SHEFFIELD — Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the legendary, “3614 Jackson Highway,” is
proud to announce a special event commemorating it’s 57th Anniversary. Established in 1969 by
The Swampers, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins and David Hood, the studio
remains a cornerstone of American music history and a bucket list site for music lovers
worldwide.
The past, present and future of Muscle Shoals Music will be highlighted in live performances on
the grounds of the iconic studio, Saturday, April 25. Performers honoring the celebration of the
studio’s anniversary will include:
Shoals honorary Citizen -The Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, Single Lock Recording Artists
The Pine Hill Haints, the Katlyn Barnes Band and world-renowned guitarist Kelvin Holly.
Gates will open at 6:30 pm Saturday, April 25, 2026. Food trucks will be onsite as well as
merchandise tents with event and classic studio merch. General admission tickets are $45 early
bird price until March 11 and $50 starting on March 12 and can be purchased at
www.muscleshoalssoundstudio.org. VIP tables and Sponsorships are available by contacting
Ana Hyde ana@msmusicfoundation.org or 256-978-5151.
CHRISTINE OHLMAN a/k/a The Beehive Queen
”Muscle Shoals has always been in my heart,” says Christine Ohlman, whose nickname
“The Beehive Queen”, refers to her towering blonde hairdo. Ohlman is the longtime (30+
years) vocalist with the Saturday Night Live Band, and from the first, her NBC songbook
featured a hefty dose of Shoals classics. Her own rich history includes work with Mac
Rebennack/Dr. John, Levon Helm, Ian Hunter, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, Big Al
Anderson of NRBQ, Charlie Musselwhite (Grammy-nominated “One Night in America”),
and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion (she is featured in duets on his 2024 smash “Girl
Friends“ ). The recent Shoals-centric tribute to Wilson Pickett “I Believe I’ll Run On”
joins her six CDs with Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez (“The Deep End,” the latest,
was featured on several end-of-the-year national top 10 lists).
Since 2010, she has been a frequent visitor—gracing multiple stages at the Handy
Festival; appearing at the concert for the “Muscle Shoals” documentary film premier and
at gospel tributes to Percy Sledge; and headlining the 2025 tribute to Eddie Hinton.
But perhaps most importantly, Ohlman has put on her producer/co-producer hat for
memorable Handy concerts like the 2013 tribute to Jerry Wexler, 2016 tribute to
Spooner Oldham, her 10th Anniversary concert at Marriott Shoals as well as 2022’s
“Soul Deep”—all capped by 2023’s historic “Walking in Memphis” at the Shoals Theatre
that joined Travis Womack, Charlie Musselwhite, Jerry Phillips and Jm Van Eaton. From
her very earliest days of sit-ins with The Decoys to her recent tributes to that renowned
band’s legacy, she has worn her love for the Shoals on her sleeve. “I’m proud to call myself an adopted daughter of The Shoals,” said Ohlman recently. “And this chance to honor Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is so very dear to me. To have the Pine Hill Haints on the bill with us, as well as Katlyn Barnes and her great band joined by my soul
brother Kelvin Holly, is just a dream come true. I’m deeply looking forward to paying
proper tribute to history with a very special set that will exclusively feature songs
recorded at 3614 Jackson Highway. We’re really going to make it a party. I’ll join The
Haints—I’m a huge fan—for a song or two, and we’re all cooking up a big finale. I truly
can’t wait to see everyone there!”
The PINE HILL HAINTS
Not many bands can claim that they were formed in a cemetery. But it was a
perfect and appropriately poetic setting for the birth of roots music trailblazers The
Pine Hill Haints. Just to address the obvious, the word “haint,” of archaic English
origin, means to haunt or to inhabit aggressively. And with a medium-like
connection, The Haints have spent the last two decades resurrecting all kinds of
music that has passed out of the mainstream – in a style they call “Alabama Ghost
Country.”
“Twenty-five years ago, there was a group of us in Auburn and we were all into
roots music,” recalls front man Jamie Barrier of their beginnings. “Meanwhile, me
and my roommates had started a skateboard company. Whenever the police would
come after us, everybody would run in a different direction, so they’d have to
choose which of the eight they were going to chase. But every skater knew to meet up right beside my apartment, which was next to the Pine Hill Cemetery. I could open a window and walk out into the cemetery. It got to where we’d go into the
cemetery with acoustic instruments and just jam.
“In some ways, we preceded the whole roots movement,” he continues. “But in
other ways, nobody preceded anything. I guess where we were coming from has a
lot more teeth for me than what's happening now. People are almost afraid to say
they love country without trying to up the rock side. But I think about the Carter
Family just playing “You Are My Sunshine.” The purity and emotion of that. It’s
almost like the hardest angle to find in country music today, so we wanted to really
go there.”
