Muscle Shoals Article Archives
The Shoals Area Heats Up for the 31st Annual W. C. Handy Music Festival
It's almost that time again when the hills of North Alabama are alive with the sound of music. The 31st annual W. C. Handy Music Festival, which runs July read more...
Swampland's Top 25 Albums of 2011
As March fades and the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, Swampland has used this moment to look back on 2011 putting together our list of last year's best music releases from the South. Although we've named 25 records on our Top 25 Albums of 2011, each one serves as read more...
"What Does the Lord Require of You But to do Justice...?"
By Patsy Glenn, Guest Writer
Essence of Light: The Adam Smith Interview
Essence of Light The Adam Smith Interview By James Calemine Born in Macon, Georgia, in 1975, Adam Smith's photography transcends his age. Smith attended college read more...
The Secret To A Happy Ending
The Secret To A Happy Ending A Barr Weissmann Documentary (ATO Records) By James Calemine "The secret to a happy read more...
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City: Rocking The Army
by Jane DeNeefe First among Alabama cities to integrate public facilities relatively peacefully, Huntsville could thank musicians and read more...
The Roots of Rock and Roll in the Rocket City by Jane DeNeefe
Huntsville's rock and roll scene got its start in a racially segregated world. Black and white neighborhoods and business districts coexisted side-by-side downtown, with separate record stores, churches and night clubs. When Sun Record tours came through read more...
Sage & Spirit From Widespread Panic’s John Bell…25 Years of Music & Musings...
Sage & Spirit From Widespread Panic’s John Bell…25 Years of Music & Musings (PART ONE) By James read more...
Young Man With A Horn: Ken Watters, Jazz Trumpeter Extraordinaire
"Ken Watters is one of the finest young trumpet players to come along in a very long while. His is a unique trumpet voice that utilizes the read more...
Widespread Panic's Michael Houser: Eight Years Gone
Michael Houser: The Quiet Genius: Eight Years Gone By James Calemine Eight years ago Widespread Panic’s founding guitarist died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 40. It doesn’t seem like eight years since he’s been read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Twenty-Five; Ronnie Van Zant
RONNIE VAN ZANT FOREVER! A Scrapbook
Six Degrees of Swampland: Drive-By Truckers
The Six Degrees of Swampland: The Drive By Truckers serves as a compendium of all DBT-related read more...
UA Press Releases Alabama's Civil RIghts Trail: An Illustrated Guide
This amazing 350 page volume, Alabama's Civil Rights Trail: An Illustrated Guide to the Cradle of Freedom, is every person's guide to the last 150 years of the civil read more...
The Wes Freed Interview
The Wes Freed Interview by James Calemine Rock and Roll artwork weaves an interesting tapestry into the patchwork read more...
Luther Dickinson Interview: It's A Family Affair
Luther Dickinson Interview It's A Family Affair by James Calemine The Dickinson Family ranks as one of the most read more...
Athens Georgia's Finest: Patterson Hood's 2010 Guitar Pull
Athens Georgia's Finest: Patterson Hood’s 2010 Guitar Pull By James Calemine A cold wind swirled down the streets of Athens, Georgia, on the evening of February 24. Wednesday night’s Guitar Pull was hosted by read more...
The February 2010 Patterson Hood Interview
Patterson Hood Interview February 2010 By James Calemine On the eve of his annual read more...
Six Degrees of Swampland: The Dickinson Family
Jim Dickinson--The High Priest of Memphis Mojo--shines like a beacon of light in the music world. Dickinson’s indelible read more...
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Six Degrees of Swampland
Jerry Wexler and Muscle Shoals Music
by Dick Cooper On the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Jerry Wexler it becomes more evident to the extent of his contribution to Muscle Shoals Music. He died August 15, 2008 at his home in Sarasota, FL of congestive heart failure.
