Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County
, Alabama
, United States
. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau
estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 11,924 people, 4,710 households, and 3,452 families residing in the city. The population density
was 979.7 people per square mile (378.3/km²). There were 5,010 housing units at an average density of 411.6 per square mile (158.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.88% White
, 14.16% Black
or African American
, 0.38% Native American
, 0.56% Asian
, 0.31% from other races
, and 0.70% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 4,710 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,216, and the median income for a family was $48,113. Males had a median income of $38,063 versus $21,933 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,113. About 5.4% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
, Sheffield
and Tuscumbia
, all of them in Alabama. Muscle Shoals is known for recording many hit songs from the 1960s through today at FAME Studios
, where Aretha Franklin
recorded, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
which developed work for Bob Dylan
, Paul Simon
and countless others. While the music from the area is often referred to as the "Muscle Shoals Sound," all four of the Quad Cities have significantly contributed to the area's musical history.
In addition to being home to country music band Shenandoah, a number of artists have made successful pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals in an effort to escape the limelight, and write and record their signature works. Both FAME Studios
and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are still in operation in the city. While famous for classic recordings from Rod Stewart
, Aretha Franklin
, Eric Clapton
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
and The Allman Brothers, recent hit songs such as "Before He Cheats
" by Carrie Underwood
and "I Loved Her First
" by Heartland continue the city's musical legacy. George Michael
recorded an early, unreleased version of "Careless Whisper
" with Jerry Wexler
in Muscle Shoals in 1983.
Additionally, fans of Muscle Shoals music frequently make trips to the area to visit local landmarks. While most of the city's recording studios are still active, the majority will allow tours with an appointment. Further, a number of rock, R&B and country music celebrities have homes in the area surrounding Muscle Shoals (Tuscumbia), or riverside estates along the Tennessee River, and often perform in area nightclubs, typically rehearsing new material to an audience of locals. Among the musical celebrities with homes in the area are George Strait
, Tim McGraw
and Faith Hill
.
What is most unusual about the area, musically speaking, is the cross-pollination of musical styles that originated in Muscle Shoals. Black artists from the area such as Arthur Alexander
and James Carr
utilized white country music styles in their work and white artists from the Shoals frequently borrowed from the blues/gospel influences of their black contemporaries, creating a distinct sound.
Sam Phillips
, founder of Sun Records
, lived in the area and stated in his autobiography that Muscle Shoals (primarily radio station WLAY (AM)
, which had both "white" and "black" music on its playlist) influenced his merging of these sounds at Sun Records with Elvis Presley
, Jerry Lee Lewis
and Johnny Cash
.
Muscle Shoals has received attention from the lyrics in Lynyrd Skynynd's "Sweet Home Alabama," stating "Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers
, and they've been known to pick a song or two." This is an example of a line in a song that is well known, but little understood. The Swampers
are a session band in Muscle Shoals.
On January 6, 2010, Muscle Shoals was added to the Mississippi Blues Trail
.
, Alabama
is frequently referred to as "the birthplace of the Blues". W.C. Handy was born in Florence and is generally regarded as the "Father of the Blues." Every year since 1982, the W. C. Handy Music Festival
is held in the Florence/Sheffield/Muscle Shoals area, featuring blues
, jazz
, country
, gospel
, rock music
and R & B
. The roster of jazz musicians known as the "Festival All-Stars," or as the
W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars, includes noted musicians from all over the United States, such as guitarist Mundell Lowe
, drummer Bill Goodwin
, pianist/vocalist Johnny O'Neal
, vibraphonist Chuck Redd
, pianist/vocalist Ray Reach
, flautist Holly Hofmann, and many others.
Rolling Stone
editor David Fricke
wrote that if one wanted to play a single recording that would "epitomize and encapsulate the famed Muscle Shoals Sound," that record would be "I'll Take You There
" by The Staple Singers
.
