know even where to start.
The blog description says:
"Random ramblings from an amateur rock-n-roll historian and critic, self-professed bourbon aficionado, blackberry growin', jam makin', sometime tie-die shirt makin', ex hippie wannabe, turned punk rock lovein', blues festival going, middle aged pudgy bald white guy who loves to wear Hawaiian shirts in the summertime and happens to be more Stax than Motown, more Alman Brothers than Skynard, more Stones than Beatles, more NASCAR than Baseball, more freeware than license keys..."
"and happens to be more Stax than Motown"
is in large part to this man
who passed a way last week
I saw
"The Blues Brothers"
movie in 1976
in Myrtle Beach South Carolina
with my dad and step mom.
It was quite a while later
before I truly appreciated
a lot of the music in that movie.
Hey? I was 12, give me a break lol.
And to be honest
it was sometime after college
and I cant really remember when
that I really came around to the
Stax, Memphis soul,
Horn section
Otis Redding,
Albert King, Sam and Dave
thing they had going on
in the sixties
in Memphis.
Anyway, Steve Cropper wasnt just a guitarist
he was an arranger, producer, writer even a janitor
for Stax Records.
Guy had a hand in over 3500 songs.
There's a lot of good ones
and a few are timeless:
Otis Redding
"(Sitting on) the dock of the bay".
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
"Green Onions,"
"In the Midnight Hour,"
and Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood,
Eddie Floyd's
"Knock on Wood,"
Sam and Dave
"Soul Man'
that's just to name a few.
Anyway,
I love Stax records
and
"The Memphis Sound"
they created
that became
synonymous
with their name.
I love the horns,
most
if not all
of the artist.
The Staple singers recorded on Stax
"Respect yourself",
"Ill take you there etc".
Duck Dunn on Bass.
Booker T on Organ.
Al Jackson Jr on drums.
Like I say, I cant remember exactly when
I really started getting into it, bit once I did?
I was hooked, and I knew
I was always gonna be.
I didn't really get Steve Croppers style
at first either.
He aceturates the space
in the song with the guitar,
he doesn't trample it underfoot.
He lets the silence speak.
"Less is more"
Is often said of his style.
With him its about having the guitar
highlight the song, instead of
having the song
being about the guitar.
It's "clean".
"Warm".
Letting the acoustics of the room
and the tone and the "groove"
all work together to create something
Well...
Timeless.
A Legacy That Shaped American Music
Blues Rock Review 12/07/25
"Steve Cropper’s name carries a weight that stretches far beyond the borders of blues rock, soul, or rhythm and blues. His legacy is fully cemented in the DNA of American music. To musicians, producers, and historians, Cropper is not only one of the most important guitarists of the twentieth century, he was also one of the most influential behind the scenes creators to ever walk into a recording studio. His sound defined an era. His songs became pillars of the popular music canon. His approach to the guitar shaped how generations thought about rhythm, feel, and restraint."
"Cropper passed away at the age of 84, but his influence remains permanent. His body of work is not just impressive in scale. It is foundational. To understand modern soul, blues rock, and even pop, one must understand the work of the man many musicians simply call “The Colonel”."
"This is a look at Cropper’s extraordinary legacy, his philosophy, his impact on the artists he worked with, and the ripple effect his playing continues to have today."
"The Architect of Stax Records
If Motown was the polished northern engine of American soul, Stax Records was the raw, unfiltered southern counterpoint. The label’s house band, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, gave Stax its sound, and Steve Cropper was at the heart of it. His path to Stax was not glamorous or strategic. It grew out of proximity, persistence, and a deep desire to belong in the studio environment."
"In a 2019 interview with Blues Rock Review, Cropper explained the origins of his connection to the label. “It’s pretty simple basically, because Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton were the two owners and the agreement that they made was you can have your studio if I can have my record shop.” Cropper happened to be close friends with Axton’s son, which opened the first small door. “He was in my high school band. I used to go and pick him up in the mornings when I had a car or we’d walk to school together.”
"When Axton began setting up her record shop, Cropper asked if he could work there. But very quickly the studio became his real home. “She goes up to Jim Stewart one day and says you got to start paying him because he spends more time in the studio than he does in the record shop.” Before long, his salary shifted to the studio budget. “And that’s how I became whatever I became. I didn’t care, just as long as I was connected with the studio.”
