View source for Booker T. & the M.G.'s

{{Short description|American R&B/funk band}}
{{Redirect|The MG's|the album|The MG's (album)}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Booker T. & the M.G.'s
| image             = Booker T. & the M.G's 1967 press photo.jpg
| caption           = Booker T. & the M.G.'s {{circa}} 1967 (L–R): [[Donald "Duck" Dunn]], [[Booker T. Jones]] (seated), [[Steve Cropper]], [[Al Jackson Jr.]]
| image_size        = 250px
| alias             = 
| origin            = [[Memphis, Tennessee]], U.S.
| genre             = {{Flatlist|
* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
* [[Soul music|soul]]
* [[funk]]
* [[instrumental rock]]
* [[Soul Jazz]]}}
| years_active      = {{hlist|1962–1971|1973–1977|1992–2012}}
| label             = {{hlist|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]|[[Stax Records|Stax]]}}
| website           = {{URL|http://www.bookert.com/}}
| past_members      = [[Booker T. Jones]]<br/>[[Steve Cropper]]<br/>[[Al Jackson Jr.]]<br/>[[Lewie Steinberg]]<br/>[[Donald "Duck" Dunn]]<br/>[[Bobby Manuel]]<br/>[[Carson Whitsett]]<br/>[[Willie Hall (drummer)|Willie Hall]]<br/>[[Steve Jordan (drummer)|Steve Jordan]]<br/>Steve Potts
}}

'''Booker T. & the M.G.'s''' were an American [[instrumental rock|instrumental]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], and [[Soul jazz|jazz]] band formed in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], Tennessee, in 1962. The band is considered influential in shaping the sound of [[Southern soul]] and [[Memphis soul]]. The original members of the group were [[Booker T. Jones]] (organ, piano), [[Steve Cropper]] (guitar), [[Lewie Steinberg]] (bass), and [[Al Jackson Jr.]] (drums). In the 1960s, as members of [[the Mar-Keys]], the rotating slate of musicians that served as the house band of [[Stax Records]], 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]]. They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "[[Green Onions]]". As originators of the unique [[Stax Records|Stax]] sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era.<ref name="history-of-rock1">{{cite web |url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/booker_t_and_the_mgs.htm |title=Booker T. and the MGS |publisher=History-of-rock.com |date=1975-10-01 |access-date=2011-07-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127120603/http://www.history-of-rock.com/booker_t_and_the_mgs.htm |archive-date=2012-01-27 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-faces.com/lane/1LaneMain.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408043204/http://www.the-faces.com/lane/1LaneMain.htm|url-status=dead|title="Ronnie Lane Interview #1"|website=The-Faces.com|archive-date=April 8, 2010}}</ref>

In 1965, Steinberg was replaced by [[Donald "Duck" Dunn]], who played with the group until his death in 2012. Al Jackson Jr. was murdered in 1975, after which Dunn, Cropper, and Jones reunited on numerous occasions using various drummers, including [[Willie Hall (drummer)|Willie Hall]], [[Anton Fig]], [[Steve Jordan (drummer)|Steve Jordan]] and Steve Potts.<ref name="history-of-rock1"/>

The band was [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees|inducted]] into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1992, the [[Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] in 2008, the [[Memphis Music Hall of Fame]] in 2012, and the [[Blues Hall of Fame]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/booker-t-and-the-mgs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504164244/http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/booker-t-and-the-mgs|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-05-04|title=Booker T. and the M.G.'s|access-date=2011-02-12}}</ref>

Having two white members (initially Cropper and Steinberg, later Cropper and Dunn) and two Black members (Jones and Jackson Jr.), Booker T. & the M.G.'s was one of the first [[racial integration|racially integrated]] rock groups,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hughes|first1=Charles L.|title=Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American South|date=March 23, 2015|publisher=UNC Press Books|isbn=9781469622446}}</ref> at a time when [[soul music]], and the [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] music scene in particular, were generally considered the preserve of [[African American culture|Black culture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reasontorock.com/elements/liberation.html|title=The Theme of Liberation|website=Reason to Rock}}</ref>

==Early years: 1962–1964==
{{listen
  | filename = Green Onions.ogg
  | title = '''"Green Onions"''', from the album ''Green Onions''
  | description = The first track from the band's debut album. The tempo, tone and technique of "Green Onions" make it one of the most recognized soul instrumentals.
  | pos = right
|}}
Booker T. & the M.G.'s formed as the house band of [[Stax Records]], providing backing music for numerous singers, including [[Wilson Pickett]] and [[Otis Redding]].<ref name=pc51/> In summer 1962, 17-year-old keyboardist Booker T. Jones, 20-year-old guitarist Steve Cropper, and two seasoned players, bassist Lewie Steinberg and drummer Al Jackson Jr. (the latter making his debut with the company) were in the [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] studio to back the former [[Sun Records]] star [[Billy Lee Riley]]. During downtime, the four started playing around with a bluesy organ riff. [[Jim Stewart (music)|Jim Stewart]], the president of Stax Records, was in the control booth. He liked what he heard, and he recorded it. Cropper remembered a riff that Jones had come up with weeks earlier, and before long they had a second track.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=164/5}}</ref>

Stewart wanted to release the single with the first track, "Behave Yourself", as the A-side and the second track as the B-side. Cropper and radio [[disc jockey]]s thought otherwise; soon, [[Stax Records|Stax]] released Booker T. & the M.G.'s' "Green Onions"<ref name=pc51>{{Gilliland|https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19832/m1/ |Show 51 – The Soul Reformation: Phase three, soul music at the summit. [Part 7&#93; : UNT Digital Library}}</ref> backed with "Behave Yourself". In an interview with [[BBC Radio 2]]'s [[Johnnie Walker (DJ)|Johnnie Walker]] in 2008, Cropper recalled the song's immediate popularity after Reuben Washington, a disc jockey at Memphis radio station [[WLOK]], played it four times in a row, prompting calls from listeners asking if it had been released.