Upon hearing that very song, American songwriter Paul Simon
phoned his manager and asked him to arrange a recording session with the musicians who had performed this song. Simon was surprised to be told that he would have to travel to Muscle Shoals to work with the artists. After arriving in the small town, he was introduced to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
("The Swampers") who had recorded this song with Mavis Staples
. Expecting black musicians (the original Rhythm Section consists only of white musicians), and assuming that he had been introduced to the office staff, Simon politely asked to "meet the band." Once things were sorted out, Simon cut a number of tracks with the group, including "Loves Me Like a Rock
", "Kodachrome
" and "Still Crazy After All These Years."
Duane Allman
, later of Allman Brothers Band fame, once pitched a tent and camped out in the parking lot of FAME studios in an effort to be near the recording sessions occurring there. He soon befriended the studio's owner Rick Hall and Wilson Pickett
(who was recording at FAME during this time). During a lunch break, Allman taught Pickett the Beatles song "Hey Jude." Duane and Wilson's version of the song was eventually recorded with Allman on lead guitar. Upon hearing the session, people at Pickett's label (Atlantic Records
) asked who had played the guitar solos on the record. Hall responded with a hand-written note that read "some hippie cat who's been living in our parking lot." Shortly afterward, Allman was offered a recording contract. Auditions for the Allman Brothers Band were later held at FAME Studios. Duane Allman loved the area, and frequently returned to The Shoals for session work throughout his life.
When Bob Dylan
announced to his record label that he intended to record Christian music, the initially dismayed label executives insisted that if he planned to pursue the project, he must, at least, record the work in Muscle Shoals, as they felt it would provide the work "some much-needed credibility." (Dylan was not previously known for his overtly religious pronouncements, and many worried that his efforts would be taken as satirical; recording in the Bible Belt, it was thought, might avert a disaster.) Dylan was happy to oblige the label, and recorded not one, but two genuine Christian albums in The Shoals. The resulting albums ("Slow Train Coming" and "Saved") were recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. The records were, at first, received poorly by critics (perhaps because of their sincerity).
In the song "Sweet Home Alabama
" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
, a verse states that "Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers/And they've been known to pick a song or two/Lord, they get me off so much/They pick me up when I'm feelin' blue." The Swampers were a group of studio musicians who were available if backup was needed. They were given this name by Leon Russell
. Lynyrd Skynyrd saw gold and platinum records bearing the words "To The Swampers" when they recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and later included it in the song as a tribute. By definition, a "swamper" is a helper, such as a waitress or truck driver's assistant. The musicians were "hired guns," hence the nickname.
Muscle Shoals Sound was one of the hottest tracking rooms of the day, while FAME was a full production studio working on entire projects to completion.
The members of the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section were Pete Carr
(lead guitar
), Jimmy Johnson
(guitar
), Roger Hawkins
(drums
), David Hood
(bass
), and Barry Beckett
(keyboards
).
More recently, Florence native Patterson Hood, son of "Swamper" David Hood
, has risen to fame in his own right as a member of the alternative rock group Drive-By Truckers
. The top two finishing finalists on the 2007 season of country-music singing competition Nashville Star
, siblings Zac Hacker (second place) and Angela Hacker
(winner), both hail from Muscle Shoals. In 2008, State Line Mob
,a Southern Rock
duo group formed by singer & songwriters Phillip Crunk (Florence native) & Dana Crunk (Rogersville native),released their Debut Cd, Ruckus
& Won 2 Muscle Shoals
Music Awards for 2008 for (Best New Artist) & Best New Country Album) of the year.
Although Muscle Shoals has receded somewhat from its 1960s and 1970s status as "Hit Recording Capital of the World," (as a sign near the airport once read), there is a group of young, local musicians that are making waves again in the musical world. These include Drive-By Truckers
, The Civil Wars
, Dylan LeBlanc
, Gary Nichols
, Jason Isbell
, State Line Mob
, Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt, Fiddleworms
, Jamie Barrier and The Pine Hill Haints, Sons of Roswell, Lauderdale, Barrelmouth, Angela Hacker, Zac Hacker, Mike Pyle, The Ugli Stick, Jami Grooms, James LeBlanc, Scufflegrit, and BoomBox.
