Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
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Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
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Original studios at 3614 Jackson Highway, Sheffield
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| Location | 3614 Jackson Hwy., Sheffield, Alabama |
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| Coordinates | 34°46′4″N 87°40′26″W / 34.76778°N 87.67389°WCoordinates: 34°46′4″N 87°40′26″W / 34.76778°N 87.67389°W |
| Architectural style | Early commercial |
| NRHP Reference # | 06000437 |
| Added to NRHP | June 2, 2006 |
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield, Alabama was formed in 1969 by four session musicians called The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (and affectionately called The Swampers) who had left Rick Hall's nearby FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to create their own recording facility. The group closed the Jackson Highway studio in 1979, moving the operation to 1000 Alabama Avenue. The old studio has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since June 2006. It was partly restored in the early 2000s and was sold to the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation in 2013. This group completed a major restoration and the location reopened on January 9, 2017. The Alabama Avenue location ceased operations in 2005 when it was sold to a record label.
The concrete block building at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield was built around 1946 and was previously a coffin factory. It was converted to a recording studio in 1969 when a group of musicians called the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section decided to start their own operation in competition with the FAME studio owned by Rick Hall. Over the years, artists who recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio included The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Cocker, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, and Cat Stevens. Cher's sixth album was titled 3614 Jackson Highway and this became the informal name for the studio in 1969. The studio at this location closed in 1979, and the recording facility was moved to new premises at 1000 Alabama Avenue.
The Jackson Highway building had been partly restored and open for tours in 2013 when the documentary Muscle Shoals raised public interest in a major restoration of the studio. The Muscle Shoals Music Foundation was formed in 2013 to raise funds to purchase the building and to complete major renovations. In June 2013, Noel Webster sold the property to the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation, without the historic recording equipment. The foundation praised the contribution made to the project by Sheffield resident and attorney Gene Hambey. A large grant from Beats Electronics provided an essential $1 million. (Beats Electronics is a manufacturer of headphones and similar devices owned by Apple inc. and founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.) State tourism director Lee Sentell told the media in August 2015 that the 2013 Muscle Shoals film had significant influence. "The financial support from Beats is a direct result of their film." Additional donations were made by other groups and individuals. In 2015, foundation Board member Rodney Hall reminded fans of the value of the additional donations. "The foundation was able to purchase the building through the generosity of private investors like Gene Hamby, who understand the importance of preserving the legacy of Muscle Shoals music."
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