MUSCLE SHOALS — FAME Recording Studios will be featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s new exhibit, “Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising,” in Nashville next month.
The exhibit, which opens Nov. 14, examines the rise of the Muscle Shoals sound through recordings, artifacts, and session history from Shoals music makers. An opening-weekend schedule of events will accompany the debut, and the exhibit will be on view for nearly three years.
Studio officials said the “Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising” exhibit will feature key artifacts from FAME’s history, including the original piano played on Aretha Franklin’s breakthrough hits as well as other FAME hits through 1969 by legends Spooner Oldham, Barry Beckett, and David Briggs. Also on display will be FAME founder and owner Rick Hall’s personal fiddle, documents, and equipment.
Rather than retelling familiar Muscle Shoals narratives, the “Muscle Shoals” exhibit places FAME’s session materials, photographs, instruments, and recordings within the region’s broader story.
Together, they trace how work at FAME led to sales of hundreds of millions of records and shaped soul, R&B, country, and rock far beyond the Shoals, bringing fresh visibility to a studio that rewired the American sound.
Because of that influence, the term “the Muscle Shoals sound” has become a cultural emblem synonymous with raw, soulful music that shaped American identity. Released in 2013, the documentary “Muscle Shoals” brought wider attention to the Shoals and sparked renewed interest in FAME as a cultural touchstone.
Founded in 1959 by Rick Hall, FAME hosted sessions by Otis Redding, Etta James, Clarence Carter, and Wilson Pickett, who recorded “Mustang Sally” and “Land of 1,000 Dances” at the studio in 1966. Those records helped define what became known as the Muscle Shoals sound.
“After more than six decades of sessions, FAME Recording Studios continues to surprise and move listeners with its sound, its soul, and its vibe,” said studio President Rodney Hall, son of founder Rick Hall. “Like all great studios, FAME has turned limitation into invention, and hard knocks into songs that last. This exhibit lets visitors see the tapes, charts, and instruments behind that work, and we are proud to share it with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.”
Opening weekend events will feature live performances by FAME alumni as well as a community panel with the “First Lady of Muscle Shoals Music,” Linda Hall, and Candi Staton.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s CMA Theater will present “Muscle Shoals: Opening Concert Celebration” on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The program features performances by Tiera Kennedy, Bettye LaVette, Wendy Moten, Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn, Maggie Rose, Shenandoah, and John Paul White.
The house band, led by guitarist Will McFarlane, includes Mark Beckett, Mickey Buckins, Kelvin Holly, Clayton Ivey, the Shoals Sisters, Charles Rose, and Bob Wray.
For more information on opening weekend events and exhibit dates, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.
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