Booker T. & the MG's

Memphis band Booker T and the MG's got down in the 1960s and '70s, delivering soul straight out of the Tennessee south. With two white and two black members, they drove the definitive Stax sound, and gained prominence as many American and British ban...more

Memphis band Booker T and the MG's got down in the 1960s and '70s, delivering soul straight out of the Tennessee south. With two white and two black members, they drove the definitive Stax sound, and gained prominence as many American and British bands strove to emulate them. Their first and most well-known hit was "Green Onion" released in 1962, which encapsulated the instrumental blues that the band became known for. Throughout the decade, Booker T and the MG's continued to find success with a number of top 40 hits, and proved during this time of racial unrest that an integrated unit could not only coexist, but achieve widespread respect and recognition. They broke up in 1971 as a result of location differences, but were working on a reunion album in 1975 when drummer Al Jackson was shot and killed by a burglar in his Memphis home. While the remaining members worked primarily as session musicians and recording artists for the next few decades, it was their stint as house band for the Bob Dylan tribute at Madison Square Garden in 1991 that brought them back into the public eye, followed by a gig as Neil Young's back up band for his tour the following year. While their exemplary musical skills are still intact, Booker T and the MG's have essentially faded from the contemporary music scene although they are a significant influence and credible testament to the instrumental, soul-rocking period of the '60s....less