Turbulent waters and the shoals presented a constant challenge to tame the Tennessee River and contributed, combined and helped to create a unique place in the history of American popular music. The mighty Tennessee has been harnessed and it is said that the Tennessee continues to sing with a voice of an Indian Princess, and that her songs will never fade as long as man builds his home and earns his bread along the banks of the Tennessee River that flows through our Muscle Shoals.
The Beautiful Tennessee River
In modern times, the recording industry in Florence, AL began when James Joiner opened the first studio, Tune, in 1956, followed by SPAR in the late 1950s, and by Florence Alabama Music Enterprise (FAME) in 1959. Contemporary studios include Gary Baker’s Noise Block and John Paul White’s Single Lock Records. The Gold Record Room in the first floor of the Sun Trust Building in downtown Florence is open to the public and exhibits gold records, music, clothing, instruments, and other memorabilia from the industry.
The Gold Record Room
Musicians are important contributors to the cultural image and the economic history of Florence, AL. A partial list of musicians and musical families from the Muscle Shoals region include:
Florence |
Muscle Shoals |
Tuscumbia |
Sheffield |
Killen |
Russellville |
| Aaron Montgomery | 3 Wheel Drive | Ann Bevis | Andrew Wright | Becky Bluefield | Angela Hacker |
| Aaron Sain | Al Cartee | Anna Lisa Graham | Arthur Alexander | Becky Ferguson | Eddie Martin |
| Adam’s House Cat | Al Lester | Beth Boshears | Ava Aldridge | Carl Holder | J.W. Herron |
| Alan Schulman | Alicia Elliott | Betty Dardess | Barry Billings | David Briggs | Lee Clayton |
| Andrew Lane | Barry Beckett | Bill Rickard | Betty Dardess | Duncan Cameron | Melvin Hallmark |
| Ann Foster | Bebop Evans | Bobby Denton | Bill Cofield | Iron Horse | Pete Green |
| Autrey Inman | Billy Lawson | Bobby Whitlock | Blue Seal Pals | Jason Grigsby | Zack Hacker |
| Becky Belew | Billy Lynn | Dale Tatum | Bob Wray | Jerry Clemmons | |
| Bill Blackburn | Boyd Bennett | Dick Cooper | Broadway Sound | John Briggs | |
| Bill Cantrell | Chalmers Davis | Dixie C. Griffin | Buddy Draper | Keith Henry |
Cherokee |
| Bill Foster | Christian Turner | George Lair | Celia Fago Donahue | Mark Naramore | Bobby Denton |
| Billy Lawson | Clayton Ivey | Jimmy “BeBop” Evans | Charles Rose | Mike Curtis | Leon Bass |
| Bob Garfrerick | Counts Brothers | Jordan Denton | Chris Anderson | Smitty Gatlin | |
| Bob Wray | David Hood | Marty Rabon | Christopher Joel Carter | ||
| Bobby Gooch | Del Rays | Mike Cooley | David Johnson |
Decatur |
Leighton |
| Brad Guin | Dixie Gentlemen | Mike Curtis | David Mackay | Bibi Black | Jimmy Hughes |
| Buddy Killen | Don Srygley | Tommy Couch | Dexter Johnson | Billy C Farlow | Lefty Bates |
| Butler Twins | FAME | Donna Godchaux | Charlie Hodge | Percy Sledge | |
| C.W. Perkins | Gary Nichols | Donna Thatcher | Dean Jones | ||
| Carl Montgomery | Harrison Calloway |
Red Bay |
Eddie Struzick | Dennis Clifton | |
| Celia Fago | Jake Landers | Edie Hand | Fred Bevis | Frances Moss |
Green Hill |
| Charles Senn | Jerry Masters | Jenny Strickland | Gary Armstrong | Glenn Spiller | Chris Tompkins |
| Chris Quillen | Johnny Belew | Jerry Bridges | Gary Baker | Gordon Terry | Jason Isbell |
| Christine Gentry | Larry McWilliams | MacMcAnally | George Soule | Hurricane Creek | Norbert Putnam |
| Cindy Richardson | Mark Hall | Steve Moore | Hershel Sizemore | Jeriel Parker | Norman Hill |
