Skip to main content

Steve Cropper

 


Singer, song writer, guitarist and record producer, record company executive and actor Stephen Lee "Steve" Cropper, also known as "The Colonel", was born in Dora, Mississippi, on 21 October 1941. He moved with his family to Memphis when he was 9. He became interested in Black Church music while at school at Messick High School and acquired his first guitar when he was 14. Cropper and Charlie Freeman formed the Mar-Keys at the local Stax Records studio in McLemore, Memphis, and had their first hit, "Last Night", in 1961. At the time, the company's A&R man was Chips Moman, but when he left the company, president Jim Stewart recognised Steve Cropper's abilities and talent, and promoted him to the A&R function. He put together the studios' famous house band, Booker T and the MGs. During those years he co-wrote some excellent songs including "Knock On Wood", "In the Midnight Hour" and "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay". He left Stax in 1970 to set up TMI Studios with Jerry Williams and Ronnie Stoots. He went on to form many collaborations with other artists, recorded some excellent solo albums, received many awards, and was associated with The Blues Brothers' projects. 

Steve Cropper died after a fall on 3 December 2025.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Owen Gray

  Owen Grey | Copyright Control | 25006 Singer and song writer and musician Owen Gray was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 5 July 1939 and is regarded as a pioneer of Jamaican popular music. He won his first talent contest aged nine. By twelve he had joined a band, playing drums, guitar and keyboards. He became associated with Chris Blackwell in 1960, and was one of the first artistes to be produced by Blackwell. In 1962 he emigrated to the United Kingdom, toured Europe in 1964, and since 1966 became recognised as a soul as well as reggae singer. In the 1970s he relocated to New Orleans and then back to Jamaica. Since the 1980s he lived in Miami, Florida. Owen Grey died in London, UK, on 20 July, 2025.
Post a Comment
Read more

Anita Wood

  Anita Wood | Copyright Control | 25007 Anita Marie Wood Brewer was born in 1937 and was a girl friend for a time to Elvis Presley.  Her recording of  "Dream Baby"/ “This has happened before” (US Santo 9054, 1964) was issued on Sue WI 328. She sang with Andy Williams, uncredited, on his 1959 hit of “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” and appeared regularly in his television series. Anita Wood died  of pneumonia at St. Dominic's Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi,  on 29 June 2023, age 85.
Post a Comment
Read more

Various Artists - The Sue Story Vol. 2 - ILP 933

  ILP 933 - Various Artists - The Sue Story Volume 2 (06.66)  Track Listing: The Hollywood Argyles - Sho' know a lot about love (Paxton, Fowley) | Ron Holden - My babe (Holden) | Thurston Harris - Little bitty pretty one (Day)  | Dee Clark - Hey little girl (Blackwell, Stevenson) | Lee Diamond - Hatti Malatti (Wilbert Smith) | Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - Stay (Williams) | Shirley and Lee - Let the good times roll (Goodman, Lee) | Richie Valens - La bamba (Traditional arrange by Valens) | Phil Upchurch Combo - You can't sit down parts 1 and 2 (Upchurch, Clark, Muldrow) | Bobby Lewis - Tossin' and turnin'  (Adams, René) | Chris Kenner - I like it like that (Kenner, Toussaint) | Big Bob - Your line was busy (Clowney, Kornegay) | Bobby Freeman - Do you wanna dance (Freeman) | Professor Longhair - Baby let me hold your hand (Byrd) | Ronnie Hawkins - Forty days (Berry) Image: Collection of Martin Whitell.
Post a Comment
Read more