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Home , Arthur Alexander, Barry Beckett, Billy Sherrill, David Hood, FAME Studios, Jason Isbell

| FEATURE |

FOR MORE THAN

50 YEARS, PEOPLE IN THE

NORTH TOWN

OF MUSCLE SHOALS

HAVE PULLED

COUNTLESS SONGS

FROM THE RED DIRT,

MIXING TOGETHER A BIT

OF LUCK, A LOT OF

HARD WORK AND AN

UNDERSTANDING THAT,

MAYBE, MUSIC IS JUST

IN THEIR NATURE.

by Haley Herfurth

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here is no sure answer for others might not have noticed, and how it got this way. Some say opened FAME Studios (short for there’s something in the air, Florence Alabama Music Enter- likeT every hollering folk song was prises). , and caught up in the wind and scattered Tom Stafford first rented rooms about, and that if you breathe it above the City Drug Store in Flor- long enough, it catches in your soul. ence for the recording studio. In Others say it’s in the water, like a the early ’60s, when Hall split from thousand melodies are laid to rest at Sherrill and Stafford to take on the bottom of the River, the enterprise alone, it moved to piles of music notes and pretty lines an abandoned tobacco warehouse and broken guitar strings, carried by on Wilson Dam Road in Muscle the current into the next generation. Shoals. There, country and soul art- It could have been fate or God ist recorded “You or good luck, or some quiet agree- Better Move on,” FAME’s first hit ment between the three, because record, the proceeds from which the world needed music with guts built the company’s current facilities and depth and dirt under its nails, on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. and Muscle Shoals was the place to Rhythm and artist Jimmy recorded at FAME, as did , above, second from right; dig it up. Hughes was the first to record at the below, FAME Studio A in the 1960s Perhaps it grew from nothing at new location, cutting his hit “Steal all, from silence, from the ringing Away” in 1961. In the mid ’60s, University of Alabama in 2004 and stillness of an Alabama night, when (from nearby Leighton, is the author of Muscle Shoals Sound one old woman chose to breathe Alabama) recorded his hit “When Studio: How the Swampers Changed fire from a harmonica just to fill a Man Loves a Woman” at nearby American Music. “You have to credit up the quiet. Or it could be that its Norala Studios, owned by Quin Ivy, him as the grandfather of the entire own people grew a Mississippi native and proprietor of scene.” it up from the a record store in Sheffield who often Under Hall’s guidance, FAME ground, because wrote songs with Hall. “There were rolled out hit after hit in the 1960s. resilience and a number of studios in the area, but In 1968, Hall produced Etta James’ talent can some- Hall is the one who was really deter- Tell Mama album, one of her biggest times equal suc- mined to make it no matter what,” hits; the record was also published Also in the late 1960s, Atlan- cess if enough said Carla Jean Whitley, who earned by FAME Publishing, a division of tic Records producer stubbornness is her master’s in journalism from The the original company. brought rock ‘n’ roll/R&B singer added in. Wilson Pickett to FAME, where he Maybe what recorded hits like “Mustang Sally” matters is what that first foot- and “Land of 1,000 Dances.” Wexler stomping tune turned into, as artist Muscle Shoals incorporated into a remained incomplete until 1924 later brought newly signed artist after artist came to the Shoals to town of a few more than 700 people and barely used until 1933, when . It was at FAME that coax music out of their bones, and in 1923, birthed 20 miles south of President Franklin Roosevelt com- she cut her double-sided smash “I that they still come, songs in hand, the Tennessee line in the shadow manded that the rushing waters bow Never Loved a Man” and “Do Right because the magic has yet to aban- of the Wilson Dam, which sits just to the Authority. Woman.” produced don it. north of town and spans the Ten- The city forms part of an Alabama and recorded two classics there— Previous page: George Jackson, the nessee River between Colbert and quartet of sorts called the Quad Cit- “Sweet ” and “You Left behind ’s hit “Old Lauderdale counties. Commissioned ies, encompassing Florence, Shef- the Water Running,” respectively. Time ,” by the Old Railroad during World War I by President field, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. Eventually the group of musi- Bridge in Sheffield, Alabama; above, cians that was formed to back the the Muscle Shoals water tower; Woodrow Wilson to help power In the late 1950s, three local boys inset, a postcard from 1948 nitrate plants for munitions, the dam saw something in that patch of dirt studio’s recording artists grew into a

