Rick Hall at FAME Studios
The music heritage in Florence, Al., part of the Shoals area, has seen a resurgence in the past year with the release of the "Muscle Shoals" documentary. Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Al. has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time.
"Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Rick Hall brought black and white together to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the 'Muscle Shoals Sound' and The Swampers, the renowned house band at FAME Studios," officials said.
From the very first track Rick Hall recorded at FAME, the iconic "Steal Away" by Jimmy Hughes, the small Alabama town of around 8,000 -- with its own unique brand of R&B -- has been churning out hits for such notables as Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, U2, The Rolling Stones, and countless others.
In a documentary, Mr. Sledge, who passed away in 2015 at 74, says, "I've heard entertainers and producers tell me that we've got some kind of sound here that they can't get anywhere else. They have to come here." Over the years, no one has been able to quantify exactly what it is that makes Muscle Shoals' sound so great, other than the vision and guidance of Rick Hall. Some say it's the river itself, known to Native Americans as "the river that sings," the rich mud of the lowlands, the tumultuous history of the area's inhabitants, or Mr. Hall's own tumultuous personal history. But one thing is for sure: the results of that history can be both heard and felt in the music coming out of this small Southern town.
Muscle Shoals' magnetism and mystery still remain influential in the music industry today. Dr. Dre of Beats Electronics has invested in the renovation and restoration of the former Muscle Shoals Sound studio.
FAME Studios is open for tours at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday at 603 East Avalon Ave. The Original Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 3614 Jackson Hwy. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, contact Florence/Lauderdale Tourism at 256-740-4141.