Steve Cropper, the Hall of Fame guitarist who helped pen Otis Redding’s posthumous No. 1 hit “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” died peacefully in Nashville on Wednesday, Dec. 3. He was 84 years old.
Videos by American Songwriter
Cropper’s family announced his death in a social media post Wednesday afternoon. The post celebrated the two-time Grammy winner’s “immeasurable” influence on American music.
“While we mourn the loss of a husband, father, and friend, we find comfort knowing that Steve will live forever through his music,” the post read. “Every note he played, every song he wrote, and every artist he inspired ensures that his spirit and artistry will continue to move people for generations.”
Cropper is survived by wife, Angel Cropper; children Andrea and Cameron Cropper, Stevie, and Ashley, “along with countless musicians and fans whose lives he transformed through his extraordinary gift.”
Steve Cropper Played an Influential Role in the Memphis Soul Scene
Born Oct. 21, 1941, in Dora, Missouri, Steve Cropper relocated to Memphis with his family at age 9. Receiving his first guitar at 14, Cropper teamed up with guitarist Charlie Freeman to form the Royal Spades. That band eventually became the Mar-Keys, the first-ever house band for Stax Records.
Later, Cropper became a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which helped shape the Southern and Memphis soul scenes. The band played on numerous recordings by artists like Wilson Pickett, Bill Withers, and Otis Redding. Among those recordings was Redding’s 1967 No. 1 single “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, which Cropper co-wrote with the “King of Soul.”
[RELATED: Behind The Song: Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay”]
In November 1967, Cropper said Redding brought him a song that he had begun writing on a houseboat overlooking San Francisco Bay. “That afternoon, it was done,” he told CBS Mornings. “We went and cut it the next day. I think there’s three takes of it.”
Sadly, Redding would never see the completed product. The 26-year-old soul pioneer died weeks later in a Dec. 10, 1967 plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin. “And I said, ‘I just lost my best friend,’” Cropper told CBS Mornings.
Returning to Stax Studios, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer mixed “Dock of the Bay” himself. Cropper added the sounds of seagulls and crashing waves per his late collaborator’s request. Released in January 1968, the song made Redding the first artist in U.S. history to score a No. 1 hit posthumously. The next year, it won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Featured image by Ed Rode/Getty Images for The Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.