6 | ALABAMA ALUMNI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2015 | 7 Rick Hall, at FAME in 2010, was one of the founders of the recording studio; below, Carla Jean Whitley is the author of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. camped in the FAME park- the building was sold to a film and ing lot before being hired television production company. by Rick for a two-year stint In 1999, a sound producer “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” as a , play- named Noel Webster from nearby there in December 1969, quietly ing on Pickett’s cover of the Huntsville, Alabama, purchased rolling into North Alabama with- Beatles’ “.” the old Jackson Highway build- out any fanfare or applause. “Most Artists like , ing and refurbished and reopened of the locals didn’t know anything and Rod Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. In was going on,” said , Stewart all came to Mus- 2010, American rock duo The Black a Muscle Shoals native who is the cle Shoals Sound, record- Keys recorded their 2011 Grammy- frontman of the / ing both individual songs winning album Brothers at the res- band the Drive-By and entire albums, many urrected location. Webster sold the Truckers and whose father is David of which were backed by Hood of the Rhythm Section. “They the Muscle Shoals Rhythm didn’t even know the Stones were in Section. “If you play back town; it probably would’ve been a any of those songs, you can fame of their own, becoming known and James’ “Tell Mama,” impressing disaster if they had. It was still a very recorded hits like “” hear the level of quality in musician- as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Sec- musicians and executives across the conservative place.” and “Yo-Yo.” Rick Hall was nomi- ship of the guys who are playing in tion. The original four members country. The biggest influences the area nated for a Grammy in the Producer the studio,” Whitley said. moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in In the span of a decade, Muscle has had on the music industry may of the Year category in 1970. Bobbie recorded its 1964, making room for a second Shoals had ridden into history on have come from what you can’t hear, Gentry, one of the first female coun- entire first album at Muscle Shoals group of musicians that Lynyrd the harmonies of two-dozen hits, Whitley noted. The rural location of try music stars to compose her own Sound in 1971 and 1972, although Skynyrd would later memorialize finding its place alongside music cit- the Shoals was the draw for many material, recorded her album Fancy the songs weren’t released until later as “the Swampers” in their hit song ies like New York, Los Angeles and performers. “It’s so out of the way; there, and singer/songwriter Mac in ’s career. The studio relo- “”: guitarist Nashville. Artists were coming from even today it’s not particularly easy Davis recorded four gold albums. cated to a larger building nearby , bassist , all over to record there, betting that to get to,” she said. “That has given Famous guitarist in 1978, and recorded drummer and first a hit could be heard in their songs if musicians freedom to do whatever “” pianist , replaced they sang them from that sweet spot it is they want to do. There aren’t the there in 1979. Julian Len- later by . The rhythm a half-hour from the state line; and pressures of being involved in an non record there section backed Pickett’s “Mustang they were right. industry city.” in 1984, but recordings Sally,” Franklin’s smash “Respect” Rodney Hall, Rick’s son, who slowed down after that, In 1969, Johnson, Hood, Hawkins earned his master’s degree from and in 1985, the stu- and Beckett left FAME to UA’s Culverhouse College of Busi- dios were sold to Jack- found Muscle Shoals Sound Stu- ness in 1991 and is the president of son, Mississippi-based dio, setting up shop in a small FAME, said the small-town atmo- Malaco Music, which brick building off Jackson High- sphere provided fewer distractions also bought the Muscle way in Sheffield, proceeding to for musicians. “The ruralness of the Shoals Sound publish- spin swampgrass into gold. The area, especially in the 1960s and ing rights. Malaco later studio to the Muscle Shoals Music project was partially financed by 1970s, meant there wasn’t a lot to do closed the studios, and Foundation in 2013; the foundation Wexler, who had formed a good besides sit on the porch with family plans to turn the historic building working relationship with the and friends to play music,” he said. into a museum. The early 1970s saw great success Clockwise from top left: The musicians during projects at Osmonds recorded at FAME in The 1980s brought continued FAME, and who brought for both FAME and Muscle Shoals the 1970s; the Swampers and success for FAME, which published there that same year to record her Sound, though the styles of the indi- friends posed in front of the ’s hit “There’s No Get- sixth studio album, 3614 Jackson vidual studios diverged, with the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio; ting Over Me,” written by FAME Highway, which took its title from first taking on more the cover art for Cher’s album; Walt Aldridge and Rodney Hall followed in his the address of the studio. and the second focusing on rock father’s footsteps by taking the Tommy Brasfield, who also wrote recorded ‘n’ roll. At FAME, reins at FAME. hits for artists like Ricky Van Shel-