The single went to number 1 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|chart]] and number 3 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|pop chart]]. It sold over one million copies and was certified a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/143 143]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/143}}</ref> It has been used in numerous movies and [[film trailer|trailers]], including a pivotal scene in the motion picture ''[[American Graffiti]]''.

Later in 1962, the band released an all-instrumental album, ''[[Green Onions (album)|Green Onions]]''. Aside from the title track, a "sequel" ("Mo' Onions") and "Behave Yourself", the album consisted of instrumental covers of popular hits.

Booker T. & the M.G.'s continued to issue instrumental singles and albums throughout the 1960s. The group was a successful recording combo in its own right, but most of the work by the musicians in the band during this period was as the core of the ''de facto'' house band at Stax Records.<ref name="Larkin"/> Members of Booker T. & the M.G.'s (often, but not always, performing as a unit, and usually supported by a horn section) performed as the studio backing band for [[Otis Redding]], [[Sam & Dave]], [[Albert King]], [[Johnnie Taylor]], [[Eddie Floyd]], [[the Staple Singers]], [[Wilson Pickett]], [[Delaney & Bonnie]] and many others in the 1960s.<ref name="Larkin"/>

They played on hundreds of records, including classics like "[[Walking the Dog]]", "[[Hold On, I'm Comin' (song)|Hold On, I'm Comin']]" (on which the multi-instrumentalist Jones played [[tuba]] over Donald "Duck" Dunn's bass line{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}), "[[Soul Man (song)|Soul Man]]", "[[Who's Making Love]]", "[[I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)]]", and "[[Try a Little Tenderness]]", among others.<ref name="Larkin"/> Along with their counterparts in [[Detroit]], [[Motown]]'s [[the Funk Brothers|Funk Brothers]], as a backing band to numerous hits, they are considered to have originated much of the sound of [[soul music]]—particularly, in the case of the M.G.'s, Southern soul—in which "the groove" is paramount.

In the mid-1960s, Jones was often away from Memphis while studying music full-time at [[Indiana University]].<ref name="Larkin"/> [[Stax Records|Stax]] writer and producer [[Isaac Hayes]] usually stepped in when Jones was unavailable for session work, and on several sessions Jones and Hayes played together with one on organ, the other on piano. However, Hayes was never a regular member of the M.G.'s, and Jones played on all the records credited to Booker T. & the M.G.'s, with one exception: the 1965 hit "'''Boot-Leg'''", a studio jam with Hayes playing keyboards in Jones's place. According to Cropper, it had been recorded with the intention of releasing it under the name of [[the Mar-Keys]] (the name, which predated the creation of the MG's, had sometimes been used on singles by the Stax house band). However, as recordings credited to Booker T. & the M.G.'s were meeting with greater commercial success than those credited to the Mar-Keys, the decision was made to credit "Boot-Leg" to Booker T. & the M.G.'s, although Jones did not participate in the recording.

Individual session credits notwithstanding, the Stax house band—Cropper, Jackson, Jones, and Steinberg, along with bassist Dunn (Cropper's bandmate in the Mar-Keys); keyboardist [[Isaac Hayes]]; and various [[wind instrument|horn]] players, most frequently [[Floyd Newman]], [[Wayne Jackson (musician)|Wayne Jackson]] and [[Andrew Love (musician)|Andrew Love]] (the latter two later formed the [[Memphis Horns]])—set a standard for soul music. Whereas the sign outside [[Detroit]]'s [[pop music|pop]]-oriented [[Motown Records]] read "[[Hitsville U.S.A.]]", the marquee outside of the converted movie theater where Stax was based proclaimed "Soulsville U.S.A."

==Later success: 1965–1969==
Booker T. & the M.G.'s consistently issued singles from 1963 to 1965, but only a few made the charts, and none was as successful as "Green Onions". Their second album, ''Soul Dressing'', was released in 1965. Whereas the ''Green Onions'' album contained mostly covers, every composition but one on ''Soul Dressing'' was an original. After contributing to that album, Steinberg left the group, and Dunn (who had played on previous Stax sessions) became the group's full-time bassist.

During a tour when the band was in Los Angeles playing in a Stax Revue, an informal jam session with three of the M.G.'s was recorded in Hollywood in 1965, initiated by DJ [[Magnificent Montague]] who played congas. The resulting track, "Hole in the Wall", was issued by Pure Soul Music in October 1965 credited to [[the Packers]] with writing shared by Montague, Cropper, Jackson and Jones. The track reached number 43 on Billboard, and made the Top 30 on Cash Box. All other songs released by the Packers had no involvement from Booker T. & the M.G.'s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waybackattack.com/packers.html|title=Way Back Attack - The Packers|website=Waybackattack.com|access-date=28 October 2017}}</ref>

After a period of commercial decline, Booker T. & the M.G.'s finally returned to the Top 40 with the 1967 instrumental "Hip Hug-Her". It was the first single on which Jones played a [[Hammond B-3]] organ, the instrument with which he is most closely associated (he used a [[Hammond M-3]] on all of the earlier recordings, including "Green Onions"). The group also had a substantial hit with their cover of [[the Rascals]]' "[[Groovin']]". Both tracks are included on their album ''Hip Hug-Her'', released in the same year.

