Booker T & the MG's | Artist

Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an instrumental R&B band formed 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee by Booker T. Jones (organ), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass) and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). Steinberg was replaced by Donald 'Duck' Dunn in 1965 and Al Jackson Jr. was murdered in 1975, after which Dunn, Cropper and Jones reunited on numerous occasions using various drummers. Having two white members, they were one of the first racially integrated rock groups at a time when soul music was considered the preserve of black culture. They were influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul and recorded the worldwide R&B hit song "Green Onions" in 1962. In the 1960s, as members of the Stax Records house band they played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Albert King. Of interest, Duck Dunn and Cropper were members of the band in The Blues Brothers movie. In 1992, Bob Dylan asked Jones, Cropper, and Dunn to serve as the house band for his 30th Anniversary Concert, at which they backed Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and George Harrison. At the concert, Neil Young asked the group to back him on his 1993 world tour. Also in 1992, Booker T. & the M.G.'s were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Outstanding albums include Green Onions, Soul Dressing, Hip Hug-Her and Melting Pot. The band's name, the "M.G's" was originally thought to mean "Memphis Group" but it was later revealed by their producer Chip Moman that they were named after his M.G. sports car.

Artist Website: bookert.com

Featured Albums: Booker T & the MG's

Related Artists: Booker T Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn, Blues Brothers, The Mar-Keys

Video Clips: Green Onions, Melting Pot, Soul Limbo