Here’s wishing a very happy 80th birthday to Booker T. Jones, leader and keyboardist of the legendary Memphis soul band Booker T. and the MG’s.
Born in Memphis, Jones was a child prodigy who in addition to keyboards could play guitar, sax, trombone, and other instruments. By age 16, he was recording professionally for the Memphis label that became Stax Records.
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[RELATED: The Story Behind “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the M.G.’s]
Jones was just 17 when his group, Booker T. and the MG’s, released their signature hit, the classic “Green Onions.” Jones co-wrote the instrumental with his bandmates, and the song soon topped the Billboard R&B singles chart in September 1962 and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In addition to releasing their own albums, Booker T. and the MG’s were Stax’s house band. During the 1960s, they backed such legendary artists as Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and Albert King.
Jones also developed into a talented songwriter and producer, working with well-known artists from a wide range of popular-music genres. The list of stars he’s collaborated with includes Bill Withers, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, Rod Stewart, Rita Coolidge, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Neil Young, Rodney Crowell, and Steve Perry.
Jones was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. and the MG’s in 1992. The band also was welcomed into the the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019.
In honor of Booker T.’s milestone birthday, here are four memorable songs by various artists on which he’s featured:
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” – Otis Redding (1968)
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” is one of the greatest soul ballads to be released during the 1960s. Otis Redding co-wrote the song with Booker T. and the MG’s guitarist Steve Cropper. Redding finished recording the tune just a few days before his tragic death in a plane crash in December 1967 at age 26.
Jones and the rest of Booker T. and the MG’s—Cropper, bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson Jr.—are featured on the track.
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in March and April 1968. Posthumously, it became Redding’s only single to reach No. 1 on the chart.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers (1971)
Jones produced folk/soul singer/songwriter Bill Withers’ debut album, Just as I Am, in 1971. The album featured Withers’ enduring breakthrough hit, the melancholy love ballad “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Jones played keyboards on the track, which also featured Dunn on bass, Jackson on drums, and Stephen Stills on guitar.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100. In 1972, it won a Grammy in the Best R&B Song category.
“(You’re Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher” – Rita Coolidge (1977)
From 1969 to 1979, Jones was married to singer Priscilla Coolidge, the sister of Rita Coolidge. During that time, Booker T. frequently contributed to Rita’s recordings, including her hit 1977 album Anytime…Anywhere.
Jones played keyboards on half of the album’s songs, and also created string arrangements for four tracks. Among these was Coolidge’s cover of soul legend Jackie Wilson’s 1967 classic “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”
Coolidge’s version, retitled “(You’re Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher,” featured a slower tempo and a smoother soul arrangement. It became her biggest hit, peaking No. 2 on the Hot 100, four slots higher than Wilson’s original rendition.
“Georgia on My Mind” – Willie Nelson (1978)
Jones produced Willie Nelson’s 1978 album Stardust, which was made up mostly of covers of pop standards. The collaboration came about after Jones and Nelson struck up a friendship while they were neighbors in Malibu, California. Nelson asked Jones if he would arrange his version of the 1940s pop tune “Moonlight in Vermont.” Willie was so pleased by Booker T.’s work that he asked him to produce his next album, which became Stardust.
In addition to his production and arranging duties, Jones played keyboards throughout the record.
The album included a version of the Hoagy Carmichael classic “Georgia on My Mind,” previously popularized by Ray Charles. Nelson’s rendition topped the Billboard country singles chart. Stardust, meanwhile, spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums tally.
Nelson wound up winning a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “Georgia on My Mind.”