| Cindy Walker-Richardson | Mickey Buckins | Tammy Wynette | Jay Johnson | Jerry Countryman | |
| Clarence Butler | Monkey Wammack | Jimmy Johnson | Johnny Sandlin | ||
| Clay T. Myers | MS Horns | Jimmy Nutt | Mitch Rigel |
Courtland |
|
| Constanec Perkins Jr. | N C Thurman |
Rogersville |
Lee Daley | Perry Stephens | Neal Owens |
| Curtis Butler | Pete Carr | Phillip White | Lenny LeBlanc | Sam Timberlake | Orr Family |
| Dan Penn | Radio Tokyo | Randy McCormick | Mac McAnally | Tim Johnson | Orr Sisters |
| Dave O’Connor | Ralph Ezell | Red Marlow | Max Russell | Tom Swatzer | |
| David Askew | Randy Poe | Ricky Rogers | MS Rhythm Section | William McClung | |
| David MacKay | Robert Byrne | Secret Sisters | MS Sound |
Center Star |
|
| Dillon Hodges | Ron Ballew | Peanutt Montgomery | Spooner Oldham | ||
| Donna Jean Godchaux | Ronnie Eades | Quin Ivey |
Athens |
Mark Naramore | |
| Donnie Fritts | Rual Yarborough |
Town Creek |
Randy Cutlip | Anglin Brothers | |
| Donny Lowery | Scott Boyer | Brad Crisler | Robert Burse | Blake Daniel | |
| Earl Hicks | Scott Boyer III | Dwight Taylor | Roger Hawkins | Delmore Brothers |
Cloverdale |
| Edd Jones | Shenandoah | Mack Vickery | Roy Aldridge | Edsel Holden | Jimmy Lovelace |
| Eddie Goodwin | Shooters | Marlin Greene | Shane Baker | Jake Hess | Kenneth Lovelace |
| Eddie Griggs | Showdown | Stan Munsey, Jr. | Patti Malone | Ray Lovelace | |
| Edna Carter | Steve Nathan | Terry Woodford | Roger Murrah | ||
| Edsel Holden | Sue Richards |
Lexington |
Tommy Martin | Steve Kimbrough | |
| Eli Flippen | Terry Woodford | Woody Richardson | Tony Fago | Thomas Cain | |
| Ferris York & Sledge | The Decoys |
Studio |
Willie Ruff | ||
| Floyd McClure | The Swampers | Woodrich Studio |
Studios |
||
| Frank Johnson | Tommy Brasfield | 3614 Jackson Highway Recording Studio/Muscle Shaols Studio | |||
| Gary Baker | Travis Wammack | Broadway Sound | |||
| George Jones | Vassar Clements | Cactus Studios | |||
| Georgia Chellman | Wayne Cheney | Dexter Johnson Studio | |||
| Grady Smith |
Studios |
Nor-Ala Studio | |||
| Gregg Hamm | East Avalon Recording Studio | The Nutt House | |||
| Harvey Thompson | FAME | Widget Studio | |||
| Harvey Thompson Jr. | Joe Wilson Records | ||||
| Homer Smith | Music Hill Studio | ||||
| Hugh Banks | |||||
| Jacob Lovell | |||||
| Jake Berry |
Anderson |
Phil Campbell |
Lawrenceburg, TN |
Wayne Co., TN |
|
| James Hooker | Joel Rainey | Billy Sherrill | J.W. Vaughn | Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery | |
| James Joiner | Stewart Weston | Rick Hall | |||
| James LeBlanc | |||||
| Jamie Barrier | |||||
| Janna Malone |
Moulton |
Elkmont |
Loretto, TN |
||
| Jerry Carrigan | Robert Montgomery | Delmore Brothers | Tony & Grace | ||
| Jerry Phillips | |||||
| Jerry Weaver | |||||
| Jim Fago | |||||
| Jimmy Hughes | |||||
| Jimmy Simpson | |||||
| Joey Flippen | |||||
| Joey Holder | |||||
| John B. “Jack” Peck | |||||
| John Calvert | |||||
| John Green | |||||
| John Paul White | |||||
| John Wyker | |||||
| Johnny Wyker | |||||
| Judd Phillips | |||||
| Junior Lowe | |||||
| Keevel Hendon | |||||
| Kelso Hurston | |||||
| Kelvin Holly | |||||
| Kenneth Lovelace | |||||
| Kerry Gilbert | |||||
| Kevin Lamb | |||||
| Kim Tribble | |||||
| Kinny Mims | |||||
| Knox Phillips | |||||
| Lenny LeBlanc | |||||
| Lenora Gray | |||||
| Local Saints | |||||
| Lyman Mitchell | |||||
| Marie Lewey | |||||
| Marsha Thornton | |||||
| Marty Morrison | |||||
| Mary Carter | |||||
| Mary Mason Band | |||||
