Article Contributed by jbleicher.com
Published on February 11, 2026
Photo: Courtesy of Sandrine Lee Photography
In 2012, legendary guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper recorded electric guitar on “I Could Love You Still,” a stirring soul ballad by artist and songwriter Sheri Miller. The session came together quietly, without plans for a marquee collaboration. Invited by producer and legendary bassist Will Lee, Cropper joined the recording simply because he loved the song. He approached it as he always did: listening first, shaping his part around the emotional core of the music, and serving the song above all else.
Today, Miller is sharing a newly re-edited tribute video for “I Could Love You Still,” built around previously unseen studio photos from the session alongside carefully selected archival images spanning Cropper’s career. Rather than presenting the release as a reissue, the video centers the moment itself, allowing the recording and the atmosphere around it to speak for how Cropper worked: with restraint, musical sensitivity, and a deep commitment to craft. The video arrives alongside a deeply personal essay by Miller, published via Guitar World, reflecting on what that day in the studio revealed about Cropper as a collaborator, musician, and human being.
Listening back now, Cropper’s performance stands out for its understatement. There are no flashy flourishes or lead moments designed to draw attention. Instead, his guitar part moves gracefully through the song, accenting space between lines and responding to the poetic vocal phrasing with precision and care. It’s a side of Cropper’s artistry that often lives between the lines of his larger legacy, rooted in listening, camaraderie, and trust in the song itself.
In her essay, Miller recalls Cropper’s approach in the room: his focus on lyrics, his attention to phrasing, and the way he treated the session as a conversation rather than a showcase. “At a point in his life when Steve had nothing left to prove,” she writes, “he still showed up whole-heartedly, bringing his full presence and care to a piece of music simply because it spoke to him.” She also reflects on the personal resonance of the collaboration, noting that the arpeggiated guitar part she originally wrote for the song had been unconsciously shaped by the R&B and soul music she grew up with — much of it influenced by Cropper’s playing.
Years later, Sheri recalled, “If I ever dared to imagine, in my craziest, wildest dreams, the exact legend who was part of the DNA of my song would years later record and play his electric guitar, overdubbing my part, my jaw would’ve dropped in sheer awe. It was wildly surreal and deeply affirming…a quiet conversation across time.”
Beyond the technical details, the video and essay together offer a portrait of Cropper that complements the historical record rather than restating it. There are moments of warmth and humor — happy stories from the session, recollections of Steve’s ease, joy and generosity — but the lasting impression is of a musician deeply invested in the integrity of the work. “What I appreciate most now,” Miller writes, “isn’t the big names attached to the recording, but how Steve masterfully approached the art of song. His overwhelming generosity. His clear attentiveness. His acceptance of me as an equal, respected collaborator in the studio. His powerful belief that the song always comes first.”
“I Could Love You Still” has long been one of Miller’s signature recordings. A celebrated presence in songwriting and artist communities across the country, she has built a career rooted in classic craft, timeless storytelling, soulful singing and powerful emotional clarity, most recently reflected on her acclaimed EP, Waking Up To This Miracle Life. The tribute video reframes the song not as a milestone, but as a document — one that preserves a rare glimpse of Steve Cropper’s brilliant musical humanity late in his career. “I felt his genius, honored that I was sitting at the foot of a master,” Sheri closes.
Watch the tribute video for “I Could Love You Still” HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZPQ2aeF9I
Read Sheri Miller’s full essay on Steve Cropper at Guitar World HERE:
https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-cropper-played-on-my-song
