GuitarChannel

We mourn the loss of Steven Lee Cropper, affectionately referred to as “The Colonel.” As a highly acclaimed American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer, Mr. Cropper played a vital role in shaping the sound of legendary artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor as the guitarist for the Stax Records house band Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Cropper not only contributed to these iconic records as a musician but also produced many of them, leaving a lasting legacy on the soul and R&B landscape of the 1960s. His membership in the Blues Brothers band brought him renewed fame.

Cropper died in Nashville on December 3, 2025, at the age of 84.