Alabama Music Hall of Fame

By Kyle Francis Aaron

When you think music, what city comes to mind? I bet you didn't think
about Muscle Shoals, Alabama, did you? You would be surprised to learn
just how influential this small northwestern Alabama community has
been on the American music scene. But many of the biggest names in the
music industry have recorded at the Muscle Shoals studios over the
years. Indeed, we never realized how many famous musicians have come
out of Alabama .

The Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia tells the story of the
Alabama music industry, from rhythm and blues, to country, gospel, and
rock and roll. Whatever music you enjoy, it's pretty certain an
Alabama musicians performs it and the Hall of Fame honors it.

Opening in 1990, the Hall of Fame includes exhibits and displays on
Alabama musicians and research facilities, along with the hallowed
gallery where top names in the music industry are honored for their
accomplishments. Every other year an induction banquet is held to
select new performers into the Hall of Fame.

For decades musicians have found their way to nearby Muscle Shoals,
where they have recorded hits that went on to top the charts. Sam
Phillips, a versatile innovator who changed the face of popular music
in the 1940s and 1950s when he brought together the diverse elements
that combined to create rock and roll, got his start in neighboring
Florence, Alabama and owned a radio station in Muscle Shoals. Phillips
formed Memphis Recording Service, working with such artists as B.B.
King, Ike Turner, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and James Cotton. After
producing ten songs for a newcomer named Elvis Presley, Phillips sold
his contract to RCA Records for $35,000 and used that money to expand
his Sun Records label.

In 1969 four musicians opened the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in an
old building that had once housed a casket company, and soon gained
fame as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The list of performers who
have recorded at the Muscle Shoals studios is long and lofty,
including Joan Baez, Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Larry Gatlin,
Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson,
Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cat Stevens, the Commodores, Hank
Williams Jr., the Temptations, Bob Dylan, Cher, Earl Thomas Conley,
Jimmy Buffett, T. Graham Brown, John Conlee, Boz Scaggs, Joe Cocker,
Linda Ronstadt, Eddie Rabbitt, Mac Davis, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billie
"Crash" Craddock, Sawyer Brown, Dr. Hook, Delbert McClinton, Jerry
Reed, Leon Russell, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, the Osmonds, Art Garfunkel,
Paul Anka, T.G. Sheppard, and the Supremes. Today the Muscle Shoals
Sound Studios is a state-of-the-art complex located on the Tennessee
River in Sheffield, Alabama. The Hall of Fame has an impressive
exhibit telling the story of the Muscle Shoals influence on music.

The Alabama Music Hall of fame is located on US Highway 72 in
Tuscumbia, and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The parking lot can accommodate any
size RV with ease. For more information, call 800-239-2643 or visit
their web site at www.alamhof.org

Visiting the Hall of Fame:
ADMISSION
• Adults $8.00
• Students (13-18) $7.00
• Seniors (55 & older) $7.00
• Children (6-12) $5.00
• Children (5 & under) Free

DIRECTIONS
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is conveniently located at 617 Highway
72 West in Tuscumbia, Alabama (the Northwest corner of the state).
Only 2½ hours from Nashville, 2 1/2 hours from Memphis, 2 hours from
Birmingham, and only 1 hour from Huntsville.

HOURS
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mon. - Sat.
1 - 5 p.m. Sun. May through October
(Closed on Sunday's from November through April)
Museum Closed on: New Years Day - Easter Sunday - Thanksgiving &
Friday after Thanksgiving - Week of Christmas

TOURS
Groups of 10 or more qualify for reduced rates. Call Dixie to book
your group - 800-239-2643. Call and book your club or group! Tour
guide available for groups. (Hall of Fame Story, 2008)

Sources:
Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2008). Retrieved December 7, 2008, from
Gypsy Journal: http://www.gypsyjournal.net/index.html
Hall of Fame Story. (2008). Retrieved December 7, 2008, from Alabama
Music Hall of Fame: http://www.alamhof.org/amhof_about.html