Swampette Tour Schedule Complete For 2014…..Next Stop Will Be On June 7th

THE SHOALS-Florence/Lauderdale Tourism has announced future dates for its popular Swampette Trolley Tours of music heritage venues in the Shoals area. Dates are June 7, July 12, August 2, September 6, October 4 and November 8. Cost is $35 per person.

Tours are led by “Swampette” Judy Hood, the wife of bass player David Hood, one of the famous

Swampers — a group of session musicians who crafted the Muscle Shoals Sound. Traveling on a trolley bus, each tour is slightly different. But each tour will include visits to sites like the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, FAME Studios and 3614 Jackson Highway, which was the home to Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.

The tour on Saturday, June 7 is scheduled from noon to 4 pm. This tour will begin at the new Florence/Lauderdale Tourism & Visitor Center, located in McFarland Park. The new Center has an expansive drum-shaped music exhibit playing all Muscle Shoals music. The exhibit includes artifacts like one of David Hood’s session journals, a trumpet played by W.C. Handy and the first mixer producer Rick Hall of FAME Studios used to record Arthur Alexander’s hit “You Better Move On.”

Seating is limited and tours fill quickly. Call the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism office at 256-740-4141 for reservations.