who died Dec. 3 at 84<\/a>, did as much as anyone to make Stax a soul powerhouse in the \u201960s \u2013 playing guitar in the house band, Booker T and the MG\u2019s, co-writing a clutch of R&B classics, including \u201cThe Dock of the Bay,\u201d \u201cKnock on Wood\u201d and \u201cIn the Midnight Hour,\u201d and producing albums for the label\u2019s biggest stars.<\/p>\nAfter leaving Stax in 1970 he got even busier. He produced albums for a wide range of artists \u2013 Jeff Beck, John Prine, Poco and Buddy Miles among them \u2013 and worked as a sideman for dozens more. His most notable gig was with the Blues Brothers, but he played with almost everyone, including both John Lennon and Wayne Newton.<\/p>\n
Cropper\u2019s list of accomplishments might overshadow his most impressive quality: He never stopped making new music. He regularly released albums of new material, the most recent just last year. \u201cFriendlytown\u201d is more blues than R&B and features Cropper sharing guitar duties with Bill Gibbons of ZZ Top, with a guest appearance by Queen\u2019s Brian May. He even wrote a political tune for it. Spoiler alert: The chorus calls them \u201cliars, crooks and clowns,\u201d showing that he could have added punditry to his portfolio. <\/p>\n