In 2006 the group Heartland recorded their number-one award winning song "I Loved Her First," produced and penned by Shoals legend Walt Aldridge.
In 2007 Bettye Lavette's Grammy nominated CD "The Scene of the Crime" was recorded at FAME Recording Studios, produced by Patterson Hood and Drive-By Truckers. The Truckers also backed Lavette on the record, with contributions from David Hood and Spooner Oldham.
In 2010, two Grammy nominated albums were recorded in the Shoals at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Band Of Horses
third CD, "Infinite Arms
" was recorded in part at the legendary studio. The album has been nominated for a Grammy Award
in the Best Alternative Album category. Additionally, The Black Keys' sixth album "Brothers"
was also recorded at 3614 Jackson Highway. The album has been nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award
for Best Alternative Music Album. Two songs from the album, "Tighten Up" and "Black Mud" have been nominated for two and one Grammys, respectively. "Tighten Up" has been nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
and Best Rock Song. "Black Mud" has been nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Rolling Stone
magazine placed the album at #2 on the Best Albums of 2010 and "Everlasting Light" at #11 on the Best Singles of 2010. The albums was also featured on Spin (magazine)
's Top 40 Albums of 2010.
The second Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, located at 1000 Alabama Avenue in Sheffield, closed its doors in 2005 and now houses a movie production company.
The original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios building at 3614 Jackson Highway is now open daily for tours as a historic museum. It has been restored to its 1970s state.
Famous Past and Current Residents
Alabama All-America wide receiver and Dallas Cowboys' standouts Dennis Homan
ESPN commentator Rece Davis (QB for the Trojans' football squad)
Carter Oil Co. CEO John Carter
Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, Chickasaw Indian chiefs. George Colbert operated a ferry across the Tennessee River in 1790 near present day Cherokee....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.
Geography
Muscle Shoals is located at 34.750788°N 87.650278°W.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.6 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,924 people, 4,710 households, and 3,452 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 979.7 people per square mile (378.3/km²). There were 5,010 housing units at an average density of 411.6 per square mile (158.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.88% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 14.16% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.38% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.56% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.31% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.70% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 4,710 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,216, and the median income for a family was $48,113. Males had a median income of $38,063 versus $21,933 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,113. About 5.4% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Music
The city is one of four municipalities known as the Quad Cities, the others being FlorenceFlorence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
, Sheffield
Sheffield, Alabama
Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in The Shoals MSA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 9,652. Sheffield is the birthplace of notable attorney, actor, former senator and presidential contender Fred Thompson...
and Tuscumbia
Tuscumbia, Alabama
Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423 and is included in The Shoals MSA....
, all of them in Alabama. Muscle Shoals is known for recording many hit songs from the 1960s through today at FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
, where Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
recorded, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
which developed work for Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
and countless others. While the music from the area is often referred to as the "Muscle Shoals Sound," all four of the Quad Cities have significantly contributed to the area's musical history.
In addition to being home to country music band Shenandoah, a number of artists have made successful pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals in an effort to escape the limelight, and write and record their signature works. Both FAME Studios
FAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are still in operation in the city. While famous for classic recordings from Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
and The Allman Brothers, recent hit songs such as "Before He Cheats
Before He Cheats
"Before He Cheats" is a song written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and the third wide-release single from Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It was the fifth release from the album overall. It was named the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association...
" by Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
and "I Loved Her First
I Loved Her First (song)
"I Loved Her First" is the title of a song written by Walt Aldridge and Elliott Park, and recorded by American country music group Heartland. It was released in June 2006 as the band's debut single, it reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in late 2006.-Content:The song...