"Cropper’s early responsibilities were humble but formative. “I started out just cleaning up and picking things up, logging tapes and doing whatever. Sort of like the guy in the mail room working his way up in a company,” he said. Over time, he absorbed everything around him. “I learned on the job, just like a plumber would working with his dad. I learned every facet. How to set a studio up, how to mix, how to engineer, how to play.”
"Although early Stax sessions focused on instrumentals, Cropper had quietly been writing lyrics since his teens. When Jim Stewart showed little interest, Cropper made a strategic move. He approached Carla Thomas directly with a song called “No Time to Lose.” “She says I really like that, I want to cut it,” he told Blues Rock Review. The song became a modest hit. “It did make some money and sold some records and all of a sudden they wanted to hear all of my songs I’d written.”
"Soon he was collaborating with William Bell, Eddie Floyd, and, later Al Bell, forming some of the most productive songwriting partnerships in soul music. Through those collaborations, Cropper helped mold the unmistakable identity of Stax Records."
"His rhythm parts were crisp and sharp. His fills were conversational. His sense of groove was unmatched. Stax did not simply produce hits. It produced a movement. It became the sound of Memphis. It became the sound of civil rights era hope and heartbreak. It produced recordings filled with rhythmic honesty and emotional truth. And behind that sound was Steve Cropper, the quiet craftsman who built his legacy note by note.
"A Songwriting Legacy That Touches Every Generation
One might argue that Cropper’s guitar playing alone earned him a place among music’s greats. Yet his songwriting achievements elevate him into an entirely different category. He co-wrote some of the most iconic songs in the history of soul and rock, and those songs have proven to be genreless. They do not belong solely to their original era. They live everywhere."
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” remains one of the most recognizable songs ever recorded. Cropper co-wrote it with Otis Redding shortly before Redding’s death in 1967. Its simplicity, emotional depth, and haunting whistle coda created a timeless classic. Even today it is covered by artists across genres, used in films, television, and commercials, and taught to musicians learning how to internalize feel rather than technique."
"He also co-wrote “In the Midnight Hour” with Wilson Pickett. That song was an anthem of its day and continues to be a staple of live sets around the world. “Knock on Wood,” co-written with Eddie Floyd, became a standard not only in soul but in rock, blues, and pop. These songs do not sound dated. They do not feel tied to a single moment in time. They feel permanent. They carry an evergreen quality that only a small group of songwriters have ever managed to achieve."
"Cropper built an extraordinary catalog, but what set him apart was how naturally he blended what he heard in his head with what the artist in front of him needed. He understood the voice of Otis Redding. He understood the electricity of Wilson Pickett. He understood the raw uplift of Eddie Floyd. He shaped songs to their personalities. As a collaborator, he elevated everyone in the room."
"The Master of Less is More
Every guitarist learns about space.
Every guitarist hears about restraint.
Very few ever master it. Cropper did."
"Listen to his playing on Booker T. and the M.G.’s recordings like “Green Onions.” Nothing about the part is complex, but everything about it is right. His right-hand attack. The way he accents certain beats. The way he leaves pockets of silence that feel just as musical as the notes. It is the blueprint of tasteful rhythm guitar."
"Cropper understood that the guitar did not always need to be the star. It needed to serve the song. It needed to elevate the vocal. It needed to complement the horns, the bass, the drums. He had an incredible instinct for what not to play, and that skill is rarer than many think."
"In many ways, Cropper’s legacy is the lesson that subtlety can be powerful. That tone can be emotional even without distortion or speed. That groove can be more important than technical athleticism. He made the guitar feel like part of the heartbeat rather than a decoration placed on top of it."
"This approach did not only influence soul musicians. It influenced Keith Richards. It influenced Jeff Beck. It influenced blues rock guitarists who learned that great rhythm work is as critical as a soaring solo. It influenced producers and engineers who sought to capture feel instead of perfection."
Read an interview with Stevie Ray Vaughn once and the guy asked him:
"Any advice for young players comin up?