On the band’s latest long-player, The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy, they
go there and to other colorful places on the Americana and Appalachian trail. The
fifteen song sequence kicks off with “Fall Asleep” and “Back to Alabama,” a fiery
pair of rockabilly-meets-Irish-jig rave-ups, then winds through standout tracks like
the Bo Diddley-grooved “Pretty Thing,” a pounding tom-tom and fiddle take on the
traditional “John Henry” and the catchy, cajun-flavored squeezebox pop of “Lone
Star Kid.” There are excursions into Sun Records-style country (“Midnight Mayor”
and “Louise”) and swampy blues (the saw-singing “Wade in the Water” and
“Downtown Blues,” which features guest J.D. Wilkes on harmonica). Throughout,
Barrier’s strong tenor voice rings familiar and friendly, with deep echoes of
everything from John Lee Hooker to Buddy Holly to Johnny Cash. And the band
plays with a sense of abandon that comes from thousands of gigs behind them. It
all sounds deceptively simple, but anyone who plays music knows better.The
Haints do something very few roots bands can, which is to transcend influences
and sculpt age-old sounds into soul music for our time.
KATLYN BARNES
Katlyn Barnes is a Shoals-based singer, songwriter, and producer blending soul, R&B,
and rock with a modern, emotionally grounded approach. Rooted in the rich musical
legacy of Muscle Shoals, her work is defined by expressive vocals, intentional
production, and deeply personal storytelling.
She released her first single in 2018, followed by her debut album Into the Blue in 2023.The project marked a pivotal step in her artistic evolution, earning recognition within the regional and independent music community for its honesty and sonic cohesion. In addition to her work as an artist, Barnes is actively involved in production, marketing,
and session coordination at the historic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where she has
worked alongside high-profile clients including Lana Del Rey. Her behind-the-scenes
experience informs her approach to recording and creative direction, allowing her to
operate fluently on both sides of the glass.
Currently, Barnes is working on her next project at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio,
continuing to refine a sound that bridges classic soul influences with a contemporary
edge.
KELVIN HOLLY
Kelvin Holly was born in New Jersey but is Muscle Shoals through and through with his music
legacy. He saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and instantly knew what he would do for the rest his
life.
He started playing guitar at age 10 and got real serious at age 15 while living abroad in an Air
Force family. Kelvin came to Alabama via Montgomery in 1970 while his father was stationed at
Maxwell Air Force Base. He graduated high school in 1972 and started playing in local bands.
Fast forward to 1990, he joined the band, The Decoys, founded by producer and musician,
Johnny Sandlin. Johnny was house producer at Capricorn Records in Macon, Ga., producing
The Allman Brothers band, amongst many others. Kelvin started playing on sessions at
Johnny’s studio, Duck Tape studios, which started his studio career.
He moved to Muscle Shoals, Al. in 1991 and started playing sessions at Muscle Shoals Sound
and FAME studios.
Kelvin has been a member of the following bands:
Grammy award winning band, The Amazing Rhythm Aces, ( 25yrs)
Pegi Young and the Survivors. ( Neil Young’s wife ) played on 4 of her albums.
Little Richard. ( 18 yrs as lead guitarist )
Artists played/ recording
Little Richard, Neil Young, Pegi Young, Percy Sledge, Clarence Carter, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Wilson Pickett, John Fogerty, Demi Lovato, Keb Mo, Kris Kristofferson, Jason Isbell,
Drive By Truckers, Betty Lavette, Ruth Brown, Stephen Stills, Gregg Allman, The Marshall
Tucker Band, Candi Staton, T. Graham Brown, The Oak Ridge Boys, Marty Stuart, Billy Ray
Cyrus, and many more….
Appeared on TV shows:
David Letterman, Tonight Show ( Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon ), Conan O’Brien, American Music
Awards, Grammy Awards, HBO ( grand opening of the Rock N’ Roll HOF).
Career highlights: Grand opening of Rock N’ Roll hall of fame, aired on HBO. Doing sessions
with the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm section, Performing with so many of my musical heroes.
A Brief History of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
Founded April 1, 1969, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was born out of a desire for creative
independence. With the support of Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler, the Swampers transformed a
modest building in Sheffield, Alabama, into one of the most sought-after recording destinations
in the world.
The studio’;s first year alone saw the recording of Cher’s debut solo album, 3614 Jackson
Highway, and the Rolling Stones’ historic three-day session during their 1969 US tour. Over the
next decade, the studio produced over 75 Gold and Platinum records, serving as the creative
home for artists including:
The Rolling Stones (“Brown Sugar,”; “Wild Horses”)
Paul Simon (“Kodachrome,” “Loves Me Like a Rock”)
The Staple Singers (“I’ll Take You There”)
Bob Seger (“Night Moves,” “Old Time Rock and Roll”)
Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many more.
Restoration and Future
After moving to a larger facility in 1978 and later falling into disrepair, the original Jackson
Highway location was saved and restored by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation in 2013.
Today, it operates as a thriving museum by day and a functioning recording studio by night,
continuing to produce Grammy-winning hits for modern artists like The Black Keys and Chris
Stapleton. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is managed by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation
which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
