If
Yankee Stadium is "the house that Babe Ruth built," Stax
Records is "the house that Booker T, and the MG's built."
Integral to that potent combination is MG rhythm guitarist
extraordinaire Steve Cropper. As a guitarist, A & R man,
engineer, producer, songwriting partner of Otis Redding, Eddie
Floyd and a dozen others and founding member of both Booker T. and
the MG's and The Mar-Keys, Cropper was literally involved in
virtually every record issued by Stax from the fall of 1961 through
year end 1970. Such credits assure Cropper of an honored place in the
soul music hall of fame. As co-writer of (Sittin' On) The Dock of
the Bay, Knock on Wood and In the Midnight Hour, Cropper is in line
for immortality.
Born
on October 21, 1941 on a farm near Dora, Missouri, Steve Cropper
moved with his family to Memphis at the age of nine. In Missouri he
had been exposed to a wealth of country music and little else. In his
adopted home, his thirsty ears amply drank of the fountain of Gospel,
R & B and nascent Rock and Roll that thundered over the airwaves
of both black and white Memphis radio. Bit by the music bug,
Cropper acquired his first mail order guitar at the age of 14.
Personal guitar heroes included Tal Farlow, Chuck Berry, Jimmy
Reed, Chet Atkins, Lowman Pauling of the Five Royales and Billy
Butler of the Bill Doggett band...
(playitsteve.com)
