Performance · Production

Steve Cropper

real name Stephen Lee Cropper

United States · 1941-10-21 – 2025-12-03

Steve Cropper is credited on 13,903 releases across 3,038 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1959–2026 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.

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13,903

Credits

3,038

Albums

Decades active

1,499

In collections

Biography

source

American guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer, born 21 October 1941 near Dora, Missouri (USA), and died on 3 December 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee (USA).
Founding member of both The Mar-Keys (originally named The Royal Spades) in the late 1950s, and Stax' in-house band Booker T & The MG's in the early 1960s. Was successfully active for the label as an A&R manager, musician, one-time solo artist, engineer, producer and songwriter, co-writing classic songs such as Knock On Wood, The Dock Of The Bay and In the Midnight Hour.
He left Booker T & The MG's and the label in 1970, to embark on a career as a session musician and producer, working with artists like Jeff Beck, Tower Of Power and Ringo Starr. In the early 1970s he belongs to the staff of Clover Recorders. In the 1980s he recorded two more solo albums. Cropper is also an original member of The Blues Brothers Band.
In the 21st Century he has kept on playing, and he has returned with solo releases or alongside Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals.
Steve Cropper Enterprises, Inc., Steve Cropper Music.

Bio from Discogs