Music Heritage
The Muscle Shoals region has a rich music heritage that has helped shape today’s music world. From its earliest musical influences to its world-famous recording studios and musical geniuses, the Shoals region has had a long and colorful history with music. In the process, it has become synonymous with a style of music that blends various types of music to create the Muscle Shoals Sound — a sound unlike any other in the world.
The Early Roots of Music in the Shoals
Looking back at the early history of the Shoals region, it seems as if music has always been a part of life here. Native Americans first found music in the water of the Tennessee River and named it the “Singing River” after the melodious sounds of the rippling waters. Enslaved peoples carried spirituals and work songs with them when they were brought to Alabama to work in the cotton fields, and Scots-Irish immigrants introduced Celtic folk music as they made their homes here. Gospel music, sacred harp singing, and call-and-response songs were also popular among the people who called the Shoals home in the late nineteenth century. The region later became known for its contributions to the blues, when Florence-native William Christopher “W.C.” Handy became the first musician to identify, arrange, publish, and popularize the basic blues sound. The music producer Sam Phillips also called Florence home and went on to discover Elvis Presley and earn fame with other Sun Records artists, such as Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, and Johnny Cash. Florence was also the hometown of Tree Publishing owner Buddy Killen, whose company was one of the largest music publishing companies in the nation.
The Birth of the “Hit Recording Capital of
the World”
In the 1950s the Shoals region was home to the first record company in Alabama — Tune Records. Though more than a dozen recording studios operated in the Shoals during the second half of the twentieth century, the most famous were the Muscle Shoals Sound (MSS) Studio and FAME Studio, which were among the top recording studios in the nation. These studios produced hits for such artists as Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, The Osmonds, and the Rolling Stones. Throughout the 1970s, these studios also recorded with successful artists in other genres, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, Rod Stewart, and Willie Nelson. In the later part of the decade, the region was dubbed the “Hit Recording Capital of the World” because it produced more hit singles per capita than New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami, and other music cities.
The Music Lives On
While some studios closed and the music industry changed, the Muscle Shoals music scene has continued to thrive. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Martina McBride, George Strait, Alicia Keys, Phish, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and many more recorded at FAME. The Black Keys recorded their Grammy-winning album Brothers at the MSS Studio in 2009. In 2013, the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation, along with the monetary help of Beats Electronics owners Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, purchased the MSS Studio and finished restoring it to its former glory in 2017. The musical tradition of the Shoals continues today with a new generation of singers and songwriters living, writing, recording and/or performing here, including Jason Isbell, Chris Tompkins, John Paul White (above), Alabama Shakes, The Secret Sisters, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Anderson East.
Experience the Music
Visitors can explore northwest Alabama’s musical history as well as today’s vibrant music scene through MSNHA’s Roots of American Music Trail website. The RAMT is a self-guided cell-phone tour of significant music-history sites, such as recording studios, museums, live music venues, and festivals.
Studios
FAME Music, established in 1959, was the first successful professional recording studio in Alabama and is the birthplace of the Muscle Shoals Sound. During the studio’s half-century history, rhythm and blues, pop, and country releases from FAME have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. The legacy continues as the studio is still a favorite in the recording industry – actively producing artists and publishing music. The studio hosts tours, priced at $10 per person, Monday through Saturday.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is located at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield and is still operating with artists recording and showcasing their music on site. It is also open to the public for paid tours Monday through Saturday, but you must purchase your ticket(s) in advance on the MSS Studio website.
Located in Muscle Shoals, Wishbone Studio has served the music and recording industry since 1976. The studio has recorded, written, or published projects for many artists, such as Alabama, George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Shenandoah, and The Temptations. Today the studio is ushering in a new era of the Muscle Shoals Sound with recordings of Southern gospel, praise and worship music, and other projects. Visitors can book a studio tour for a fee.
Cypress Moon Studio is a film and music production company located in Sheffield. The building was originally a pre-Wilson Dam pump station that was later home to the Naval Reserve. Muscle Shoals Sound moved to this building in the late 1970s and then Malaco Records operated here in the 1980s. In addition to producing films and music, Cypress Moon Studio hosts musical performances regularly. Tours are available by appointment with an admission fee.
Museums
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame preserves and promotes Alabama’s contributions to pop, country, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll music. Visitors will enjoy the Muscle Shoals section, which tells the story of the region’s reign as the “Hit Recording Capital of the World.” You can visit the museum Tuesday through Saturday for an admission fee.
The W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library in Florence displays a large collection of W.C. Handy’s personal papers, memorabilia, photographs, and artifacts in the family-built log cabin where Handy was born in 1873. This location is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday for an admission fee.
The Red Bay Museum in Red Bay houses a collection of items related to the town’s history, and the majority of the third floor is dedicated to country music star Tammy Wynette. The museum is only open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and an entrance fee is required.
Festivals
The W.C. Handy Music Festival is a celebration of the historical roots of the Muscle Shoals Sound, local artists, and the future of music in the Shoals. Held in the summertime, this annual festival is attended by an estimated 150,000 people and includes more than 200 free and paid events across Lauderdale, Colbert, and Franklin counties.
The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention is an annual musical event and competition held in the first full weekend of October at Athens State University. Visitors can pay by the day or purchase a weekend pass. At the convention, you can also purchase merchandise from local artists and makers and enjoy food from a variety of vendors. In the end, the Alabama State Fiddle Champion is crowned, along with state champions in over a dozen other categories of music.
