Hidden Studio Behind 'Wild Horses' & 'Mustang Sally' Finally Gets Its Hall of Fame Moment Andrea ReiherSeptember 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM 0 The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville is turning its attention to a little Alabama town that quietly shaped the soundtrack of generations.
- - Hidden Studio Behind 'Wild Horses' & 'Mustang Sally' Finally Gets Its Hall of Fame Moment
Andrea ReiherSeptember 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville is turning its attention to a little Alabama town that quietly shaped the soundtrack of generations. On November 14, 2025, the museum will open Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising, a sweeping new exhibit celebrating the studios that gave us everything from Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll."
The Hits That Started It All
In the 1960s and 1970s, artists flocked to the banks of the Tennessee River to capture a swampy, soulful sound unlike anything else. Aretha Franklin recorded her breakthrough single "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" there, changing the course of her career. Wilson Pickett cut "Mustang Sally" and "Land of 1,000 Dances." The Rolling Stones laid down "Wild Horses" and "Brown Sugar." Paul Simon gave us "Kodachrome." Bobbie Gentry recorded "Fancy," which would later be one of Reba McEntire's biggest hits. Mac Davis wrote "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me." The Staple Singers took "I'll Take You There" all the way to No. 1.
"In Muscle Shoals, American music crossed lines that weren't supposed to be breached...Black and white sounds, R&B, blues, soul and country met between the banks."
The list goes on: Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On," Clarence Carter's "Patches," Etta James' "Tell Mama," and countless others all came out of Muscle Shoals. Even Willie Nelson's iconic Phases and Stages album was born there.
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The Sound That United a Divided TimeSoul singer Wilson Pickett and guitarist Duane Allman record at Muscle Shoals Recording Studios on November 1968 in Sheffield, Alabama. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/sjhU0RcnkKde86AuJTB96A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/0c09441c46c02ef281e0b7a339e3b751>Soul singer Wilson Pickett and guitarist Duane Allman record at Muscle Shoals Recording Studios on November 1968 in Sheffield, Alabama. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images" src=https://ift.tt/vhgwMZP class=caas-img>Soul singer Wilson Pickett and guitarist Duane Allman record at Muscle Shoals Recording Studios on November 1968 in Sheffield, Alabama. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
At a moment when segregation was the law of the land, Black and white musicians came together in Muscle Shoals studios to create hits that crossed every boundary. Producer Rick Hall's FAME Studio and the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, run by the Swampers house band, became legendary for their grit, groove, and genre-bending magic.
In fact, eagle-eyed (eared?) listeners will recognize the legendary name and house and from the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit "Sweet Home Alabama" — the fourth verse mentions the iconic recording studio:
Now Muscle Shoals has got the SwampersThey've been known to pick a song or two (Yes, they do)Lord, they get me off so muchThey pick me up when I'm feelin' blueNow, how 'bout you?
The new exhibit will showcase iconic artifacts from that era, including the Apollo baby grand piano Franklin used on her breakout hit, a Fender Stratocaster once played by Duane Allman, Pickett's stage jumpsuit, Davis' handwritten song manuscript, and Pops Staples' Rosewood Telecaster. Visitors can also explore interactive audio, film, and photography, plus an introductory film narrated by Jason Isbell, a modern-day Muscle Shoals artist.
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To bring the story to life, the museum released a teaser trailer of the video narrated by Isbell, a north Alabama native who grew up just miles from Muscle Shoals and later recorded there himself. In the clip, Isbell rattles off the long list of icons who came through the tiny town's studios: "Aretha. Wilson Pickett. Otis Redding. The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan. Cher. Bob Seger. Willie Nelson. An endless list."
"The confluence of music in these parts. Country, gospel, rock and roll, rhythm and blues. You name it, we hear it. And we feel it. Muscle Shoals became a place where the truth of music flowed. A place everyone knew they had to be. And this exhibit uncovers their kinship, exposing the humble, deep roots that feed our American identity," says Isbell in the video.
"Country, gospel, rock and roll, rhythm and blues. You name it, we hear it. And we feel it. Muscle Shoals became a place where the truth of music flowed. A place everyone knew they had to be."
Opening Weekend Celebration
To kick things off, the museum is hosting an all-star concert in its CMA Theater with performances by Bettye LaVette, Wendy Moten, Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn, Shenandoah, John Paul White and more. Additional events include a songwriter session with Penn and Oldham, a panel featuring Candi Staton and Clayton Ivey, and a spotlight on Mac McAnally, a longtime session player and member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.
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The Legacy Lives On
The Muscle Shoals sound didn't stop in the 1970s. The region continues to influence music today, with artists like Alabama Shakes, the Drive-By Truckers, the Secret Sisters, John Paul White, and even the Black Keys, Chris Stapleton, Lana Del Rey, and Phish recording there in recent years.
As Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame, put it: "In Muscle Shoals, American music crossed lines that weren't supposed to be breached. The Tennessee River flowed through this place, and instead of drawing a boundary, somehow forces came together. Black and white sounds, R&B, blues, soul and country met between the banks. A new rhythm rose and recording studios sprouted to nourish that rhythm. This exhibit takes an expansive look at the sound that forever changed popular music and continues to nurture a rich musical scene in northwest Alabama."
With "Wild Horses," "Mustang Sally," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "I'll Take You There" and so many more still resonating today, it's clear that the hidden studio on the banks of the Tennessee River has finally gotten the recognition it deserves. Fans can even tour the original 3614 Jackson Highway studio in Florence, Alabama.
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