The Mar-Keys

The Mar‑Keys were a Memphis‑based American soul band formed in 1958, originating from the high‑school group the Royal Spades in Tennessee, Memphis. The group’s first major breakthrough came with the 1961 single "Last Night", which reached number three on the U.S. pop chart and sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. The Mar‑Keys served as the first house band for Stax Records, providing the foundational sound for the label’s early 1960s releases. Their debut album Last Night! was issued in 1961, followed by Do the Pop‑Eye with the Mar‑Keys in 1962. Throughout the 1960s, the band released a series of singles and albums-including The Great Memphis Sound (1966) and Damifiknow! (1969)-though none matched the commercial impact of "Last Night". In 1967, the Mar‑Keys shared billing with Booker T. & the M.G.’s on the live album Back to Back, and in 1971 they issued Memphis Experience, a compilation assembled from various studio sessions. The group’s influence on Southern soul and Memphis soul is recognized in their role as a key studio session ensemble, though they never achieved sustained chart success beyond the early 1960s. The Mar‑Keys disbanded in the early 1970s, with members continuing to contribute to Stax’s catalog and later projects until the passing of Terry Johnson in 2016. On December 3, 2025, the guitarist James Cropper died at the age of 84.

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