In the spring of 1967, they joined a group of Stax artists billed as the "Stax/Volt Revue" on a European tour, in which they performed in their own right and backed the other acts. In June of that year, they appeared at the [[Monterey Pop Festival]], playing their own set and then backing [[Otis Redding]], alongside performers like [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Janis Joplin]], [[the Who]], and [[Jefferson Airplane]]. They were invited to perform at the [[Woodstock Festival]] in 1969, but drummer Jackson was worried about the helicopter needed to deliver them to the site, and so they decided not to play.

The albums ''Doin' Our Thing'' and ''[[Soul Limbo]]'' were released in 1968. The track "[[Soul Limbo]]", featuring marimba by [[Terry Manning]], was a hit (later used by the [[BBC]] as their theme for [[cricket]] coverage on both TV and, latterly, radio's ''[[Test Match Special]]''), as was their version of "[[Hang 'Em High (composition)|Hang 'Em High]]".<ref name="Larkin"/> In 1969, the band scored their second biggest hit with "[[Time Is Tight]]",<ref name="Larkin"/> from the [[soundtrack]] to the movie ''[[Uptight (film)|Up Tight!]]'', scored by Jones,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063748/|title=Uptight|website=IMDb.com|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> which reached No. 6 on the Billboard pop charts.

For the 1969 album ''Damifiknow!'', the Mar-Keys name was revived. The members of the group were explicitly identified in the album credits as the sextet of Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, and horn players Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson (no relation to Al). The album didn't receive much attention, and the core quartet soon returned to playing and performing as Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

==Reinterpreting the Beatles' ''Abbey Road'' and gig with CCR==
In 1969, Dunn and Jones, in particular, had become admirers of [[the Beatles]], especially their work on ''[[Abbey Road]]''. The appreciation was mutual, as the Beatles had been musically influenced by the M.G.'s. [[John Lennon]] was a Stax fan, who fondly called the group "Book a Table and the Maitre d's" (in 1974, Lennon facetiously credited himself and his studio band as "Dr. Winston and Booker Table and the Maitre d's" on his original R&B-inspired instrumental, "Beef Jerky"). [[Paul McCartney]], like Dunn, played bass melodically, without straying from the rhythm or the groove. The Beatles had even floated the possibility of recording their 1966 album ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' at Stax, but backed out when fans besieged the Memphis studio.

In 1970, Lennon's wish was granted, in a sense, when Booker T. and the M.G.'s recorded ''[[McLemore Avenue]]'' (named for the street where Stax Records was located), on which they performed instrumental [[cover version]]s of thirteen of the songs on ''Abbey Road'', condensing twelve of them into three medleys. The album's front cover is a parody of the front cover of ''Abbey Road''; the back cover, with the blurred image of a mini-skirted woman at the edge of the photo, also mirrors that of ''Abbey Road''.

In 1970 Booker T. & the M.G.'s sat in with [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] (CCR) for a jam, and they were the opening act for that band's January 31 performance at the Oakland Coliseum, which was recorded for the CCR album ''[[The Concert (Creedence Clearwater Revival album)|The Concert]]''.

==Jones's departure from Stax and ''Melting Pot''==
In 1971 Booker T. and the M.G.'s released what would be their last Stax single, "Melting Pot", and their last Stax album, also called ''[[Melting Pot (Booker T album)|Melting Pot]]''.<ref name="Larkin"/> "Melting Pot{{"'}}s repetitive [[Groove (music)|groove]]-oriented drumming, loping bass line, and tight rhythm guitar made it an underground hit popular in New York City [[block parties]]. The song has often been sampled by [[rappers]] and [[techno]] [[DJ]]s. The full-length album version of the track is over eight minutes long and contains a passage (not included on the single) featuring some particularly powerful flourishes from Jones's Hammond B-3. ''Melting Pot'' also includes the tuneful Native American–influenced track "Fuquawi", which was also released on a single, coupled with "Jamaica This Morning".

Before ''Melting Pot'' was recorded, Jones had already left Stax and moved to California,<ref name="Larkin"/> because he disliked the changes that had occurred under the label's new chairman [[Al Bell]]. Part of the album was recorded at [[The Record Plant]] in [[New York City]], not the [[Stax Recording Studio|Stax Studio]], because Jones did not want to record there and instead opted for a different sound, hence the change of studios and cities between MG's gigs. Like Jones, Cropper had also become unhappy with business affairs at Stax and soon left to open his own studio in Memphis.<ref name="Bowman">[[Rob Bowman (music writer)|Bowman, Rob]] (1997). ''Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records.'' New York: Schirmer Trade. p. 216-219. {{ISBN|0-8256-7284-8}}</ref> However, the rhythm section of Dunn and Jackson remained on at Stax and did [[Session musician|session]] and production work. Jackson (who had been in [[Hi Records]] producer [[Willie Mitchell (musician)|Willie Mitchell]]'s band) played on and wrote many of [[Al Green]]'s biggest hits.<ref name="Larkin"/>

Without Jones, the group (billed simply as the MG's) released a "final" single, "Jamaica This Morning", in October 1971. It failed to chart, and the group name was retired for the time being.

