Guitar Man

Celebrating Steve Cropper, 21st October 1941 to 3rd December 2025.

As much as any hits-packed soul compilation will feature Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Sam & Dave, check the credits and you'll also find Steve has either co-written or played on it.

If you're of a certain age however, then like me your first exposure to Steve's brilliance will have been the 1980 classic movie The Blues Brothers. 

Dan and John aside, I thought Steve looked super cool in that film and whilst in latter years, he went on to sport one of the worst beards in barbering history, his songwriting and guitar prowess is untouchable.

And in print and audio interviews, Steve came across as a genuinely lovely and modest man, as well as a supreme talent. Steve may have worked with some of the greatest artists on the planet, but it was clearly reciprocal,

The only difficulty in pulling together a selection in tribute to Steve was keeping it to 10 songs. So, there's 11, with apologies for the many, many that I've left off. 

No thanks to me, but I reckon this is probably the best half hour of music you'll hear today.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Steve.

1) Hold On I'm Coming: Sam & Dave (1968)

2) Think: Aretha Franklin (1980)

3) Knock On Wood: Eddie Floyd (1966)

4) Time Is Tight: Booker T. & The MG's (1969)

5) (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay: Otis Redding (1968)

6) Femme Fatale (Cover of The Velvet Underground): Big Star (1975)

7) In The Midnight Hour: Wilson Pickett (1968)

8) Soul Man: Sam & Dave (1968)

9) Green Onions: Booker T. & The MG's (1968)

10) 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA): Eddie Floyd (1966)

11) Gimme Some Lovin' (Cover of The Spencer Davis Group): The Blues Brothers (1980)

Guitar Man (32:04) (GD) (M)