MUSCLE SHOALS – Every year when David Johnson throws a street party in Downtown Sheffield, we always hear of somebody who has traveled a right-smart way to get here. It’s always worth it for the travelers, because the shows are reliably great. In fact, this writer had one of his old college roommates come over from Georgia to listen to Wet Willie and the Marshall Tucker Band. A fair distance, for sure. So, when Barry and Oma Whitcomb sat down in the reserved seats next to a fellow in the 2nd row, well, they didn’t think too much about it. They should have. Turns out that Umberto Gioia, just flew in from Italy to see the show.
Gioia had a business meeting in Marietta on Monday. So that covered the airfare. But, truth be told, he planned the trip to coincide with the Street Party. Gioia told us it was well worth the effort.
And we had the opportunity to see Roberto, as he told us to call him, on Sunday after the show. We met him are the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio at 3614 Jackson Highway. We gave him a brief tour of the grounds, as the Studio is not open on Sundays. And then we convoyed over to Avalon Avenue to the Music Mecca of Muscle Shoals, world-famous FAME Studios.
Here are a few photos.
