On December 3, 2025, Steven Lee Cropper died aged 84. He was musician, songwriter, record producer and actor, known as “The Colonel”. He was the guitarist of the “Stax Records” house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He was also member of the Blues Brothers Band, and recorded and performed with many other artists including Alabama, Jimmy Barnes, William Bell, Barbi Benton, Big Star, Stephen Bishop, Frank Black, Bobby and the Midnites, Booker T. & MG.’s, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Burnette, Brian Cadd, Cate Brothers, Chicago, David Clayton Thomas, A. J. Croce, Patti Dahlstrom, Delaney & Bonnie, Ned Doheny, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliziano, Eddie Floyd, Peter Frampton, Richie Furay, Art Garfunkel, Cyndi Grecco, Levon Helm, Chris Hillman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Etta James, Wynonna Judd, Albert King, B.B. King, Al Kooper, John Lennon, Ann Margret, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Craig Morgan, Aaron Neville, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson, John Oates, Nigel Olsson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Michel Polnareff, John Prine, Otis Redding, Bruce Roberts, Leon Russell, Sanford & Townsend, Leo Sayer, Poncho Sanchez, Guy Sebastian, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, Percy Sledge, Broderick Smith, The Soul Children, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staple, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Livingston Taylor, Carla Thomas, Mickey Thomas, Wendy Waldman, Tower of Power, The Manhattan Transfer, Dale Watson and Jerry Lynn Williams. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him 36th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists”. Cropper won two “Grammy Awards”, and as leader or co-leader Cropper released 13 albums.
Tag Archives: Mavis Staple
Jon Batiste: We Are
On March 19, 2021, “Verve” label released “We Are”, the eighth Jon Batiste album. It was recorded 2019 – 2020, and was produced by Kizzo, Jon Batiste and David Pimentel.
Personnel:
- Jon Batiste – vocals, Fender jazz bass, keyboards, mellotron, Moog bass, piano, strings, theremin
- David Gauthier – vocals
- Braedon Gautier – vocals
- Gospel Soul Children – vocals
- Tori Kelly – vocals
- Zadie Smith – vocals
- PJ Morton – vocals
- Emily King – vocals
- Autumn Rowe – vocals
- Mavis Staples – spoken word
- Robert Randolph – pedal steel guitar
- Steve McEwan – acoustic guitar
- Louis Cato – guitar
- Joe Saylor – tambourine
- Cory Wong – guitar
- Sam Yahel – organ
- Craig Adams – organ, conductor
- Endea Owens – double bass
- Steve Jordan – drums
- David Pimentel – drums, recording
- Nate Smith – drums
- St. Augustine High School Marching 100 – brass band
- Hot 8 Brass Band – brass band
- Trombone Shorty – trombone
- Michelle Ross – violin
- Russell Elevado – recording
- Misha Kachkachishvili – recording
- Kizzo – recording
- Alex Williams – recording
- Marc Whitmore – recording, mixing
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Ricky Reed – mixing
- Michelle Mancini – mastering
- Karla Cordova – album art
- Suleika Jaouad – photography
- Quincy Jones – liner notes
- Ryan Lynn – co executive producer
Track listing:
All tracks by Jon Batiste, except where noted.
- We Are – Jon Batiste, Kizzo, Autumn Rowe
- Tell the Truth
- Cry – Jon Batiste, Steve McEwan
- I Need You – Jon Batiste, Autumn Rowe
- Whatchutatalkinbout
- Boy Hood – Troy Andrews, Jon Batiste, Sunny Levine, PJ Morton, Jahaan Sweet
- Maovement 11
- Adulthood
- Mavis – Mavis Staple
- Freedom – Jon Batiste, Autumn Rowe, Andrae A;expander
- Show Me the Way
- Sing – Jon Batiste, Zach Cooper, Vic Dimotsis, Eric Frederic, Autumn Rowe
- Until
musicalphabet 