Alabama Filmmaker Robert Clem, Atticus Finch, and Big Jim Folsom
by Penne J. Laubenthal The New Yorker magazine, renowned for its esoteric analyses as well as its eclectic literary pieces recently published a provocative article entitled
Thunder On The Mountain: Interview with Widespread Panic's Dave Schools
Dave Schools Interview: Thunder On The Mountain By James Calemine "Will power. With strength of will you can do anything. With read more...
Rags to Riches: From Anderson Books to Books-A-Million
By Penne J. Laubenthal The old Anderson Bookland store in downtown Florence, Alabama, will soon house the elegant corporate headquarters and retail store for internationally known clothing designer read more...
Dixie Lullaby
An excerpt from DIXIE LULLABY: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South By Mark Kemp University of Georgia Press
Billy Reid: A Touch of Southern Style in NYC
For lack of a better explanation the South is a place where city and rural cordially interact and blend daily. This makes for a very interesting environment and culture - Billy Reid Nestled within a construction-filled street in the NoHo area of NYC, read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Fourteen
Gregg Allman with The Allman Joys.
The Allman Brothers Band: An Essential Link Through America's Music Generations
by James Calemine “You don’t need no gypsy to tell you why/You can’t let one precious day slip by…” --Gregg read more...
Spooner Oldham: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith As a songwriter, Muscle Shoals’ Spooner Oldham wrote or co-wrote (often with Dan Penn) classic songs like “I’m Your Puppet” (James and Bobby Purify); “Cry Like a Baby” (The Box Tops); “A Woman Left read more...
Recruiting Never Ends in the South
When it comes to college football, just ‘Google’ the phrase “recruiting is the lifeblood” and you’ll see a ton of results. The fact that quality recruiting is the number one key for long-term success in the big-time world of college football has never read more...
Bo Bice: Southern Rock Forever! The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith When Bo Bice won runner up (to Carrie Underwood) in the 2005 American Idol competition, it was just the beginning of a rise to stardom for the Alabama born Southern Rocker. Following his Clive Davis produced debut of 2005, Bo is back with read more...
Bo Bice: Six Degrees of Swampland
"He’s a really nice guy, and I read more...
Conversations with Alabama Filmmaker Max Shores
by Penne J. Laubenthal Max Shores, a native of Winfield, Alabama, is a thirty-year veteran of documentary production. His documentaries tell compelling stories about life in the southeastern
Funky Donnie Fritts: The GRITZ Interview
by Eric Gebhardt There is a unique blend of southern R&B, soul, and blues that is known the world over. Closely related to the sounds of Stax Records and folks like Rufus Thomas, read more...
Guest Blog by Dick Cooper: Remembering Jerry Wexler
by Dick Cooper This has been a hard time for me. Jerry Wexler was more than a mentor; he altered the forces of nature and changed the world for me. I was never sure why he read more...
What It Is--Is Swamp Music--Is What It Is
What It Is—Swamp Music—Is What It Is
Chuck Leavell: Rolling Stone & Tree Farmer
read more...
Bob Dylan's Renaldo & Clara: Asleep In The Tomb
Bob Dylan’s Lost Classic Renaldo & Clara: Asleep In the Tomb By James Calemine "I've been read more...
The Ten Greatest Southern Rock Cities
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Jacksonville, Florida The birthplace of
Eddie Hinton Does Porretta--Again!
by Penne J. Laubenthal Eighteen years ago in April of 1991 an Italian named Graziano Uliani, founder of the
The Top Ten Guitarists of the Southern Rock Era
The Greatest Guitar Slingers of The Southern Rock Era by Michael Buffalo Smith
Southern Sporting "Events"
by Patrick Snow As I attended a Kentucky Derby function this past Saturday, it was never more evident that Southerners must throw a pretty good party. We are probably more known
Gritz Legends of Southern Rock
A handful of bands from the Southern Rock Era have earned the title of "Legend." These are the bands that defined the genre and set the bar for all other bands in their wake. These are the few, the originals, the Legends of Southern read more...
