Play Steve Cropper Radio
Steve Cropper
7,330 plays (2,061 listeners)
Early life
Cropper was born Stephen Lee Cropper on a farm outside Dora, Missouri. In 1950, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. At age ten, he strummed a guitar for the first time, his brother-in-law’s Gibson. Cropper received his first guitar at age 14, and started playing with local musicians. His hero at the time was Lowman Pauling of the Winston-Salem, NC band, The Five Royales.
The Stax years (1961-1970)
Cropper and guitarist Charlie Freeman formed (as a tip of the hat to Pauling’s band) The Royal Spades, who eventually became The Mar-Keys. The Mar-Keys was a play on the word “marquee”; referring to the marquee outside of Stax studios (at the time called Satellite Records). The band’s inexperienced sax player Charles “Packy” Axton’s mother Estelle Axton and uncle Jim Stewart owned Satellite, and eventually The Mar-Keys began playing on sessions and had a hit single of their own with 1961’s “Last Night”. Also in the band were producer/songwriter Don Nix and future legends, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and trumpeter Wayne Jackson.
Besides being impressed with the young guitarist’s playing, the then Stax Records president Jim Stewart saw a business sense, professionalism, and maturity in Cropper beyond his years. When American Records founder Chips Moman left Stax, the young Cropper was given the keys to the studio, which he opened every day; he became the company’s A & R man, and shared engineering duties with Stewart.
Cropper was born Stephen Lee Cropper on a farm outside Dora, Missouri. In 1950, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. At age ten, he strummed a guitar for the first time, his brother-in-law’s Gibson. Cropper received his first guitar at age 14, and started playing with local musicians. His hero at the time was Lowman Pauling of the Winston-Salem, NC band, The Five Royales.
The Stax years (1961-1970)
Cropper and guitarist Charlie Freeman formed (as a tip of the hat to Pauling’s band) The Royal Spades, who eventually became The Mar-Keys. The Mar-Keys was a play on the word “marquee”; referring to the marquee outside of Stax studios (at the time called Satellite Records). The band’s inexperienced sax player Charles “Packy” Axton’s mother Estelle Axton and uncle Jim Stewart owned Satellite, and eventually The Mar-Keys began playing on sessions and had a hit single of their own with 1961’s “Last Night”. Also in the band were producer/songwriter Don Nix and future legends, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn and trumpeter Wayne Jackson.
Besides being impressed with the young guitarist’s playing, the then Stax Records president Jim Stewart saw a business sense, professionalism, and maturity in Cropper beyond his years. When American Records founder Chips Moman left Stax, the young Cropper was given the keys to the studio, which he opened every day; he became the company’s A & R man, and shared engineering duties with Stewart.
Top Albums
-
With a Little Help From My Friends
Steve Cropper
Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $8.24
- eBay Search
-
Jammed Together
Steve Cropper Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.90
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
With a Little Help from Friend
Steve CropperBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
With a Little Help from My Fri
Steve CropperBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shoutbox
-
CaptureTheCat wrote:
reminds me of something...
-
Yardbird_Live wrote:
The photo with the bio is unsourced and undated - the 70s abounded with long hair and axes - that's when I guess this was created. In the 60s Steve and the rest of the MGs were very tidy - visually and musically.
-
musica23 wrote:
Steve just released a new CD with former Rascal Felix Cavaliere called "Nudge It Up a Notch." Can't wait to give it a listen!
-
jdhatl wrote:
Mojo was wrong: #1 guitarist of all time
Listeners
-
ruffi21
Top Listener
-
hoosey
Top Listener
-
grahampeters
Top Listener
-
CalSunKing
Top Listener
-
vulvatator
Top Listener
-
CrazySpeaker
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
DianeSunnyCoast updated the wiki page for Steve Cropper. (diff) yesterday morning
-
DianeSunnyCoast updated the wiki page for Steve Cropper. (diff) Sunday evening
-
fmedwards, stommy001 and 4 other people added Steve Cropper to their libraries. 19 days ago
-
mandrak2000 wrote about Various Artists – Stax Does The Beatles in Weekly Top Album. last month
-
A-W-A-X linked Steve Cropper to Steve Cropper. September 2009
-
A-W-A-X uploaded Steve Cropper to Steve Cropper’s images. September 2009
-
benmurch, BTRNR, domfly and 11 other people added Steve Cropper to their libraries. September 2009
-
DaikonMan linked Steve Cropper to a deleted group. May 2009
-
U784512, VivaLaFreedom, maguilop and 5 other people added Steve Cropper to their libraries. May 2009
-
cleitonprofeta tagged Steve Cropper with rock n' roll and 60's. March 2009
Related Journals
-
Melting Pot - Booker T. And The M.G.'s
by bastien09 |
16 Dec 2008 | Add comment
-
Hip Hug-Her - Booker T. And The M.G.'s
by bastien09 |
16 Dec 2008 | Add comment
-
Green Onions - Booker T. And The M.G.'s
by bastien09 |
9 Nov 2008 | Add comment
More Information
Email Newsletter
Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on Steve Cropper from Universal Music.