And SRV said:
"Learn rhythm first.
Learn monster rhythm
and then go from there."
:-).
"Cropper was a master of minimalism,
and in that minimalism he found immortality."
"Otis Redding and One of the Great Musical Partnerships
"Cropper’s biggest artistic partnership was with Otis Redding, a collaboration that pushed both men to their creative peaks. When Redding walked into Stax for the first time, Cropper immediately recognized something special. Otis had a voice that could shake walls. Cropper had a guitar style that gave that voice the perfect space to land."
"The chemistry between them did not need much explanation. Cropper understood how to build a supportive musical framework around Redding’s voice. He could craft chord progressions that brought out the emotional core of a lyric. He could add rhythmic accents that made every line feel urgent or intimate, depending on what the song needed."
"Their collaborations shaped some of the defining moments in American music. Redding’s success grew in large part because his recordings had an unmistakable identity. Cropper helped build that identity. When their partnership ended abruptly with Redding’s death, it left a void in soul music that has never truly been filled. Yet their final work together, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” stands as one of the most poignant songs ever written.'
(100% agree with that statement.
Nat King Cole.
Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
and then it just stops...
Nothing since even comes close.)
"The song’s melancholy beauty reflects both the tragedy of Redding’s passing and the brilliance of Cropper’s musical instincts. It became the first posthumous number one single in Billboard history. It is a song that has transcended generations, and Cropper’s writing and production are core reasons why."
(He was also responsible for
the sound of waves and gulls at the beginning of the song.)
"His Work as a Producer Was Just as Influential
While many fans know Cropper for his guitar or songwriting, his production work was equally transformative. He often had a role that blurred the lines between musician, arranger, engineer, and creative director. He could walk into a session and immediately identify how to bring out the strongest musical elements."
(Thats what the people around him said as well.)
"Cropper did not impose himself on an artist. He listened first. He understood their strengths and weaknesses, then shaped the session around them. His production philosophy mirrored his playing. It was about bringing clarity. It was about truth. It was about capturing real emotion on tape."
"In an era before digital recording and editing, capturing feel was everything. Cropper had an instinct for knowing when a take was honest. When a performance carried the right tension. When a vocal hit its emotional center. He guided countless artists toward career-defining recordings."
(You cant say that about to many.)
"Producers today still point to the Stax sound as an example of how to build warmth organically."
(There is just a sound you get
when using vintage equipment
in certain rooms
non-digitally recoded.
And I don't mean
Lofi, intentionally trying to sound
recoded in your friends basement
to be cool kinda stuff,
but rather the warmth
of vintage equipment
in then right setting
just produces a "hum"
to the sound you don't find much anymore.)
"They talk about Cropper’s approach to mic placement, his dry guitar tones, his use of natural room reverb, his ability to keep arrangements clean and uncluttered. Modern studios still try to recreate that magic. Engineers still refer to the Stax catalog as a reference. All of that reinforces the idea that Cropper’s influence stretches far beyond his instrument."
"A Multi-Generation Influence
Steve Cropper’s career extended for decades, and his legacy stretches across genres and eras. In later years he gained renewed recognition through his role in The Blues Brothers Band. For many younger fans, this was their introduction to Cropper’s onstage presence, even though the man had already shaped the music behind so many of the songs the film celebrated."
(Yup...
Its how us white boys
in the suburbs found out about soul
and R &B in the seventies.)
"Cropper once shared the story of how he got the gig with Blues Rock Review in 2019, and the account captures his humility and the unlikely nature of the moment. As he told us, “The story I heard was that Belushi was hanging out with Phil Walden, who was Otis’s manager, and he was talking to him about putting a band together. So Phil said, well, you need to get Steve Cropper to play guitar. And he said, Who? You mean that long haired hippie guy? He’s not a guitar player, he’s a roadie.”
"According to Cropper, Belushi then called him directly while he was mixing an album. “I hung up on him the first time because I didn’t believe him. He called back and said, No, this is really John Belushi and I’ve already talked to your buddy Donald Duck Dunn, and I understand that you guys don’t get along together. I said what are you talking about. He’s my best friend.”