" by Heartland continue the city's musical legacy. George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
recorded an early, unreleased version of "Careless Whisper
Careless Whisper
"Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
" with Jerry Wexler
Jerry Wexler
Gerald "Jerry" Wexler was a music journalist turned music producer, and was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s...
in Muscle Shoals in 1983.
Additionally, fans of Muscle Shoals music frequently make trips to the area to visit local landmarks. While most of the city's recording studios are still active, the majority will allow tours with an appointment. Further, a number of rock, R&B and country music celebrities have homes in the area surrounding Muscle Shoals (Tuscumbia), or riverside estates along the Tennessee River, and often perform in area nightclubs, typically rehearsing new material to an audience of locals. Among the musical celebrities with homes in the area are George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
and Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
.
What is most unusual about the area, musically speaking, is the cross-pollination of musical styles that originated in Muscle Shoals. Black artists from the area such as Arthur Alexander
Arthur Alexander
Arthur Alexander was an American country soul singer. Jason Ankeny, music critic for Allmusic, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and though largely unknown, "his music is the stuff of genius, a poignant and deeply intimate body of work on par with the best of his...
and James Carr
James Carr
James Carr or Jim Carr is the name of:*James Carr , American soul musician*J. L. Carr , English novelist*Jim Carr , Canadian politician*Jim Carr , technologist...
utilized white country music styles in their work and white artists from the Shoals frequently borrowed from the blues/gospel influences of their black contemporaries, creating a distinct sound.
Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
, founder of Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
, lived in the area and stated in his autobiography that Muscle Shoals (primarily radio station WLAY (AM)
WLAY (AM)
The station celebrated the FM launch with a two-day marathon, broadcasting live from two of the city’s most celebrated recording studios. FAME Studios, where legendary recordings by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, the Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Solomon Burke, George...
, which had both "white" and "black" music on its playlist) influenced his merging of these sounds at Sun Records with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
.
Muscle Shoals has received attention from the lyrics in Lynyrd Skynynd's "Sweet Home Alabama," stating "Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
, and they've been known to pick a song or two." This is an example of a line in a song that is well known, but little understood. The Swampers
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
are a session band in Muscle Shoals.
On January 6, 2010, Muscle Shoals was added to the Mississippi Blues Trail
Mississippi Blues Trail
The Mississippi Blues Trail, created by the Mississippi Blues Commission, is a project to place interpretive markers at the most notable historical sites related to the growth of the blues throughout the state of Mississippi. The trail extends from the border of Louisiana in southern Mississippi...
.
In music
Sister city FlorenceFlorence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
is frequently referred to as "the birthplace of the Blues". W.C. Handy was born in Florence and is generally regarded as the "Father of the Blues." Every year since 1982, the W. C. Handy Music Festival
W. C. Handy Music Festival
The W. C. Handy Music Festival is held annually in Florence, Alabama, sponsored by the Music Preservation Society, Inc., in honor of Florence native W. C...
is held in the Florence/Sheffield/Muscle Shoals area, featuring blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and R & B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
. The roster of jazz musicians known as the "Festival All-Stars," or as the
W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars, includes noted musicians from all over the United States, such as guitarist Mundell Lowe
Mundell Lowe
Mundell Lowe is an American jazz guitarist.Lowe was born in Laurel, Mississippi on 21 March 1922. In the 1930s he played country music and Dixieland jazz. He later played with big bands and orchestras, and on television in New York City. In the 1960s, Lowe composed music for films and television...
, drummer Bill Goodwin
Bill Goodwin (jazz drummer)
F. Bill Goodwin is an American jazz drummer. Bill has been a professional drummer since 1959, and has performed with many jazz instrumentalists such as: Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, George Shearing and Bobby Hutcherson, and singers such as June Christy, Joe Williams, Tony...
, pianist/vocalist Johnny O'Neal
Johnny O'Neal
Johnny O'Neal, born October 10, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, is an American Neo-bop jazz pianist. His playing ranges from the technically virtuosic to the tenderest of ballad interpretations. Though unique in style, he is influenced by many jazz elders, including Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. He has...