==1970s reunions==
In 1973, Dunn and Stax [[Session musician|session]] guitarist [[Bobby Manuel]] recruited Hammond B-3 organist [[Carson Whitsett]] to be part of a band that was to back Stefan Anderson, a promising new Stax artist. Al Jackson was later brought in. The project did not ultimately yield any results, but the rehearsals were promising, prompting Jackson and Dunn to reform the M.G.'s. This version of the band featured Whitsett in place of Jones, so it was billed as simply "the MG's".<ref name="Larkin"/>

The 1973 album entitled ''[[The MG's (album)|The MG's]]'', with Manuel and Whitsett replacing Cropper and Jones, was not commercially successful.<ref name="Larkin"/> Whitsett went on to back [[Bobby Bland|Bobby "Blue" Bland]], [[Little Milton]], and [[Kathy Mattea]], and his songs were recorded by [[Johnnie Taylor]], [[Solomon Burke]], [[B. B. King]], [[Etta James]], [[Conway Twitty]], and [[Lorrie Morgan]]. Manuel became a staple of the Memphis music scene, playing with everybody from [[Al Green]] to [[Albert King]], and later founded HighStacks Records (the name being a tribute to both Stax and [[Hi Records]]).

After a promising meeting in late September 1975, Jones and Cropper (who were now living in Los Angeles) and Jackson and Dunn (still in Memphis), decided to give each other three months to finish up all of their individual projects. They would then devote three years to what would be renamed ''Booker T. Jones & the Memphis Group''. Nine days later (October 1), Al Jackson, the man Cropper would remember as "the greatest drummer to ever walk the earth", was murdered in his home.

In 1975, [[Al Bell]] tasked Stax Producer/Musician [[Terry Manning]] (who had worked on several of the MGs albums) with a project which involved taking songs previously recorded by the classic Booker T. & the M.G.'s lineup of Jones/Cropper/Dunn/Jackson, but which had never been completed or released. Manning found and performed post production in the Stax studios on 12 songs, and the album was released in the UK and France in 1976 as ''Union Extended.''

The remaining three members and drummer [[Willie Hall (drummer)|Willie Hall]] (a session musician who had played on many Stax hits, such as [[Isaac Hayes]]'s "Theme from ''Shaft''") regrouped under their old name, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and recorded the album ''[[Universal Language (Booker T album)|Universal Language]]'' for [[Asylum Records]] in 1977.<ref name="Larkin"/> The album did not meet with either commercial or critical success, and the band once again dissolved.<ref name="Larkin"/>

Over the next decade, Cropper, Dunn and Jones remained active, producing, writing, and playing with other artists. All three joined [[Levon Helm]], formerly the drummer of [[the Band]], as part of his [[Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars|RCO All-Stars]] in 1977. Also in that year, Cropper and Dunn became part of [[the Blues Brothers]] band, appearing on the number-one album ''[[Briefcase Full of Blues]]''. Cropper, Dunn and Hall also appeared in the 1980 movie ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'', starring [[Dan Aykroyd]] and [[John Belushi]]. Cropper, Dunn and Hall later reprised their roles in ''[[Blues Brothers 2000]]''.

==1980s to the present==
[[File:Booker T. & the M.G.'s Tunica, Mississippi 2002.jpg|thumb|right|Booker T. & the M.G.'s in Tunica, Mississippi, 2002]]
In 1980 the hit feature film ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' featured Cropper, Dunn and Hall as part of the primary band backing the Blues Brothers.

In 1986, former co-owner of [[Atlantic Records]] [[Jerry Wexler]] asked the group to be the [[house band]] for [[Atlantic Records]]' 40th anniversary celebration. The night before the gig, Jones came down with food poisoning, so [[Paul Shaffer]] stepped in at the last minute. The earlier rehearsals (with Jones, Cropper, Dunn, and drummer [[Anton Fig]] of Shaffer's "World's Most Dangerous Band", featured on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'') went so well that the group decided to play some dates together. Over the next few years, they played together occasionally, completing some gigs in the UK in 1990.<ref name="Larkin"/>

In 1992, after Booker T. & the M.G.'s were inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], [[Bob Dylan]] asked Jones, Cropper, and Dunn to serve as the house band (with Fig and [[Jim Keltner]] on drums) for his "[[The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration|30th Anniversary Concert]]", commemorating his thirty years in the music business, at which they backed Dylan, [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Eric Clapton]], and [[George Harrison]], among others.

At the concert, [[Neil Young]] asked the group to back him on his 1993 world tour, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s toured with [[Neil Young]], backing him on his own compositions. The set list often included a cover of "[[(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay]]" (the original recording by Otis Redding had, of course, featured Booker T. & the M.G.'s).

In 1994, the group recorded its first album in 17 years, ''[[That's the Way It Should Be]]''. [[Steve Jordan (drummer)|Steve Jordan]] was the drummer on most tracks.

In 1995, when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its museum in Cleveland, Ohio, the M.G.'s served as the [[house band]] for the opening ceremonies, playing behind [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Sam Moore]], [[John Fogerty]], and [[Al Green]], as well as performing themselves.

