Biography
Al Jackson, Jr. served as the standout drummer who maintained order within Booker T. & the MG's, both during their independent releases and across numerous recording sessions for musicians signed to Hi and Stax Records. He entered the world in Memphis during 1934 and rose alongside producer Willie Mitchell at the Hi imprint, contributing to a multitude of successful tracks by Al Green and Ann Peebles, to name a few. Booker T. Jones, the keyboardist who had also performed in Mitchell's ensemble, regarded Jackson as Memphis's premier percussionist. Jones convinced him in 1962 to come aboard at Stax Records, where they teamed up with guitarist Steve Cropper and subsequently bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, establishing Booker T. & the MG's as perhaps the finest backing ensemble ever assembled. The collective backed nearly all tracks from Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and William Bell throughout the middle and later portions of the 1960s. As a unit, Booker T. & the MG's also achieved commercial success via instrumentals such as "Green Onions," "Hip Hug-Her," "Hang 'Em High," and "Time Is Tight."
Popularity nevertheless led to the ensemble's dissolution by 1971, with Cropper and Jones frequently absent from Memphis. Jackson divided his efforts in the early 1970s between session drumming and production duties, featuring on releases from Eric Clapton, Donny Hathaway, Freddie King, Herbie Mann, the Soul Children, Shirley Brown, and Rance Allen. Booker T. & the MG's reunited in 1975 to commence work on a comeback record. Tragedy struck later in that year when Jackson suffered a fatal shooting inside his residence; accounts vary as to whether an intruder or his spouse committed the act.
Popularity nevertheless led to the ensemble's dissolution by 1971, with Cropper and Jones frequently absent from Memphis. Jackson divided his efforts in the early 1970s between session drumming and production duties, featuring on releases from Eric Clapton, Donny Hathaway, Freddie King, Herbie Mann, the Soul Children, Shirley Brown, and Rance Allen. Booker T. & the MG's reunited in 1975 to commence work on a comeback record. Tragedy struck later in that year when Jackson suffered a fatal shooting inside his residence; accounts vary as to whether an intruder or his spouse committed the act.