8 | ALABAMA ALUMNI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2015 | 9 DAVID MCCLISTER DAVID man Brothers, they come gift, and it would have done here, and it’s almost a kind the South, dealing with so of mecca. I’ve seen people much ugliness in the ’60s cry at it, and I’ve seen them and ’70s, a disservice to let it laughing and happy.” pass by. Rodney said the town Understanding the his- still holds the same promise tory of the area and the state for musicians that it did in during that time is impor- the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. “It’s tant in having a true respect a lot more laid-back situa- for what the Shoals area has tion than if you go to Nash- accomplished, according to ville or New York or Los Patterson. “It’s an amazing ton and Alabama. Rick signed the Angeles, [where] everyone’s story, what happened there band Shenandoah in 1987, which looking at their watches with Dad and his peers,” he recorded four albums and had because they have another said. “They did something seven No. 1 records in a row. FAME session across town,” he pretty miraculous, consider- Publishing produced John Michael said. Another secret of the ing the time and place. It Montgomery’s 1994 hit “” Shoals’ success, he said, has was a very sleepy, Bible-Belt, and Tim McGraw’s 1995 song “I to do with how the studios conservative town in the Like It, I Love It,” written by Rick’s approach their projects. “It height of the 1960s, with all son, Mark. takes a lot of hard work, the civil rights strikes going FAME is still going strong: Alter- and the people here take it on. But these guys in this dry native country/Americana artist very seriously because they county ended up making all (a former member of the know that for us to have our music The Drive-By Truckers posed in the old Lyric these amazing records.” Drive-By Truckers) has recorded all heard, it has to be better, because we Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama: left to but one of his four studio albums The current Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, on both Rick’s work with FAME don’t have the media outlets or the right, Brad Morgan, Patterson Hood, Jay People remember the music, every and above, FAME studios Gonzales, Matt Patton and . there (the first, , and the Swampers’ work at Muscle power of Warner Brothers or Atlan- rolling beat, every piano key. They was partially produced by Patter- Shoals Sound, and includes inter- tic Records. It’s got to be special.” can carry a song in their soul for a son, who also played on several owns the building. “It’s my home,” views from artists who recorded hits Patterson agreed with Rodney, with him. Cooley is also a Shoals lifetime; they’ll map out their lives songs). And FAME Publishing has Rodney said of the headquarters. in the Shoals area, such as Franklin, saying it does take a certain type of area native, hailing from Tuscumbia, by it, take advice from it, name their handled all of them. The Drive- “When [my brother and I] were Mick Jagger and Sledge, who died in work ethic, which he thinks all the and the two have been in various children after it, despite the decades By Truckers recorded part of their younger, we would stuff records that April 2015. The documentary was a original people involved in putting bands together for nearly 30 years, that pile up from the first time they album The Dirty South at FAME, were being shipped to radio, pack- hit, prompting more tourism in the Muscle Shoals on the music map culminating in the Truckers’ 19-year heard it. and they also backed and produced age them up, put postage on. I just area. “Since the documentary came had. But he said it also takes some- (and counting) run. “When Cooley Maybe a place can do that, too— Bettye LaVette’s 2007 album The remember hanging out with a lot of out, it’s blown up,” Rodney said. thing else: the willingness and ability and I started playing together, we be shaped by songs into something Scene of the Crime at the studio. the musicians and writers and guys “When we make a recording, we’ll to work together, something that were young and green. We weren’t that stands and grows even after the In April 2014, the studio released that were here. It was our daily life. always go to our car and listen to goes beyond technical musicianship. good, but we were better together last note fades or changes into some- artist Anderson I’ve probably spent more time in it, since that’s where a lot of people “It obviously takes talent, and those than apart. It took a long time to thing new and necessary. And maybe East’s album The Muscle Shoals Ses- that building than I have any other, listen to their music. Now tourists guys had all that—but so did a lot of learn how to deal with each other what matters most is the old music, sions: Live from FAME, and the including any of my houses. It’s been will come up and take photos of us people who didn’t make it,” he said. on a personal level, but we hung in the kind rising from the water, car- team is hard at work on a compila- here my whole life. For me, it’s just doing that.” “It takes perseverance and the abil- there because, musically, it was hap- ried in the air and resting in the quiet tion album of classic Shoals songs, home.” The renewed interest in the area ity to deal with and collaborate with pening.” dark. with covers by artists like Alicia means that while FAME is still oper- other people. One of the best things Maybe that’s what Muscle Shoals Keys and Willie Nelson. Muscle Shoals was thrust back into ating as a full-time recording studio, you can learn is to listen to the other has done all these years: worked Some details were referenced from Rick sold his shares of the FAME the spotlight when the documentary it has also begun allowing tours, people you’re playing with.” and sweated and bled to put out Whitley’s book, Muscle Shoals Sound companies to his sons, Mark and Muscle Shoals was released in 2013 which Rodney said is a bit strange. He cited as an example his work- record after record, song after song, Studio, and the Encyclopedia of Rodney, in the early 1990s, though by Magnolia Pictures at the Sun- “It’s kind of weird; people who are ing relationship with Mike Cooley, because it was a responsibility. It was Alabama. he still produces frequently and dance Film Festival. It was focused fans of Aretha or Otis or the All- who fronts the Drive-By Truckers as though the area had been given a

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