Jones, Dunn, and Al Jackson's cousin, drummer Steve Potts, backed [[Neil Young]] on his 2002 album ''[[Are You Passionate?]]''. Cropper, along with [[Isaac Hayes]] and [[Sam Moore]], welcomed [[Stax Records|Stax]] president [[Jim Stewart (music)|Jim Stewart]] into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Cropper and Hayes were later inducted into the [[The Songwriters Hall of Fame|Songwriters Hall of Fame]].

Booker T. & the M.G.'s, usually with Steve Potts on drums, still play select dates. They have been called the most influential stylists in modern American music. In early 2008 they backed singer [[Guy Sebastian]] on a sold-out tour of Australia.

In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked the group No. 93 on their list of the [[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time|100 Greatest Artists of All Time]],<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Immortals: The First Fifty|number=946|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/5702/31963|access-date=2017-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017054537/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/the_immortals|archive-date=2006-10-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> and in 2007, the group received the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/press-media/detail.asp?id=56|title=Booker T. & the MGs, Estelle Axton to be honored at 2007 Grammys|access-date=2007-06-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929000503/http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/press-media/detail.asp?id=56|archive-date=2007-09-29}}</ref> Also in 2004, Eric Clapton featured Jones, Cropper, and Dunn as the house band for the first "Crossroads Guitar Festival" a two-day event held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, featuring outstanding performers in various musical genres who play guitar as their primary instrument. A two-disc DVD of the show was released in the same year.

Jones, in collaboration with the band [[Drive-By Truckers]], released the album ''[[Potato Hole]]'', featuring Neil Young on guitar, in 2009. He released ''[[The Road from Memphis]]'' in 2011; the album won a Grammy Award.

On May 13, 2012, Dunn died following two concerts in Tokyo. Since his death, the band has, for the most part, gone their separate ways. Cropper is currently touring with [[the Blues Brothers]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bluesbrothersofficialsite.com/|title=The Blues Brothers {{pipe}} Home|website=Bluesbrothersofficialsite.com|access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> and Jones is performing as a solo artist as well as releasing new music under his name only.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bookert.com/booker-t-celebrates-50th-anniversary-of-staxvolt-tour/|title=Booker T. Celebrates 50th Anniversary of STAX/Volt Tour|date=2 September 2017|website=Bookert.com|access-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref>

==Band name==
For many years, Stax publicity releases stated that the initials in the band's name stood for "Memphis Group", not the [[MG Cars|MG sports car]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.funkydrummer.com/JPpages/ajbio.html|title=Origin of band name declared as Memphis Group|publisher=Funkydrummer.com|access-date=2011-10-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019155217/http://www.funkydrummer.com/JPpages/ajbio.html|archive-date=2011-10-19}}</ref>

Musician and record producer [[Chips Moman]], who worked at Stax Records when the band was formed, claimed that the band was named after his sports car, and only after he left the label did Stax's publicity department declare that "M.G." stood for "Memphis Group". Moman had played with Jones and Steinberg in an earlier Stax backing group called the Triumphs, which was also named after his [[Triumph Motor Company|car]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Guralnick| first=Peter|orig-year=1986|year=2002|title=Sweet Soul Music|isbn=978-1-84195-240-6|place=Edinburgh|publisher=Canongate|page=128}}</ref>

Jones, in a 2007 interview on [[National Public Radio]]'s ''[[Fresh Air with Terry Gross]]'', confirmed Moman's account of the origin of the group's name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9137102|title=Booker T. Jones: A Life in Music|date=March 26, 2007|publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Jones has re-confirmed this story on several occasions since, most recently as a guest on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' on May 9, 2012.

Stax historian Rob Bowman has averred that the reason the label obscured the story of the meaning of the name ''M.G.'s'' (and concocted the "Memphis Group" explanation) was to avoid claims of trademark infringement from the manufacturers of the car. In a 2019 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', Steve Cropper confirmed the motor car origin and "Memphis Group" explanation, but added 'we were being interviewed and someone asked: "What does MG actually stand for?" Duck Dunn said: "Musical geniuses!"'<ref>{{cite news|last1=Simpson|first1=Dave|title=How we made Booker T and the MGs' Green Onions|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/11/green-onions-booker-t-and-the-mgs-steve-cropper-booker-t-jones|access-date=13 March 2019|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=11 March 2019}}</ref>

==Members==
* [[Booker T. Jones]]&nbsp;– organ, piano, keyboards, guitars {{small|(1962–1971, 1975–1977, 1986, 1992–2012)}}
* [[Steve Cropper]]&nbsp;– guitars {{small|(1962–1971, 1975–1977, 1986, 1992–2012)}}
* [[Al Jackson Jr.]]&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1962–1971, 1973–1975; his death)}}
* [[Lewie Steinberg]]&nbsp;– bass {{small|(1962–1965; died 2016)}}
* [[Donald "Duck" Dunn]]&nbsp;– bass {{small|(1965–1971, 1973–1977, 1986, 1992–2012; his death)}}
* [[Bobby Manuel]]&nbsp;– guitars {{small|(1973–1975)}}
* [[Carson Whitsett]]&nbsp;– organ, piano, keyboards {{small|(1973–1975; died 2007)}}
* [[Willie Hall (drummer)|Willie Hall]]&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1975–1977)}}
* [[Steve Jordan (drummer)|Steve Jordan]]&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1994–1998)}}
* Steve Potts&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1999–2012)}}

