RIP guitar great Steve Cropper. The songwriter and producer was 84 (born October 21, 1941 – December 2025).

A founding member of Booker T & The MGs, Cropper’s distinctive guitar work, production, and songwriting helped shape the Memphis soul sound. A trusted songwriting collaborator with artists like Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, and others, Cropper played a vital role in countless Stax recording sessions throughout the 1960s and into 1970.

As the co-writer of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Knock On Wood,” and “In the Midnight Hour,” he leaves a legacy that stands with the legends of 20th-century soul music.