FAME Studios

FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios are located at 603 East Avalon, Muscle Shoals, AL. in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 50s to the present. Artists who recorded there included Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers Band, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, Mac Davis, Paul Anka, Tom Jones, Etta James, Andy Williams, The Osmonds, Shenandoah, and many others.

Founded by Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill and Tom Stafford in Florence, Alabama, in the late 50s, the studio was first located above the City Drug Store in Florence, AL. The facility was moved to an former tobacco warehouse on Wilson Dam Road in Muscle Shoals in the early 60s, when Hall split from Sherrill and Stafford. Hall soon recorded the first hit record from the Muscle Shoals area, Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On."

Hall took the proceeds from that recording to build the current facility on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, and in 1963, Hall recorded the first hit produced in that building, Jimmy Hughes "Steal Away."

As the word about Muscle Shoals began to spread other acts began coming to Muscle Shoals to record. Nashville producer Felton Jarvis brought Tommy Roe and recorded the Rick Hall and Dan Penn song "Everybody." Atlanta Music Publisher Bill Lowery, who had mentored Hall through his early days sent the Tams, Nashville Publisher/Producer Buddy Killen brought Joe Tex, and Atlantic Records Jerry Wexler brought Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett to record.

The session musicians who worked at the studio became known as the "Muscle Shoals Horns" and the "Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section". In 1969, members of the rhythm section left to found a rival studio, the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

As the hits kept coming, Hall expanded into the area of teen pop hits with the Osmonds, a vocal group from Utah, featuring the younger brother Donny Osmond. The collaboration resulted in the hit "One Bad Apple," among other, and helped Hall to become named "Producer of the Year" in 1971.

As the decade of the 70s rolled in, Hall began moving into country music, first with vocalist Bobby Gentry who recorded the album "Fancy", and then with singer/songwriter Mac Davis, who topped the charts with "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me," which topped both the Pop and Country charts.

Davis recorded 4 gold albums at FAME. And "Texas In My Rear View Mirror" and "Hooked On Music" were hits in both the country and pop charts.

Hall continued producing country hits in the 1980s, including Jerry Reed's #1 records, "She Got The Goldmine" and "The Bird". He also started Gus Hardin's career with the popular "After The Last Good-bye" and had a smash album on Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers, "Houston To Denver". Hall's productions on T.G. Sheppard's LPs include "Livin' On The Edge", "It Still Rains In Memphis" and "One For The Money". While Top 20 singles included "Fooled Around And Fell In Love". Top 10 singles include "In Over My Heart" and "Doncha?". Top 5 singles include "Strong Heart" and "One For The Money" and a #1 single "You're My First Lady".

Then Hall returned to the way he did it in the beginning, developing new artists. A local country band who was playing in a club down the street from FAME Studios came to his attention and he and Robert Byrne co-produced an LP on the group "Shenandoah". Hall made a record deal with CBS Records and they had top 10 singles with "She Doesn't Cry Anymore" and "See If I Care" , a top 5 singles with "Mama Knows" and "The Moon Over Georgia", and six number 1 singles with "The Church On Cumberland Road", "Sunday In The South" , "Two Dozen Roses", "Next To You, Next To Me", "Ghost In This House" and "I Got You".