"Belushi told him that Dunn had already signed on and that he wanted Cropper, too. At first, Cropper refused because he was in the middle of studio work, but the situation changed quickly. As Cropper recalled, “The guy I was mixing for was Robben Ford, and he turned around and said, I’ll do it, and I said, no you won’t. I called John back and said when do you need me? I can’t be there tomorrow. He said can you be here in a couple of days. I said, well, I think so.”
"Cropper eventually joined, and the effects were immediate. The Blues Brothers unexpectedly turned him into a household face, introducing his presence and stage charisma to millions who may not have known his name but had been hearing his guitar work for years. Even as the band became a cultural phenomenon, Cropper continued to balance road work with production duties, coordinating with engineers who finished studio mixes in his absence. His Blues Brothers era added a new dimension to his career, giving him a platform that reached far outside the traditional soul and blues communities."
(White boys in the suburbs lol.)
"Cropper also remained a consistent presence in the contemporary blues rock scene. His final album Friendlytown, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2024, a fitting late career achievement for an artist whose musical instincts never dulled."
"Blues rock guitarists frequently cite Cropper as a key influence. Joe Bonamassa has praised Cropper’s rhythm genius on multiple occasions. Musicians like Gary Clark Jr., Marcus King, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, and John Mayer have absorbed elements of Cropper’s economy of movement and his commitment to groove."
"Country, Americana, and indie artists have also embraced his ethos. His impact extends to producers and writers who adopt his approach to sonic clarity and emotional transparency. Cropper proved that emotional weight can be achieved through simplicity and intention, and that lesson resonates as strongly today as it did in the 1960s."
"The Humanity Behind the Guitar
One of the reasons Cropper is so revered by musicians is because his creative genius was matched by humility. He never needed to be the loudest voice in the room. He was content to let others shine. His focus was always on the song. His mission was always about elevating the music rather than himself."
"Artists often talk about how easy he was to work with. He created calm in the studio. He listened. He offered ideas with grace rather than ego. In an industry where strong personalities often collide, Cropper’s modesty allowed him to collaborate with a remarkable range of artists while leaving an unmistakable mark on each project."
"His generosity extended beyond sessions. He mentored younger musicians. He encouraged experimentation. He shared stories about the early days of Stax not to glorify himself, but to preserve history and celebrate the artists who shaped it."
"This humanity is part of his legacy. It is the reason so many mourn not just the musician, but the man."
"The Enduring Power of His Sound
There is a moment every guitarist has when they first attempt to learn a Steve Cropper riff. It looks simple. It seems almost too minimal. Then they play it. They discover that the secret is not the notes, but the feel. It is the pocket. It is the confidence to leave air in the music. It is the taste to choose the one perfect note rather than the twenty that are unnecessary."
"Cropper’s sound will continue to be a reference point for generations. Aspiring guitarists will continue to dive into his catalog and discover the magic in restraint. Music educators will continue to use his work to teach students about rhythm, tone, and attention to detail. Producers will continue to reference his arrangements as examples of clarity and purpose."
"His influence is not trending downward. It is trending upward. His contributions to American music are being rediscovered by younger audiences who are hungry for authenticity. As blues rock, soul, and Americana grow in popularity worldwide, Cropper’s recordings remain essential listening.
"A Lasting Legacy
Steve Cropper leaves behind a legacy that is almost impossible to summarize in full. He reshaped guitar playing. He co-wrote songs that have become part of the global cultural fabric. He helped define one of the most important record labels in music history. He brought stability, vision, and taste to every project he touched."
"He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. and the M.G.’s, but his impact extends far beyond that honor. The truth is that few musicians have ever influenced so many different aspects of music creation. Fewer still have done it with such humility and generosity."
"Cropper’s work continues to live in the recordings that shaped generations. It lives in the musicians he inspired. It lives in the countless guitarists who learned feel by studying his rhythm parts. It lives in the songs that remain classics more than half a century after they were written."
"Steve Cropper was a cornerstone of American music. His legacy will remain unshakable. His sound will echo in studios, stages, and headphones for decades to come. He may be gone, but the music he helped create will never fade."
Amen.
Warning:
Tone and Restraint Alert:
Listen at your own risk
of becoming hooked.
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