Muscle Shoals: The Alabama That Gives Me Hope

The story of Muscle Shoals, as far as I can tell, is one of hope.

No, I wasn’t there.

But I haven’t been there for any of Alabama’s stories.

…..

The Montgomery bus boycott—inspired by Rosa Parks—was my introduction to the state.

Then came the Birmingham bombing, as in the one orchestrated at the 16th Street Baptist Church by the Ku Klux Klan in response to efforts at integration. Four girls died.

Next up were the Selma to Montgomery marches, peaceful protests regarding barriers to black voter registration. On Bloody Sunday (the American one), state troopers attacked the marchers—future Congressman John Lewis fractured his skull.

Along the way came the voice of George Wallace, who in 1963 said: In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. He was the state’s governor.

There was also the college football team. My elderly patient was a big fan, even though as a young man, he hadn’t been allowed into the stadium.

I’ve come to learn, however, that the truth is textured.

Because in the northwest corner of the state, around this time, there was a batch of misfits telling a completely different story.

Out there, on the Tennessee River, is a small city called Muscle Shoals. In reality, it is one of four cities that blend together to form a region called the Shoals.

When you think Deep South, this is what you envision.

In 1932, just across the Mississippi border, was born someone named Rick Hall. He grew up in extreme poverty and was no stranger to tragedy—he lost his brother and first wife to accidents and his mother to prostitution.

But through it all, he had music, and he was determined to make a name for himself in the industry.

In 1959, Hall started Florence Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME). His partners left him, but he carried on, turning the small operation into a miraculously relevant part of the recording world.

Moving through a series of session musicians, he eventually landed on a group of four known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, aka the Swampers.

Together, they created the so-called Muscle Shoals sound and recorded some of the most iconic singles of all time—like Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.”

Their secret formula, it turns out, was remarkably straightforward: Color blindness.

Soon, Aretha Franklin showed up to record. So, too, did Wilson Pickett.

In 1969, the Swampers branched out on their own and formed the competing Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

And the hits continued. Remember this one by the Staple Singers?

Between FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, artists lined up in northwest Alabama to create their masterpieces.

You may recognize a few names: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Cat Stevens, Cher, and George Michael.

The Rolling Stones recorded “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” around there.

Duane Allman, later of the Allman Brothers Band, camped out in the parking lot of FAME until he managed to work his guitar into some of the recordings.

Meanwhile, the other Southern rock legends, Lynyrd Skynyrd, cut a piano-heavy version of “Freebird” at Muscle Shoals before going on to hit it big.

Later, in “Sweet Home Alabama,” they would give a much deserved shout out to the Shoals and the Swampers.

In modern times, while the heyday is considered long gone, the sounds are not.

Hall passed away in 2018, but FAME is still going strong. Thanks to a grant from Dr. Dre, so is Muscle Shoals.

The region has remained a musical powerhouse, producing the likes of Jason Isbell, Alabama Shakes, and Drive-By Truckers, whose cofounder, Patterson Hood, is the son of a Swamper.

And as Alicia Keys, Demi Lovato, and the Black Keys have shown, recording in those parts is still a big deal.

…..

As of 2024, my personal story has yet to overlap with that of Alabama.

But I’ve been around long enough to know that we’re always living history.

And humble Muscle Shoals, on the Tennessee River, is a simple reminder of the side I want to be on.

 

Resources:

S Is for Southern: A Guide to the South, from Absinthe to Zydeco

Muscle Shoals (Official Movie Site)