;Additional personnel
* [[Jim Keltner]]&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1992–1993; [[Bob Dylan]] show; [[Neil Young]] tour)}}
* [[Anton Fig]]&nbsp;– drums {{small|(1986, 1998)}}

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize  = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 
PlotArea   = left:100 bottom:105 top:20 right:0
Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/06/1962 till:13/05/2012
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend     = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3
ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1963
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1963

Colors =  
 id:keys      value:purple      legend:Keyboards
 id:lguitar   value:teal        legend:Lead_guitar
 id:rguitar   value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar
 id:bass      value:blue        legend:Bass
 id:drums     value:orange      legend:Drums
 id:add       value:yellow      legend:Additional_musician
 id:studio    value:black       legend:Studio_album
 id:bars      value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
 layer:back color:studio
 at:15/10/1962
 at:15/03/1965
 at:15/11/1966
 at:30/11/1966
 at:15/06/1967
 at:15/04/1968
 at:15/09/1968
 at:15/01/1969
 at:15/05/1969
 at:15/04/1970
 at:15/01/1971
 at:01/07/1973
 at:01/05/1977
 at:01/10/1994

BarData =
 bar:BJ  text:"Booker T. Jones"
 bar:CW  text:"Carson Whitsett"
 bar:SC  text:"Steve Cropper"
 bar:BM  text:"Bobby Manuel"
 bar:LS  text:"Lewie Steinberg"
 bar:DD  text:"Donald 'Duck' Dunn"
 bar:AJ  text:"Al Jackson Jr."
 bar:WH  text:"Willie Hall"
 bar:JK  text:"Jim Keltner"
 bar:SJ  text:"Steve Jordan"
 bar:AF  text:"Anton Fig"
 bar:SP  text:"Steve Potts"

PlotData =
 bar:BJ from:start      till:31/10/1971 color:keys    width:11
 bar:BJ from:start      till:31/10/1971 color:rguitar width:3
 bar:BJ from:01/09/1975 till:01/06/1977 color:keys    width:11
 bar:BJ from:01/09/1975 till:01/06/1977 color:rguitar width:3
 bar:BJ from:01/01/1992 till:end        color:keys    width:11
 bar:BJ from:01/01/1992 till:end        color:rguitar width:3

 bar:SC from:start      till:31/10/1971 color:lguitar width:11
 bar:SC from:01/09/1975 till:01/06/1977 color:lguitar width:11
 bar:SC from:01/01/1992 till:end        color:lguitar width:11

 bar:LS from:start      till:01/03/1965 color:bass    width:11

 bar:AJ from:start      till:31/10/1971 color:drums   width:11
 bar:AJ from:01/01/1973 till:01/10/1975 color:drums   width:11

 bar:DD from:01/03/1965 till:31/10/1971 color:bass    width:11
 bar:DD from:01/01/1973 till:01/06/1977 color:bass    width:11
 bar:DD from:01/01/1992 till:13/05/2012 color:bass    width:11

 bar:CW from:01/01/1973 till:01/05/1975 color:keys    width:11

 bar:BM from:01/01/1973 till:01/05/1975 color:lguitar width:11
 bar:BM from:01/01/1973 till:01/05/1975 color:rguitar width:3

 bar:WH from:01/11/1975 till:01/06/1977 color:drums   width:11

 bar:JK from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1992 color:drums   width:11
 bar:JK from:01/01/1992 till:31/12/1992 color:add     width:3

 bar:SJ from:01/01/1993 till:31/12/1997 color:drums   width:11

 bar:AF from:01/01/1998 till:31/12/1998 color:drums   width:11
 bar:AF from:01/01/1998 till:31/12/1998 color:add     width:3

