“What started as a joke turned into a track that Steve knew had magic in it”: Eric Clapton recorded a song with Steve Cropper before the session legend’s passing – and it will be part of his final body of work

Late session legend Steve Cropper recorded a song with Eric Clapton shortly before his death, and it’s set to be released tomorrow (May 7).

“We lost a true architect of soul in December 2025,” a post from Cropper’s Instagram, featuring an image of the pair warmly embracing, reads. “Steve Cropper’s sound, feel, and songwriting shaped generations – and his music still speaks louder than ever.

“Ticket First (feat. Eric Clapton) is part of his final body of work – a moment where two legends met in the studio and pushed each other to something unforgettable. What started as a joke turned into a track that Steve knew had magic in it. It will come out this Thursday, May 7.”

Judging from the post, we have one last Steve Cropper album to look forward to. The guitarist released two solo efforts in his later years: Fire It Up in 2021 and Friendlytown, which features Billy Gibbons and Brian May, in 2024. It seems his inspiration didn't stop there.

Thankfully, then, it’s not a long wait to hear what is on paper – and almost certainly in reality – a very exciting collaboration. We're intrigued to hear how, exactly, a collaboration between two icons started as a joke, too…

In his heyday, Cropper played on a dizzying number of records as a versatile session player for the Stax Records house band. That included work with Otis Redding and Neil Young, as well as writing the timeless Booker T. & the M.G.'s cut Green Onions.

He famously learned to play rhythm and lead parts simultaneously to navigate the label’s budget restraints, and was met with an outpouring of love following his death last year, aged 84.

“Words fail me in describing his impact,” wrote Joe Bonamassa, while Mick Fleetwood called him a “trailblazer,” and Tommy Emmanuel said he was “one of the most influential guitar players of our time.”

As Bonamassa says, it’s hard to quantify just how much Cropper has imprinted his effervescent personality onto the guitar landscape in just a few words. Tales of his generosity and warmth, as Sheri Miller says of her time in the studio with her hero in 2012, and humility – he told Total Guitar that his playing “has always sucked” in 2024 – help paint just a corner of the picture of his life and career.

And as the stories that weave themselves into Friendlytown's licks prove, Cropper still had fire in his belly until the end. Brian May had turned down a chance to feature on the record, but when Cropper turned his rejection email into a song, he went back on his decision and brought his flair to an album that, until now, appeared to be his last hurrah.