, vibraphonist Chuck Redd
Chuck Redd
Chuck Redd is an American drummer and vibraphonist. Chuck joined the Charlie Byrd Trio in 1980 at the age of 21. The same year, he joined the Great Guitars Chuck has done twelve European tours and five tours of Japan, with the Barney Kessel Trio, Ken Peplowski, Terry Gibbs and Conte...
, pianist/vocalist Ray Reach
Ray Reach
Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
, flautist Holly Hofmann, and many others.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
editor David Fricke
David Fricke
David Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
wrote that if one wanted to play a single recording that would "epitomize and encapsulate the famed Muscle Shoals Sound," that record would be "I'll Take You There
I'll Take You There
"I'll Take You There" is a number-one single written and produced by Al Bell and performed by soul/gospel family band The Staple Singers, released on Stax Records in February 1972...
" by The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples , the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha , Pervis , Yvonne , and Mavis...
.
Upon hearing that very song, American songwriter Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
phoned his manager and asked him to arrange a recording session with the musicians who had performed this song. Simon was surprised to be told that he would have to travel to Muscle Shoals to work with the artists. After arriving in the small town, he was introduced to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
("The Swampers") who had recorded this song with Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with The Staple Singers, her family's band.-Biography:...
. Expecting black musicians (the original Rhythm Section consists only of white musicians), and assuming that he had been introduced to the office staff, Simon politely asked to "meet the band." Once things were sorted out, Simon cut a number of tracks with the group, including "Loves Me Like a Rock
Loves Me Like a Rock
"Loves Me Like a Rock" is a 1973 song recorded by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Simon wrote the song, which appears on his solo album There Goes Rhymin' Simon....
", "Kodachrome
Kodachrome (song)
"Kodachrome" is a song written and recorded by Paul Simon. It appeared on his 1973 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon.-Description:The song is named after the Kodak 35mm film Kodachrome...
" and "Still Crazy After All These Years."
Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
, later of Allman Brothers Band fame, once pitched a tent and camped out in the parking lot of FAME studios in an effort to be near the recording sessions occurring there. He soon befriended the studio's owner Rick Hall and Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
(who was recording at FAME during this time). During a lunch break, Allman taught Pickett the Beatles song "Hey Jude." Duane and Wilson's version of the song was eventually recorded with Allman on lead guitar. Upon hearing the session, people at Pickett's label (Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
) asked who had played the guitar solos on the record. Hall responded with a hand-written note that read "some hippie cat who's been living in our parking lot." Shortly afterward, Allman was offered a recording contract. Auditions for the Allman Brothers Band were later held at FAME Studios. Duane Allman loved the area, and frequently returned to The Shoals for session work throughout his life.
When Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
announced to his record label that he intended to record Christian music, the initially dismayed label executives insisted that if he planned to pursue the project, he must, at least, record the work in Muscle Shoals, as they felt it would provide the work "some much-needed credibility." (Dylan was not previously known for his overtly religious pronouncements, and many worried that his efforts would be taken as satirical; recording in the Bible Belt, it was thought, might avert a disaster.) Dylan was happy to oblige the label, and recorded not one, but two genuine Christian albums in The Shoals. The resulting albums ("Slow Train Coming" and "Saved") were recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. The records were, at first, received poorly by critics (perhaps because of their sincerity).
In the song "Sweet Home Alabama
Sweet Home Alabama (song)
"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that first appeared in 1974 on their second album, Second Helping.It reached #8 on the US charts in 1974, and was the band's second hit single.-Creation and recording:...
" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
, a verse states that "Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers/And they've been known to pick a song or two/Lord, they get me off so much/They pick me up when I'm feelin' blue." The Swampers were a group of studio musicians who were available if backup was needed. They were given this name by Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
. Lynyrd Skynyrd saw gold and platinum records bearing the words "To The Swampers" when they recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and later included it in the song as a tribute. By definition, a "swamper" is a helper, such as a waitress or truck driver's assistant. The musicians were "hired guns," hence the nickname.