New York City Southern Style: Alabama Studio Weekend in the Shoals
by Penne J. Laubenthal Imagine starting off your Saturday morning with the perfect Bloody Mary, garnished in typical southern fashion with pickled okra, and served to you by one of the country’s foremost clothing designers,
Dixie Fried with The High Priest of Memphis Mojo Jim Dickinson
JIM DICKINSON INTERVIEW DIXIE FRIED WITH THE HIGH PRIEST OF MEMPHIS MOJO By James Calemine "Some people say worried blues read more...
Billy Bob Thornton in Florence, Alabama
by Penne J. Laubenthal Severe weather warnings had been issued for North Alabama when I made my way to Florence for the Friday afternoon session of the 11th Annual George Lindsey Film Festival featuring
Patterson Hood and The Drive By Truckers
by Michael Buffalo Smith Patterson Hood grew up in Florence Alabama, across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals. Patterson began writing songs when he was in third grade and began playing guitar in bands at about 14. His father is David Hood of the legendary Muscle read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: Blackfoot
by Michael Buffalo Smith
Deryle Perryman and Dangerous Highway, a Film About Eddie Hinton
by Penne J. Laubenthal Dangerous Highway is an amazing documentary about the life and music of the incredibly talented and tragically fated Eddie Hinton, called the "greatest unknown
Guest Blog by Dick Cooper: Delbert Needed a Drummer
By Dick Cooper Delbert needed a drummer. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the truth was Delbert read more...
The Sounds of David Barbe
THE SOUNDS OF DAVID BARBE
SEC: Conference King Once Again
By Patrick Snow It’s an argument that will never end-whose Conference is better? Fans will debate this topic vociferously every season, and the answer always tends to lie close to your address. I’m not sure that the Bowl games are the best way to evaluate read more...
Way Down South With John Sayles
Way Down South with John Sayles By James Calemine John Sayles’ films command respect. His latest film, Honeydripper, takes read more...
W.C. Handy Music Festival, Florence, Alabama, July 22-29
“If Beale Street could talk Married men would have to take up their beds and walk…” Beale Street Blues W. C. Handy wrote those words when he was read more...
Cassandra King
Alabama native Cassandra King is not only the wife of author Pat Conroy, but she is also a celebrated novelist in her own right. She is currently touring the South to promote her most recent novel
Alabama Adventure Weekend
It is Earth Day 2007 and the Alabama sun is unseasonably hot. Summer is still two months away, but the living is already easy, especially in the Shoals area of North Alabama where I am spending the day at the
John Hammond
by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2007 After three decades, John Hammond proves he's still a vital performer in American music. One of the very few white blues musicians performing at the beginning of the first blues renaissance of the mid-'60s, he found read more...
Reflections on Willie Nelson: The Complete Atlantic Sessions
WILLIE NELSON: THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC SESSIONS …A JOURNEY TO THE RESERVOIR OF AMERICAN COUNTRY & SOUL… by James Calemine “If America had one voice, it would be Willie’s…” - Emmylou read more...
The Jam for Duane: 2005
THE JAM FOR DUANE: 2005 by Mitch Lopate November 2005 Jam For Duane October 27-29 2nd Street Music Hall Gadsden, AL I’m tellin’ ya read more...
Delbert McClinton
DELBERT McCLINTON KEEPS IT REAL by Michael Buffalo Smith November 2005 Delbert McClinton’s formative years were spent as a member of The Straitjackets, the house band at a blues/rhythm and blues club on the outskirts of read more...
The Fiddleworms
AS THE WORMS TURN GETTIN' DOWN AND DIGGIN' IN WITH THE Fiddleworms by Sonny Edwards (Photos by Dick Cooper) November 2005 Have you ever had a favorite cup or a beautiful vase or read more...
