Booker T. and the MG’s (music group)

Booker T. and the MGs was an American instrumental R&B and funk band formed in 1962. Originally consisting of Booker T. Jones (1944—) (organ and piano), Steve Cropper (1941—) (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (1933—) (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (1935—1975) (drums), the group collaborated with a number of artists related to the Southern soul music collective of the 1960s.

Acting as the house band at Stax Records, the group contributed to recordings for names such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Bill Withers. Booker T. and the MGs was one of the first interracial music groups, having both black and white members. The band produced a number of instrumental hits over the decades, including the popular song "Green Onions." It earned multiple music accolades, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Even after the departure of Steinberg and the death of Jackson, Booker T. and the MGs continued to record and perform, enlisting the help of a variety of musicians.

Early Career

Booker T. and the MGs first took shape in the early 1960s. Jones and Cropper became acquainted at Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee. The pair played for the house band at Stax, one of the leading soul music record companies in the nation. Jones and Cropper began jamming with drummer Jackson and bassist Steinberg in 1962 while waiting to record for one of Stax's artists. During this particular session, the quartet began playing the melody for what later became its hit song "Green Onions." Stax Records president Jim Stewart liked the tune enough to record it and release it as a single. The song was a hit with listeners, and soon the four musicians formed their own act. The group called itself Booker T. and the MGs. The MG originally paid tribute to a popular sports car of the 1960s, but the letters later stood for Memphis Group. The original lineup lasted several more years and released two full-length records—1962's Green Onions and 1965's Soul Dressing. The most successful single was "Green Onions."

Bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn (1941–2012) replaced Steinberg in the mid-1960s. The band produced multiple recordings through the remainder of the decade, releasing chart-topping hits such as "Hip Hug-Her," "Groovin'," "Soul-Limbo," "Hang 'em High," and "Time Is Tight." The foursome also made ample contributions to the records of Otis Redding throughout the decade, acting as his backup band on tour. The group earned praise for recording an instrumental version of the Beatles album Abbey Road titled McLemore Avenue in 1970.

Breakup and Reunion

The band found it increasingly difficult to get together to record by the early 1970s. The group disbanded after the release of its album The Melting Pot in 1971, reuniting four years later for a new album. Their plans were cut short after the tragic shooting death of drummer Jackson in October of 1975, however. After a two-year hiatus, the group brought in a new drummer to record Universal Language for Asylum Records. The album was a critical and commercial failure. The band split up again, though the members remained active in the music scene. Cropper and Dunn joined comedian Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's blues ensemble, The Blues Brothers Band, appearing on its album Briefcase Full of Blues. The Blues Brothers, which evolved from a comedy sketch written for the show Saturday Night Live, grew to be an incredibly popular act through the end of the 1970s. Cropper and Dunn later joined Aykroyd and Belushi for the film adaptation The Blues Brothers in 1980.

Later Years

Booker T. and the MGs did not perform together again until 1986, when they reformed for Atlantic Record's fortieth anniversary celebration. Though Jones could not attend due to an illness, the event motivated the group to reunite soon after for a concert tour. The band backed several high-profile acts throughout the 1990s, including Bob Dylan and Neil Young. In 1992, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two years later, Columbia Records released the band's first new album in more than twenty years, That's the Way It Should Be. The quartet played at the 1995 opening concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Alongside its own set, the band provided instrumental backing for singers Aretha Franklin, Sam Moore, John Fogerty, and Al Green. Cropper and Dunn also reprised their roles in the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000.

The 2000s saw Booker T. and the MGs serve as a backing band for a number of acts, including Eric Clapton and Guy Sebastian. The group was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

The members continued to work on solo projects in between performing together, and Jones won his own Grammy Award in 2011 for his album The Road from Memphis. The band continued to occasionally tour, either as headliners or as a backing band for another act. In May 2012, Dunn died in his sleep at a Tokyo hotel while touring with Cropper and soul singer Eddie Floyd.

Bibliography

"Booker T. and the MGs Biography."AllMusic, 2024, www.allmusic.com/artist/booker-t-the-mgs-mn0000772733/biography. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Greenberg, Steve. "Booker T. and the MGs." Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, https://rockhall.com/inductees/booker-t-and-mgs/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

"Booker T. Jones: A Life in Music." NPR, 26 Mar. 2007, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9137102. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.