Steve Cropper – In Memoriam
- The American Guitar Academy
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
All too easily the word ‘legend’ is passed around, in all walks of life but especially in regards to music. However, on December 23rd 2025, certified music industry legend Steve Cropper sadly passed away at the age of 84.
Please see below for the interview our leader Michael Kaplan did with Steve back in 2017 (the picture above is from that same day). He was a true gentleman too!
Career Highlights
I suggest watching the interview above, and checking out many biographies written about Steve Cropper over his illustrious career. Below I have listed some of the highlights that might interest you!
Booker T and the M.G.s
If you do not know this band, then you will have certainly heard some of their music. As the house band of Stax Records, they were called on to create and record numerous hits in the 1960s, much the same as the famous Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were for FAME Records in Alabama.
One of their biggest hits was an original, largely improvised composition called ‘Green Onions’ – an instantly recognizable classic, regardless of age or musical preference. As well as reaching number 1 in the R&B charts, the popularity and synchronization of the tune in TV and film achieved it numerous top 10 chart positions around the world.
This song has an interesting and tragic story, where Otis Redding sadly passed away before he could finish the recording in the late 1960s. The original idea had been brought by Redding to Steve Cropper who finished the song which later turned out to reach number 1 in the charts, and become one of the most successful, widely listened to and frequently covered soul music songs ever.
I have lost count of the number of students I have taught this song to over the years!
Blues Brothers
For any musician of a certain age or older, one of the most important and instrumental films in their development was the Blues Brothers, starring actors Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi alongside industry giants like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Chaka Khan and of course, Steve Cropper. This movie is a must watch for any music fan!
Being one of the guitarists in the band featured throughout the movie, Cropper also joined the band on tour and helped spread blues music to the masses.
Final Thoughts
To me personally, Steve Cropper epitomizes one of the most important qualities a successful guitarist can have – he does what is needed. There is nothing flashy, everything he lays down is crafted carefully and nothing is wasted. Combined with the necessity of being versatile, a strong requirement for the role of session guitar player, Steve was the ultimate weapon in the 1960s.
All of us at The American Guitar Academy would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Steve’s family, and will always remember the impact he made on us as musicians and the music world as a whole.