Mighty Field of Vision Internet and Radio Foundation Started
JOHN D. WYKER HEADS UP INTERNET RADIO STATION Decatur man's Internet station called a 'vision' of the future; music includes oldies, demos By Ronnie Thomas/Decatur Daily, Decatur, Al October, 2005 The read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Eddie Hinton
AN EDDIE HINTON CAT TALE October, 2005 In The long, hot, stinking summer of 1984 Eddie Hinton caught a Greyhound Bus back into my hardware store, Hammer Swingin' Life...This was Hinton at his worst...No Nothin'...but a mean read more...
Al Kooper
AL KOOPER Black Coffee and Some Lynyrd Skynyrd, Please by Michael Buffalo Smith October, 2005 No introduction is necessary. If you listen to rock and pop music, you know who Al Kooper is. For those of us entangled in the world read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Dan Penn
A DAN PENN CAT TALE by JD Wyker April, 2005 Conway Twitty's version of "Is A Bluebird Blue" was real important to Dan Penn...or should I say Wallace Pennington..It was the first real money he made as a read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Macon & Capricorn Records
Macon & Capricorn Records Cat Tale The year 1969 was a wild and strange and crazy time for me.When the editor of GRITZ asked me to write a Cat Tale about the time I spent in Macon,Georgia I was honored to be asked and to be able to say read more...
Drive-By Truckers: Southern (Dis)Comfort
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Southern (Dis)Comfort: It’s Only Rock and Roll by James Calemine I “People need trouble——a little frustration to sharpen the read more...
Duane Allman at FAME Studios: A J.D. Wyker Cat Tale
by John D. Wyker (First appeared in GRITZ Print Issue 7, Summer 2004) This is another Cat Tale about Duane Allman that took place back in the late 1960's at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Rick Hall was famous for read more...
John Townsend
By Michael Buffalo Smith April 2004 This issue, we have located one of the true great voices of rock and roll, John Townsend, who struck gold during the 1970s with the hit “Smoke from a Distant read more...
Johnny Sandlin
Johnny Sandlin Southern Producer, Engineer and Musician by Michael Buffalo Smith Spring 2004 You can find his name in the credits of most any Capricorn read more...
Patterson Hood
PATTERSON HOOD of THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2003 The Drive-By Truckers are taking the music world by the short hairs, rocking hard and read more...
Tom Dowd
From The Manhattan Project to the Allman Brothers Band An Interview with Tom Dowd by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2002 Okay. We know that he has produced some of the greatest records in the read more...
Tom Dowd (Part 2)
The last name on my name list is someone that has become kind of a legend in our Southern rock genre. What can you say about Ronnie Van Zant? Ronnie was a gem. Ronnie was a brilliant writer. We spent most of our time together traveling on the road for a day read more...
Tom Dowd Memorial
TOM DOWD The Legendary Producer Dies on October 27, 2002 By Derek Halsey Last May I was invited to be backstage at the Grand Ole Opry as the guest of the excellent country and western singer, Joni Harms, whom I had interviewed read more...
Charlie Hayward (The Charlie Daniels Band)
CHARLIE HAYWARD Playing in The Charlie Daniels Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 Since 1975, Charlie Hayward has held down the bottom for the Charlie read more...
Peanutt Montgomery
Peanutt & The Possum A Visit with Songwriter/Musician Peanutt Montgomery by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2002 When we made our way back down to Alabama for the George Lindsey Film & TV Festival, read more...
Billy C. Farlow
Still Having "Too Much Fun." by Michael Buffalo Smith March 2002 The former lead vocalist of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen is still rocking and singing the blues with read more...
Drive-By Truckers: Keep On Truckin'
KEEP ON TRUCKIN' The Drive-By Truckers Contribute to the New Mythology by Dick Cooper October 2001 BELOW: The building where "Southern Rock Opera" was recorded.
Stephen Foster
Music, Muscle Shoals and The Mighty Field of Vision by Mitch Lopate August 2001 Warning, reader! The following story is laden with hair-pin turns, dangerous escapes, party-till-you-drop read more...
Charles Hart (Southern Rock Allstars)
Somewhere Between Tokyo and Muscle Shoals Southern Rock Allstars Bassist Charles Hart Speaks by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2001 Where were you born and raised? I was born in read more...