 bar:SP from:01/01/1999 till:end        color:drums   width:11
}}

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
|-
! style="width:40px;"|[[Billboard 200|US 200]]<br><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:40px;"|[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US R&B]]<br><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:40px;"|[[Billboard charts|US Jazz]]<br><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:40px;"|[[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="UK"/>
|-
| 1962
| ''[[Green Onions (album)|Green Onions]]''
| align=center | 33
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | 11
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Soul Dressing]]''
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| rowspan="2"|1966
| ''[[And Now!]]''
| align=center | —
| align=center | 18
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| ''[[In the Christmas Spirit]]''
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Hip Hug-Her]]''
| align=center | 35
| align=center | 4
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| rowspan="2"|1968
| ''[[Doin' Our Thing]]''
| align=center | 176
| align=center | 17
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| ''[[Soul Limbo]]''
| align=center | 167
| align=center | 14
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| rowspan="2"|1969
| ''[[UpTight (soundtrack)|UpTight]]'' <small>(soundtrack)</small>
| align=center | 98
| align=center | 7
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| ''[[The Booker T. Set]]''
| align=center | 53
| align=center | 10
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| 1970
| ''[[McLemore Avenue]]''
| align=center | 107
| align=center | 19
| align=center | —
| align=center | 70
|-
| 1971
| ''[[Melting Pot (Booker T album)|Melting Pot]]''
| align=center | 43
| align=center | 2
| align=center | 5
| align=center | —
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Universal Language (Booker T album)|Universal Language]]''
| align=center | —
| align=center | 59
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| 1994
| ''[[That's the Way It Should Be]]''
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
| align=center | —
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Other releases===
*1967: ''[[Back to Back (Mar-Keys and Booker T album)|Back to Back]]'' [live] with [[the Mar-Keys]] - US No. 98
*1968: ''The Best of Booker T. & the MG's'' (1962–1967 compilation, Atlantic SD-8202; CD reissue: Atlantic 81281 [1984] with four bonus tracks)
*1970: ''Greatest Hits'' (1968–1970 compilation, Stax STS-2033; CD reissue: Fantasy FCD-60-004 [1986] with 6 bonus tracks)
*1973: ''[[The MG's (album)|The MG's]]'' (released as the MG's but without Cropper and Jones)
*1976: ''Union Extended'' (12 unreleased tracks from the 1960s; released in the UK only on Stax/Pye STX.1045)
*1992: ''Funky Broadway: Stax Revue Live at the 5/4 Ballroom'' (a [[revue]] concert recorded 1965 in Los Angeles with the Mad Lads, the Astors, [[Carla Thomas]], [[Rufus Thomas]], the Mar-Keys and [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]])
*1994: ''The Very Best of Booker T. & the MG's'' (1962–1971 compilation, Rhino R2-71738)
*1995: ''Play the 'Hip Hits' '' [also released as ''Soul Men'' in 2003] (25 unreleased tracks from the 1960s, Stax/Ace CDSXD-065)
*1998: ''Time Is Tight'' (3-CD; anthology including greatest hits/best of album tracks/rare material/live recordings)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Time-Tight-Booker-The-Mgs/dp/B00000C2PD|title=BOOKER T & THE MG's - Time is Tight - Amazon.com Music|website=Amazon |access-date=2017-08-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406190239/http://www.amazon.com/Time-Tight-BOOKER-THE-MGs/dp/B00000C2PD|archive-date=2016-04-06}}</ref>
*2002: ''Stax Instrumentals'' (a further 25 unreleased tracks from the 1960s, Stax/Ace CDSXD-117) with the Mar-Keys
*2006: ''The Definitive Soul Collection'' (Two-CD; 1962–1971 compilation, Rhino R2-77660)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| A-side
! rowspan="2"| B-side
! rowspan="2"| Label
! colspan="5"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
! rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! style="width:40px;"|[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br><ref name="Awards">{{cite web|title=Booker T. & the MG's - Awards|url=http://www.allmusic.com:80/artist/booker-t-the-mgs-mn0000772733/awards|website=AllMusic|access-date=27 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016220727/http://www.allmusic.com:80/artist/booker-t-the-mgs-mn0000772733/awards|archive-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref>
! style="width:40px;"|[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]<br><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:40px;"|[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br>
! style="width:40px;"|[[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br>
! style="width:40px;"|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="UK">{{cite web|title=BOOKER T & THE M.G.S - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2716/booker-t-and-the-mgs/|website=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>

|-
| rowspan=2|{{dts|1962}}
| "[[Green Onions]]"
| "Behave Yourself"
| Volt 102; Stax 127
| align="center"|{{nts|3}}
| align="center"|{{nts|1}}
| align="center"|{{nts|73}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''Green Onions''
|-
| "Jellybread"
| "Aw' Mercy"
| Stax 131
| align="center"|{{nts|82}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| rowspan="3"|''Soul Dressing''
|-
| rowspan=3|{{dts|1963}}
| "Home Grown"
| "Big Train"
| Stax 134
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Chinese Checkers"
| "Plum Nellie"
| Stax 137
| align="center"|{{nts|78}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Fannie Mae"
| "Mo' Onions"
| Stax 142
| align="center"|{{nts|97}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''Green Onions''
|-
| rowspan=3|{{dts|1964}}
| "Mo' Onions"
| "Tic-Tac-Toe"
| Stax 142
| align="center"|{{nts|109}}
| align="center"|{{nts|46}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| rowspan="3"|''Soul Dressing''
|-
| "Soul Dressing"
| "MG Party"
| Stax 153
| align="center"|{{nts|95}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| "Can't Be Still"
| "Terrible Thing"
| Stax 161
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| rowspan=3|{{dts|1965}}
| "Boot-Leg"
| "Outrage"
| Stax 169
| align="center"|{{nts|58}}
| align="center"|{{nts|10}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''The Best of Booker T. & the MG's''
|-
| "Hole in the Wall" <br>(as [[Charles "Packy" Axton|the Packers]])
| "Go 'Head On" <br>(as the Packers)
| Pure Soul Music 1107
| align="center"|{{nts|43}}
| align="center"|{{nts|5}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''Hole in the Wall'' <br>(as the Packers)
|-
| "Be My Lady"
| "Red Beans and Rice"
| Stax 182
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| {{NA|Non-album track}}
|-
| rowspan=2|{{dts|1966}}
| "My Sweet Potato"
| "Booker-Loo"
| Stax 196
| align="center"|{{nts|85}}
| align="center"|{{nts|18}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''And Now!''
|-
| "Jingle Bells"
| "Winter Wonderland"
| Stax 203
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''In the Christmas Spirit''
|-
| rowspan=3|{{dts|1967}}
| "Hip Hug-Her"
| "[[Summertime (George Gershwin song)|Summertime]]"
| Stax 211
| align="center"|{{nts|37}}
| align="center"|{{nts|6}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|38
| align="center"|51{{Efn|Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}}