Muscle Shoals Sound was one of the hottest tracking rooms of the day, while FAME was a full production studio working on entire projects to completion.
The members of the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section were Pete Carr
Pete Carr
Jesse Willard "Pete" Carr is an American guitarist. Carr has contributed to hit recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many more over the past four decades...
(lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (musician)
Jimmy Johnson is an American a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section that was attached to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for a period in the 1960s and 1970s, and later was the a founder of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio located at first on 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Alabama and at...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Roger Hawkins
Roger Hawkins
Roger G Hawkins , is an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama...
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), David Hood
David Hood
David Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Barry Beckett
Barry Beckett
Barry Edward Beckett was a keyboardist who worked as a session musician with several notable artists on their studio albums...
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
).
More recently, Florence native Patterson Hood, son of "Swamper" David Hood
David Hood
David Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
, has risen to fame in his own right as a member of the alternative rock group Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
. The top two finishing finalists on the 2007 season of country-music singing competition Nashville Star
Nashville Star
Nashville Star is an American reality television program. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada, the show aired on CMT...
, siblings Zac Hacker (second place) and Angela Hacker
Angela Hacker
Angela Hacker is an American country music singer. In 2007, she was the winner of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Her brother Zac finished second the same year. She released an album via Warner Bros. Records in 2007, although it did not chart and produced no singles.-Biography:Angela...
(winner), both hail from Muscle Shoals. In 2008, State Line Mob
State Line Mob
The State Line Mob was an association of criminal elements that operated in the 1950s and 1960s at the Mississippi–Tennessee state line in Alcorn County, Mississippi, and McNairy County, Tennessee, along U.S. Route 45. The State Line Mob was involved in bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, tourist...
,a Southern Rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
duo group formed by singer & songwriters Phillip Crunk (Florence native) & Dana Crunk (Rogersville native),released their Debut Cd, Ruckus
Ruckus
- Business and Organizations:*Ruckus Network, formerly a provider of digital entertainment services for all American colleges and universities*Ruckus Society, an organization that provides training in techniques of political activism...
& Won 2 Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals may refer to:* Muscle Shoals, Alabama* Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section* Muscle Shoals Sound Studio* Leo "Muscle" Shoals...
Music Awards for 2008 for (Best New Artist) & Best New Country Album) of the year.
Although Muscle Shoals has receded somewhat from its 1960s and 1970s status as "Hit Recording Capital of the World," (as a sign near the airport once read), there is a group of young, local musicians that are making waves again in the musical world. These include Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
, The Civil Wars
The Civil Wars (band)
The Civil Wars are a duo composed of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White. The two bandmembers met during a Nashville, Tennessee songwriting session. Their debut album, Barton Hollow, was released in the US in 2011, selling 25,000 copies in its first week. The album debuted at No. 1...
, Dylan LeBlanc
Dylan LeBlanc
Dylan LeBlanc is an American singer-songwriter.-Early life:LeBlanc grew up hanging out amongst the session musicians at Fame Studios. By age 7, LeBlanc was already learning how to play a picking style on the guitar and began writing his own songs when his father bought him a guitar for his 11th...
, Gary Nichols
Gary Nichols
Gary Nichols is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2006, Nichols made his debut that year with the release of his single "Unbroken Ground", which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
, State Line Mob
State Line Mob
The State Line Mob was an association of criminal elements that operated in the 1950s and 1960s at the Mississippi–Tennessee state line in Alcorn County, Mississippi, and McNairy County, Tennessee, along U.S. Route 45. The State Line Mob was involved in bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, tourist...
, Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt, Fiddleworms
Fiddleworms
The Fiddleworms is an American rock music group from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The band was originally formed in 1994 by Russell Mefford, Chris Quillen, Scott Kennedy, and Matt Ross...