| Melba Montgomery | |||||
| Melissa Foster | |||||
| Mike Shepherd | |||||
| Milton Sledge | |||||
| Natalie Askew | |||||
| Patterson Hood | |||||
| Pine Hill Haints | |||||
| Quinton Claunch | |||||
| Rachel Wammack | |||||
| Randy Poe | |||||
| Red Mouth | |||||
| Rick Hall | |||||
| Rob Carnegie | |||||
| Rob Malone | |||||
| Robert Palmer | |||||
| Roger Briggs | |||||
| Roger Clark | |||||
| Roger Hamilton | |||||
| Ronnie Oldham | |||||
| Roy McDowell | |||||
| Russell Mefford | |||||
| Sam Phillips | |||||
| Scooter Muse | |||||
| Shane Baker | |||||
| Sterling Boze | |||||
| Steve Melton | |||||
| Steve Stapler | |||||
| Terry Thompson | |||||
| The Bear & The Bride | |||||
| Timmy Ray | |||||
| Tom Risher | |||||
| Tom Stafford | |||||
| Tommy Martin | |||||
| Tosha Hill | |||||
| W. Carroll Quillen | |||||
| W.C. Handy | |||||
| Walt Aldridge | |||||
| Wayne Sides | |||||
| Will Foster | |||||
| Will McFarlane | |||||
| Witcher | |||||
Studios |
|||||
| FAME | |||||
| Noise Block | |||||
| Singing River Records (UNA) | |||||
| Spar Records | |||||
| Tune Records | |||||
Musical Families: Second, Third and Fourth Generations:
| Angela & Zack Hacker |
| Ava & Eddie Aldridge |
| Barry, Matthew & Mark Beckett |
| Bill, Melissa, Ann, Will, Nick Foster |
| Bobby & Jordan Denton |
| Butler Twins |
| Charles Rose & Edna Carter |
| Chip & Cody Geiser |
| Christine Gentry & Ken Lovelace |
| David & Patterson Hood |
| Dexter, Jimmy, Jay, JJ (Jason) Johnson |
| Donna Godchaux & David Mackay |
| Donnie Fritts & Father Huey Fritts |
| Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery Family |
| Edd & Lloyd Jones |
| Freeman Family (Brass Bands) |
| Freeman Family (Singing Schools) |
| Gary & Shane Baker |
| Grown Folks Band |
| Harvey & Buddy Thompson |
| James & Dillon LeBlanc |
| James & Libby Counts |
| Jamie Barrier/Pine Hill Haints/Clarabelle & Creeps |
| Jimmy & Angie Nutt |
| Joey & Eli Flippen |
| John & David Briggs |
| John Paul White & Tony White |
| Marie Osmond’s son Stephen Craig recorded here |
| Max & Kirk Russell |
| Nancy & Scooter Muse/ Chris Tompkins |
| Pete & Don Carr |
| Ray Brothers |
| Rick, Rodney & Mark Hall |
| Sam, Jerry, Judd, Knox Phillips |
| Secret Sisters (Laura & Lydia) & Ricky Rogers |
| Spooner Oldham & Mark Naramore |
| Terry Richardson & family |
| Tony Fago & Celia Donohue |
| Tonya & Kelvin Holly |
| Tonya Holley & Jennie Strickland |
| Tori & Bob Carl Bailey |
| Travis & Monkey Wammack |
| Walt & Hannah Aldridge |
| Will & Jamie McFarlane |
| Zion Rock Godchaux & Kinsman Mackay |
“The Department of Entertainment Industry is a stand-alone Department in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Alabama. It has as its program objectives to provide a broad background for students who are entering the Entertainment Industry. Recent Graduates have followed a career as Booking Agent, Record Promotion, Artist Management, Music Publisher, Road Manager, Studio Musician, Touring Musician, Songwriter, Music Supervisor, Recording Engineer, Studio Engineer, Studio Manager, Venue Manager, Concert Promoter, Recording Artist, Record Company Administration, Radio Promotion and others positions.
A robust music industry continues to thrive in Florence and The Muscle Shoals. In recognition of the music heritage, The Patton Island Bridge on the Tennessee River between Florence and Sheffield opened to traffic in 2002 and was renamed the Singing River Bridge by resolution of the Alabama State Senate in 2010.
The Singing River Bridge
