A heavenly choir sings in the clouds over a house where a white boy listens to a Black man playing guitar. Water pours from the spillways of a dam as the sun rises. And in the middle of it all a pair of hands rest folded across a red electric bass guitar.

But, it wasn't just any bass guitar, it was the one he played on some of the biggest tracks to come from the area. The one he used to help sweeten the magic of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

However, last Friday afternoon the Los Angeles-based singer showed up unannounced at Muscle Shoals Sound’s famous 3614 Jackson Highway address in Sheffield, Alabama, part of the multiple-city Shoals area.

David Hood had no idea what to expect when, in late 1973, producer Jerry Wexler told him and his band, fabled session men the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, that the next project booked into their Sheffield, Alabama, studio was country artist Willie Nelson.

It’s happened more than a few times in rock history. The musician son of a famous musician father languishes in the shadows of the father’s achievements. 

“To some extent people are used to seeing people at Walmart who just won a Grammy so you kind of get a little bit immune to it," Hood said. “Generally we are respectful of people’s privacy and the fact that we want you to come here and be comfortable. It really is beautiful- it does marry economy and art and culture and music and that’s how you win."

Their experience in Muscle Shoals left a profound effect on the duo and what came out of those recording sessions were songs filled with effortless harmonies combined with heartfelt lyrics and real-life lessons.

Recorded at the revered Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama (prior to the Allman Brothers, Duane Allman worked for a time there as a session musician at the nearby FAME Recording Studios),Down to the River has elements that sound instantly familiar.

One of the reasons for the town’s notoriety is the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: it’s a small building with a big history and is certainly a must-visit for those looking to discover the musical heritage of this part of the US.

SHEFFIELD — Devon Allman said he certainly felt a vibe while recording tracks for the upcoming Allman-Betts Band album in the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where his late uncle Duane laid down tracks for the likes of Boz Skaggs, Ronnie Hawkins, Lulu and John Hammond.

Florence-Lauderedale Tourism President/CEO Rob Carnegie will join Judy Hood and Debbie Wilson, of Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, at the Americana Music Triangle Experience, a tent dedicated to the cities and sites that are part of the Americana Music Triangle.

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(BH) Drive-By Truckers have announced the long-awaited arrival of "Town Burned Down", the first-ever official release from singer/songwriter/guitarists Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood's original incarnation as Adam's House Cat.

The band believes there is still "magic in the walls" at the sound studio from greats like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, which has inspired the group with their songs.

Muscle Shoals Sound's legacy is undeniable, and the studio is moving closer towards having a future, not just as a tourist destination, but a functioning recording facility again.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- A fabled music studio where acts including the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan recorded hits hasn't even reopened following an extensive renovation...