|
| rowspan="2"|''Hip Hug-Her''
|-
| "[[Groovin']]"
| "Slim Jenkins' Place"
| Stax 224
| align="center"|{{nts|21}} (A)<br>{{nts|70}} (B)
| align="center"|10<br>—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|2<br>—
| align="center"|—<br>58{{Efn|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}}
|
|-
| "Winter Snow"
| "Silver Bells"
| Stax 236
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| {{NA|Non-album track}}
|-
| rowspan=2|{{dts|1968}}
| "Soul Limbo"
| "Heads or Tails"
| Stax STA-0001
| align="center"|{{nts|17}}
| align="center"|{{nts|7}}
| align="center"|{{nts|10}}
| align="center"|{{nts|8}}
| align="center"|{{nts|30}}

|
| rowspan="2"|''Soul Limbo''
|-
| "[[Hang 'Em High (composition)|Hang 'Em High]]"
| "Over Easy"
| Stax STA-0013
| align="center"|{{nts|9}}
| align="center"|{{nts|35}}
| align="center"|{{nts|98}}
| align="center"|{{nts|13}}
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| rowspan=3|{{dts|1969}}
| "[[Time Is Tight]]"
| "Johnny, I Love You"
| Stax STA-0028
| align="center"|{{nts|6}}
| align="center"|{{nts|7}}
| align="center"|{{nts|10}}
| align="center"|{{nts|8}}
| align="center"|{{nts|4}}
|
| ''Up Tight'' <small>(soundtrack)</small>
|-
| "[[Mrs. Robinson]]"
| "Soul Clap '69"
| Stax STA-0037
| align="center"|{{nts|37}}
| align="center"|{{nts|35}}
| align="center"|{{nts|57}}
| align="center"|{{nts|21}}
| align="center"|{{nts|35}}
|
| ''The Booker T. Set''
|-
| "Slum Baby"
| "Meditation"
| Stax STA-0049
| align="center"|{{nts|88}}
| align="center"|{{nts|46}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|{{nts|70}}
| align="center"|—
|
| {{NA|Non-album track}}
|-
| {{dts|1970}}
| "[[Something (Beatles song)#Other_artists|Something]]"
| "Sunday Sermon"
| Stax STA-0073
| align="center"|{{nts|76}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''McLemore Avenue''
|-
| rowspan=2|{{dts|1971}}
| "Melting Pot"
| "Kinda Easy Like"
| Stax STA-0082
| align="center"|{{nts|45}}
| align="center"|{{nts|21}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|{{nts|90}}
| align="center"|—
|
| ''Melting Pot''
|-
| "Jamaica This Morning" <br>(as the MG's)
| "Fuquawi"
| Stax STA-0108
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| {{NA|Non-album track}}
|-
| {{dts|1973}}
| "Sugarcane" <br>(as the MG's)
| "Blackside" <br>(as the MG's)
| Stax STA-0169
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|{{nts|67}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| rowspan="2"|''The MG's''
|-
| {{dts|1974}}
| "Neckbone" <br>(as the MG's)
| "Breezy" <br>(as the MG's)
| Stax STA-0200
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| rowspan=2|{{dts|1977}}
| "Sticky Stuff"
| "Tie Stick"
| Asylum E-45392
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|{{nts|68}}
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| rowspan="2"|''Universal Language''
|-
| "Grab Bag"
| "Reincarnation"
| Asylum E-45424
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
|-
| {{dts|1979}}
| "Green Onions"
| "Boot-Leg"
| Atlantic (UK) K-10109
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|{{nts|7}}
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Silver<ref>{{cite web|title=Booker T & the MGs - Green Onions|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/2681-1133-1|website=bpi.co.uk|access-date=20 July 2022}}</ref>
| ''The Best of Booker T. & the MG's''
|-
| {{dts|1994}}
| "Cruisin'"
| "Just My Imagination"
| Columbia 38-77526
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
| align="center"|—
|
| ''That's the Way It Should Be''
|-
| colspan="11" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

*Note:  Through a period between late 1963 and early 1965, [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'' magazine]] did not publish an R&B singles chart.  R&B chart figures for this era are from [[Cashbox (magazine)|''Cashbox'' magazine]].

==References==
{{notelist-ua}}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bookert.com Booker T. Jones' official homepage]
* [http://www.playitsteve.com Steve Cropper's official homepage]
* [http://www.duckdunn.com Donald "Duck" Dunn official homepage]
* [http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/679/booker_t_jones_stax_appeal/ Booker T. Jones interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' June 2011]
* [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/109314-green-onions-the-greatest-single-of-all-time/  "'Green Onions' – The Greatest Single of all Time" at PopMatters.com] 
* {{Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|booker-t-and-mgs|Booker T. and the M.G.'s}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy83xtvZ5RA Green Onions, Live in Oslo, Norway 4/7/67]

{{Booker T. & the M.G.'s}}
{{1992 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Booker T. Jones}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booker T. and The M.G.'S}}
[[Category:Booker T. & the M.G.'s| ]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American soul musical groups]]
[[Category:American funk musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Memphis, Tennessee]]
[[Category:American instrumental rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Stax Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical quartets from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1962]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1971]]
[[Category:Musical backing groups]]
[[Category:1962 establishments in Tennessee]]