In my story Sounds of the Shoals, I go into each of these recording studios. With limited time and access, I was not able to go up to the Shoals area and capture photos myself, so a lot of these images are from various sources, with the main source being the Roots of American Music Trail. The website is by UNA, and I highly recommended taking a look at their website to learn more about each studio in more depth.
FAME Recording Studios
Rick Hall took action and opened up Florence Alabama Music Enterprises above the City drugstore alongside Billy Sherrill and Tom Stafford. In 1960, Hall took sole ownership, shortened the name to FAME Studios, and eventually moved the studio to its current location at 603 East Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals.
FAME Studios marked the beginning of the famous “Muscle Shoals Sound,” a slogan Hall created.
From FAME Studios, endless hits were born with the help of The Swampers, one of FAME’s original rhythm sections. FAME Studios cut hit after hit, including “When a Man Loves A Woman,” by Percy Sledge and “Steal Away,” by Jimmy Hughes.
The Nutthouse Recording Studio
Photo courtesy of The Nutthouse Recording Studio
Photo courtesy of The Nutthouse Recording Studio
Jimmy Nutt started the Nutthouse in 2008. Nutt recorded Isbell’s first three records, and has worked with The SteelDrivers, John Paul White, Alabama Shakes, Percy Sledge, and more.
In 2016, Nutt attended the Grammys for The SteelDrivers’ “Bluegrass Album of the Year” nomination for the album Nutt recorded and produced, “The Muscle Shoals Recordings.” That album won.
Wishbone Recording Studio
Photo courtesy of Roots of American Music Trail
Photo courtesy of WHNT
Lawson took over ownership in 2017 when the previous owner, Bud Mcguire, put the studio up for sale.
Lawson grew up in the Shoals area with Earl Montgomery and Junior Lowe as his musical mentors. Montgomery gave him a two track tape machine to start out with, which later turned into four, which turned into twelve. Today, blessed (and cursed) with modern day technology, he uses Pro Tools.
Surrounded by talented musicians his whole life, Lawson inevitably went on to write hit songs for various big-named artists such as George Strait, Trace Adkins and Tim McGraw.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Photo courtesy of Roots of American Music Trail
Wexler turned around and took FAME’s rhythm section, The Swampers, up to New York to finish Franklin’s record. Soon after, he took them for good, and helped them move into 3614 Jackson Highway– The site of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio went to record many greats: Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Cher, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Bob Segar, Art Garfunkel, Linda Rondstandt, Boz Scaggs, Paul Simon, etc.
The studio’s business slowed, and eventually closed down in 2015 for restoration work. In 2017, the doors opened again as a finished tourist attraction run by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation.