The Mar-Keys

The Mar-Keys is an American group of Rhythm and instrumental blues, which worked for the mark Stax Records. Entirely composed white musicians, it accompanied Otis Redding or Sam & Dave. Their most famous title is Last Night .

Composed of Steve Cropper (guitar, keyboard), Donald " Duck" Dunn (low), Charlie Freeman (guitar), Charles " Packy" Axton (sax tenor), Wayne Jackson, (trumpet), Jerry Lee " Smoochy" Smith (organ) and Terry Johnson (battery), the group was formed about 1958 with Memphis (Tennessee). At the time where everyone of the Rock “roll plays, these white musicians turn to the rhythm & blues. Their first 45 turns in 1961, Last Night , becomes immediately a hit. Classified n°2 of charts R&B and n°3 of the pop charts, this title will become the credits of the emission Salut the buddies in France. The uncle d' Axton, Jim Stewart, which produced the disc, founds then the label Stax Records and Mar-Keys becomes the group of appointed studio about it. After some discs, Cropper and Dunn join Booker T. & the M.G. 'S and the others from go away also gradually. The group is not reduced soon more but to one copper section, that one even which acconpagne the largest stars of the firm like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, etc They will take then the name of Memphis Horns.

With the wire of the changes, they counted in their rows Don Nix, Booker T. Jones or Isaac Hayes. Charlie Freeman, which had joined Dixie Flyers, died of an overdose in 1973 and Packy Axton into 1974 of a cirhose of the liver.

Discography

The Last Night! , 1961
C the Pop-Eye , 1962
The Great Memphis Sound , 1966
Back to Back (live), 1967
Mellow Jello , 1968
Damnifiknow! , 1969
Memphis Horns , 1970
Memphis Experiment , 1971
High one Music , 1976

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