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Photo: Steve “The Colonel” Cropper in The Blues Brothers (1980). Matt “Guitar” Murphy in the background.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10229280410226292&set=a.1366471933353