Steve Cropper, legendary guitarist for Booker T. & the MG’s and beloved member of The Blues Brothers band, has passed away at 84. The news was shared by the Soulsville Foundation, which helps preserve the legacy of Stax Records—the place where Cropper helped shape the sound of Memphis soul.

His family confirmed he died Wednesday in Nashville. No cause of death has been announced, though a close friend said Cropper had recently suffered a fall and was in rehabilitation the day before. He added that Cropper was still creating new music and remembered him simply as “such a good human.”

Cropper’s life was rooted deeply in Memphis. Born in Missouri in 1941, he moved to the city at age nine and quickly fell in love with the music around him. His guitar style became famous not because it was flashy, but because it was full of feel—clean, groovy, and perfectly supportive of every song.

At Stax Records, he worked side by side with Black artists during a time of racial division, helping write and play on some of the most important soul tracks ever recorded.

His musical fingerprints are everywhere. He played on Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man,” co-wrote classics like “Green Onions,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” and “In the Midnight Hour,” and worked with legends from Otis Redding to Neil Young. Cropper once said his approach was simple: he listened closely to everyone else and played only what the song truly needed.

His peers adored him. Keith Richards called his playing “perfect,” and in 1996 Mojo magazine ranked him the second-greatest guitarist in history, right behind Jimi Hendrix.

Steve Cropper is survived by his wife, Angel, and four children. His influence will continue to echo through generations of musicians and fans.

Rest easy, Steve—and thank you for the music.