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SHEFFIELD-The summer travel season has been excellent for Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. We have welcomed visitors from all around the globe. We have had music fans traveling the Americana Music Triangle from Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Ireland and Japan. Our American music fans have traveled from all 50 states over the summer to experience the space where hundreds of hit records were recorded. We are averaging about 1,500 visitors a month for the peak season. Thanks to our tourism partners at the Alabama Tourism Department and Colbert County Tourism we are getting numerous bus loads of domestic and foreign tourists. We have also hosted numerous travel journalists, group tour operators and travel consultants from all over the country. Judy Hood’s Swampette Tours continue to grow with the public tours as well as private tours with companies like Alabama Chanin and Lyons HR. The community support with helping us get the word out is invaluable.
There has been a lot of clean-up going on in the area where the old buildings were out back. Stay tuned for the update on our future plans for that area and a master plan that is being tweaked by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation Board. Coming up in the next few weeks will be a fun time with the AirStream. We will be selling water and snacks out of funky silver trailer. Other fun uses for the trailer are included in the developing master plan as well.
Muscle Shoals Music Foundation Board is:
SHEFFIELD-The summer travel season has been excellent for Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. We have welcomed visitors from all around the globe. We have had music fans traveling the Americana Music Triangle from Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Ireland and Japan. Our American music fans have traveled from all 50 states over the summer to experience the space where hundreds of hit records were recorded. We are averaging about 1,500 visitors a month for the peak season. Thanks to our tourism partners at the Alabama Tourism Department and Colbert County Tourism we are getting numerous bus loads of domestic and foreign tourists. We have also hosted numerous travel journalists, group tour operators and travel consultants from all over the country. Judy Hood’s Swampette Tours continue to grow with the public tours as well as private tours with companies like Alabama Chanin and Lyons HR. The community support with helping us get the word out is invaluable.We enjoyed a large crowd for the Shoals Chamber of Commerce’s Ribbon Cutting in late July. Over 300 people were on hand when we made it official even though we have been open since January. We are kind of laid back like we are still in the 70’s so that seemed appropriate! 
We had a lot of buzz going around about the recordings in the studio. We have had Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys to record here in March. Stay tuned for release dates from the Auerbach camp. Most recently, Bishop Gunn out of Natchez, Mississippi was here and in an interesting twist their producer was Mark Neill who produced the Black Keys, “Brothers” album in 2008 at our studio! We will let everyone know when the Bishop Gunn project gets released. Actor Keifer Sutherland recorded with our Swampers and several other local musicians. Sutherland and his band were a lot of fun and Sutherland said he has watched the Muscle Shoals Movie multiple times. He remarked that recording at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and with David Hood was on his bucket list. We can’t wait for the music they recorded to come out as well. Donnie Fritts, along with John Paul White also recorded here in early April in a project soon to be released.
There has been a lot of clean-up going on in the area where the old buildings were out back. Stay tuned for the update on our future plans for that area and a master plan that is being tweaked by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation Board. Coming up in the next few weeks will be a fun time with the AirStream. We will be selling water and snacks out of funky silver trailer. Other fun uses for the trailer are included in the developing master plan as well.
Our visitors love our merchandise as well and we continue to add to our inventory online and in our gift shop. Locals come out in droves for our sales. We will be having several between now and Christmas. Merchandise and admission sales keep the doors open and provide us with funds to have tour guides. We are open Monday – Saturday 10 – 4 (on Sundays as well through Labor Day weekend and open until 5) Tours are $12.00 and are at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30.
Our current staff includes: Debbie Wilson – Executive Director Debbie.wilson@
Ana Megan Hyde- Office and Studio Manager ana.hyde@muscleshoalssoundstudio.org
Colin Lott – Tour Specialist and Curator colin.lott@
Chase Brandon – Tour Specialist chase.brandon@
Terrell Benton – Tour Specialist
Mallory Kirk – Tour Specialist
Tori Henshaw – Tour Specialist
Muscle Shoals Music Foundation Board is:Judy Hood – Chair
Jerry Phillips
Rodney Hall
Stephen Badger
Ian Sanford
Larry Bowser
Billy Reid
Dave Cobb
Aubrey Preston
We are located at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield. 256-978-5151