Travis Wammack
"SCRATCHY" WAS JUST THE BEGINNING Travis Wammack is Still Rocking May, 2001 by Michael B. Smith We can think of no better introduction to our exclusive interview than the following article from ROLLING read more...
Jay Johnson
You Doesn’t Have To Call Me Johnson! Jay Johnson ponders the state of rock and roll and traces his footsteps from Radio Tokyo to The Rossington Band to The Southern Rock Allstars by Michael Buffalo Smith
Paul Hornsby
An Ear for Southern Rock Paul Hornsby On Hourglass, Capricorn Records and A Life in Music by Michael Buffalo Smith January, 2001 Paul Hornsby's name is synonymous with Southern Rock, as both musician and producer. The following read more...
Stanley Booth: Can I Get A Witness
Can I Get A Witness The True Adventures of Stanley Booth By James Calemine Winter 2000 Jack Kerouac was a writer. That is, he wrote. Many people who call themselves writers and have their names on books aren’t read more...
Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf)
Looking for Adventure In Whatever Comes Our Way by Mitch Lopate November, 2000 Before becoming one of Nashville's finest session guitarists, Larry Byrom rocked it hard as the axe man for one of rock and roll's read more...
Bobby Whitlock
Layla, and Many Other Songs of Love Bobby Whitlock Talks About Derek & The Dominos, Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, Eric Clapton and more... by Mitch Lopate Winter 2000 I see you released a new album on the read more...
Pete Carr
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE ROCK AND ROLL, AND A HOT CARR... An Interview with Muscle Shoals Guitar Legend, Pete Carr by Michael B. Smith /with Roxanne Crutcher May 2000 Pete Carr, recognized as one of the read more...
Remembering Eddie Hinton
Remembering Eddie Hinton "A Musician's Musician" by Dick Cooper Winter 2000 Eddie Hinton was a jewel. The many facets of his talent shone independently, and the whole was much greater than its parts. read more...
Delaney Bramlett
DELANEY, CLAPTON, ALLMAN AND FRIENDS A Conversation with Delaney Bramlett by Mitch Lopate Fall 2000 Be sure to read our read more...
Jerry Carrigan
Bama-Lam! Alabama's Drumming Legend by Allen Smith, July 2000 What do Leon Russell, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Hawkins, and Willie Nelson have in common? How about Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and John Denver? Other read more...
Danny O'Keefe
Saving Our Planet: Danny O'Keefe Speaks up for Conservation and Land Stewardship, Feathered Friends & Tuneful Buddies, and Making Music That Has a Purpose. by Mitch Lopate Summer 2000 Danny read more...
John D. Wyker
Hallucination Verification John Wyker and Mighty Field of Vision by Mitch Lopate 2000 Hallucination verification, John D. "WildCat" Wyker's back on the loose! Actually, it's hard to read more...
Dick Cooper
On and Off the Road with Dick Cooper by Mitch Lopate 2000 Dick Cooper wears many hats: music museum curator, band road manager, free-lance writer and photographer, motorcycle racer, traveler, martial arts disciple and read more...
Johnson Family of Muscle Shoals
A Legendary Family by Dick Cooper, January 2000 Muscle Shoals music is hard to label because of its diversity. It is Rock, Pop, R & B, Country, Jazz, Folk, and most genres in between. While many influential people have come to the area and read more...
Wayne Perkins
THE ULTIMATE ROCK AND ROLL SIDE MAN Wayne Perkins: A Lifetime on Six Strings by Roxane Crutcher December 1999 Wayne, could you give the readers of the interview a brief review of your music read more...
Jimmy Hall
JUST AS WET AS EVER WET WILLIE FRONTMAN JIMMY HALL by Michael Buffalo Smith Summer 1998 When the stage is his, Jimmy Hall, the dynamic, Mobile, Alabama -born singer transforms himself into one righteous medium who melds read more...