FLORENCE-Florence/Lauderdale Tourism and the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area will host the Muscle Shoals Reader Riot events featuring Travis Wammack and Jerry Masters on Friday, April 28, 2017. The free event will be held in the Visitors Center Gallery located in McFarland Park.
At 1 p.m., long-time guitar player in Little Richard’s band, Wammack will kick off the event. Wammack will play several songs as well as discuss his book, “Travis Wammack’s Rock-N-Roll Days / Memphis to Muscle Shoals.”
Wammack wrote his first song at age eleven and was the youngest member ever voted into the musicians union. The later become known as the “Fastest Guitar Player in the South.” By 1969, Wammack’s skills landed him in Muscle Shoals, Alabama where he teamed with legendary producer Rick Hall at Hall’s FAME Records. Travis’ guitar licks can be heard on hit records that have sold over 60 million copies.
Previous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios sound engineer, Jerry Masters will follow starting at 3 p.m. Masters will present information on his book, “Hanging by my Knees from a Tree.”
With over 50 years in rock music, Masters went from sixties rock star to recording engineer, working with many of the most recognized performers in the world. He mixed and engineered some of the greatest songs and recordings of our time. Jerry shares wonderful, behind the scenes, stories of working with the world’s greatest stars. This is not a “dirt” book or “tell all.” It is clear in every chapter that Jerry had great respect and became dear friends with most all of the people he worked with in music.
Andreas Werner, music producer, performer and Muscle Shoals music ambassador of Crazy Chester Music in Nashville will be conducting the Q&A sessions for each author. These sessions will not only be about their books but also their lives in music in general. Werner has conducted many events at the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism Visitor Center.
Media Release/Florence/Lauderdale Tourism/Randa Simpson
