Fresh Air Remembering Steve Cropper / Playwright Tom Stoppard
14 snips
Dec 5, 2025 
Guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper, pivotal to the Stax Records sound, reminisces about his legendary career, from writing 'Dock of the Bay' to forming Booker T. & the MGs. Renowned playwright Tom Stoppard reflects on his stunning body of work, detailing the inspirations behind 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' and his personal journey as a refugee. Jazz historian Kevin Whitehead pays homage to organist Jimmy Smith, highlighting his transformative role in jazz, while film critic John Powers reviews the Brazilian political thriller 'The Secret Agent.'
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From Radio Discovery To Stax House Guitar
- Steve Cropper described how hearing black spiritual music on WDIA transformed his musical direction from country to rhythm-and-blues.
- He recounted joining Stax through local jams, working in Estelle Axton's record shop, and becoming part of Booker T. & the MGs.
Rhythm First, Solo Second
- Cropper emphasized his identity as a rhythm player, not a lead guitarist, and valued shaping songs from the studio's ground floor.
- He said producers should use him as a building block during a song's inception rather than an overdubbed embellishment.
How Booker T. Joined The MGs
- Cropper explained how Booker T. Jones joined sessions after being recommended as a standout keyboardist still in school.
- The group gelled in the studio and became the in-house rhythm section that produced Green Onions.