, Jamie Barrier and The Pine Hill Haints, Sons of Roswell, Lauderdale, Barrelmouth, Angela Hacker, Zac Hacker, Mike Pyle, The Ugli Stick, Jami Grooms, James LeBlanc, Scufflegrit, and BoomBox.
In 2006 the group Heartland recorded their number-one award winning song "I Loved Her First," produced and penned by Shoals legend Walt Aldridge.
In 2007 Bettye Lavette's Grammy nominated CD "The Scene of the Crime" was recorded at FAME Recording Studios, produced by Patterson Hood and Drive-By Truckers. The Truckers also backed Lavette on the record, with contributions from David Hood and Spooner Oldham.
In 2010, two Grammy nominated albums were recorded in the Shoals at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Band Of Horses
Band of Horses
Band of Horses, originally briefly known as Horses, are an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle by Ben Bridwell. They have released three studio albums, the most recent and most successful of which is 2010's Grammy nominated Infinite Arms...
third CD, "Infinite Arms
Infinite Arms
-Reception and chart performance:Infinite Arms has proved a major international success for Band of Horses. It has performed well in charts in Europe, Australasia and North America, reaching the top 10 in the US, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Norway and Sweden....
" was recorded in part at the legendary studio. The album has been nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Best Alternative Album category. Additionally, The Black Keys' sixth album "Brothers"
Brothers (The Black Keys album)
Brothers is the sixth album and Grammy Award-winner of Best Alternative Music Album by American blues-rock duo, The Black Keys. The album was announced on March 2, 2010 by Pitchfork Media and became the band's third release from Nonesuch Records on May 18, 2010...
was also recorded at 3614 Jackson Highway. The album has been nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Alternative Music Album. Two songs from the album, "Tighten Up" and "Black Mud" have been nominated for two and one Grammys, respectively. "Tighten Up" has been nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories...
and Best Rock Song. "Black Mud" has been nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine placed the album at #2 on the Best Albums of 2010 and "Everlasting Light" at #11 on the Best Singles of 2010. The albums was also featured on Spin (magazine)
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
's Top 40 Albums of 2010.
The second Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, located at 1000 Alabama Avenue in Sheffield, closed its doors in 2005 and now houses a movie production company.
The original Muscle Shoals Sound Studios building at 3614 Jackson Highway is now open daily for tours as a historic museum. It has been restored to its 1970s state.
Schools
The Muscle Shoals City school system enjoys a reputation for its rigorous academic standards. In March 2008, after an intense evaluation, Muscle Shoals High School and Howell-Graves Preschool were awarded the Lighthouse Award by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. The system is currently led by Superintendent Dr. Jeff Wooten. There are seven schools in the district:- Muscle Shoals High SchoolMuscle Shoals High SchoolMuscle Shoals High School is the sole public secondary education institution in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. MSHS was recently awarded the Blue Ribbon Lighthouse Award for Excellence.- Academics :Traditionally. Muscle Shoals students excel academically...
.........Principal H.L. Noah - Muscle Shoals Center for Technology...Principal Sylvia Coleman
- Muscle Shoals Middle School...........Principal Mary Ann Stegall
- McBride Elementary School.............Principal Brian Lindsey
- Highland Park Elementary School.......Principal Hal Horton
- Webster Elementary School.............Principal Dan Starkey
- Howell Graves Preschool...............Principal Sheneta F. Smith
Famous Past and Current Residents
Alabama All-America wide receiver and Dallas Cowboys' standouts Dennis Homan
ESPN commentator Rece Davis (QB for the Trojans' football squad)
Carter Oil Co. CEO John Carter
External links
- Shoals Music Magazine Publication dedicated to covering the Muscle Shoals Sound
- Official web site of the City of Muscle Shoals
- Muscle Shoals City Schools
- FAME Recording Studios