By Debi Lander
mail@floridanewsline.com
Small towns often bring big surprises, which was the case with Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama. Muscle Shoals was and continues to be a city where high-profile musicians come to record music in the local sound studios. It earned the title “Hit Recording Capital of the World.”
Baby Boomers especially recall musical memories when touring FAME Studios. It all started in the 1960s by a group of local musicians and producers. The establishment quickly gained a reputation for its high-quality recordings and unique sound, which blended elements of soul, R&B, and rock. One of the most famous producers to work at FAME was Rick Hall, who helped launch the careers of artists like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. Another notable producer was Jerry Wexler, who brought Aretha Franklin to Muscle Shoals to record her classic album “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.”
In addition to FAME Studios, you can connect with nostalgia at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, founded by a group of former FAME musicians in the 1970s. They typically worked as the backup rhythm band for the artists and were known as the Swampers. Their studio recorded albums by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, and many more.
“The magic must be in the water,” said the former Swampers when asked why the hits happened there. Native American legends called the Tennessee River the Singing River and claimed it sang songs to protect them. Myth or not, the town’s small size and tight-knit community allowed musicians and producers to work closely together, giving us some of the most iconic songs in music history, from “Respect” by Aretha Franklin to “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
You’ll also find the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in the Shoals. This fantastic museum highlights Alabama’s musical icons with portraits and memorabilia from 82 inductees. Some are giants like country music’s Hank Williams and jazz/R&B crooner Nat “King” Cole and the ever-popular Lionel Richey.
WC Handy, known as the “Father of the Blues,” was a prominent musician and composer born in Florence, Alabama, just a few miles from Muscle Shoals. In the early 1900s, Handy moved to Memphis, where he became a key figure in the development of the blues genre. His birthplace, a small log cabin, is now a music-centric museum, still owned and operated by his family.
I’m sure something in Muscle Shoals will hit the right chord for you.
For more information: http://colbertcountytourism.org or alabama.travel
Visit www.bylandersea.com to read more of local travel writer Debi Lander’s stories and travel tips.
Photo courtesy Debi Lander
Muscle Shoals studio artists.
