The Gem Of A Museum That Celebrates Incredible Alabama Music History
By Lisa Battles|Published December 27, 2023
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Lisa Battles
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Lisa has traveled the U.S. for over a decade, seeking out and sharing the stories of its most interesting places, people, and experiences. A journalism graduate of Auburn University, she has been a content strategist, editor, and writer for more than 25 years. Lisa has worked in community news, PR, and marketing with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and economic development. Besides following her curiosity around every corner, she's a devoted dog mom of two and advocate for animal welfare.
There is a surprising amount of things to do in Tuscumbia considering its size. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame should be at or near the top of your list, especially if you love music. You’ll get a solid grasp on the many impacts of Alabama music history – and probably a few surprises when you see all the connections. Here’s a peek inside.
While the 12,500-foot physical space for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame became a reality in 1990, it was over a decade in the making. It honors talents reaching back many decades further. In 1980, the Muscle Shoals Music Association of local studio owners, producers, songwriters, and musicians led a charge to create a state agency and board to honor Alabama's exceptional music makers. Leading the effort as a state senator was a local native who'd been a rising teen music star himself.
In 1956, Bobby Denton recorded a song for Florence-based Tune Records 1956 called, "A Fallen Star," which became a hit and landed him an appearance on Dick Clark's show "American Bandstand." In addition, the song is the state's first known master recording for a commercial record. He soon left that career to pursue his studies and a future career in business and banking. He returned to music focused on gospel in the late 1990s.
Meanwhile, the documented history at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame goes back much further than the 50s to the roots of most popular music today. In 1873, W.C. Handy was born in Florence and, after picking up what he'd learned locally, he left to pursue a music career. Ultimately, that journey led to him becoming known as the "Father of the Blues." While he did not invent the style, he's credited for being the first to popularize it beyond the South. Handy was among the first group of Alabama Music Hall of Fame Inductees in 1985.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Tourism Department/Chris Granger
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Jazz pianist and vocalist Nat King Cole was a Montgomery native who spent his early years in Chicago. Cole's career spanned three decades from the mid-1930s to his death in 1965. Best known for his hit, "Unforgettable," Cole became the first African American to host a TV variety show in 1956. Notably, it was that year when he made his last public appearance in the South. It was during a time when segregation laws required artists to perform two shows. During the first show for a white audience at Birmingham's Municipal Auditorium, a small group of men attacked Cole, who ended the performance to seek medical attention. Cole played the second show and said he would not return. He kept his word.
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Another of the hall's first class of inductees, Hank Williams, was born in Mount Olive near Birmingham and grew up in Greenville and Georgiana, southwest of Montgomery. It was there where he met Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne, who taught him blues guitar. Williams had most of his success in country music during his short life and career that spanned from the 1930s until his death at age 29 in 1953. A handful of his many hits were released posthumously. Williams' songwriting, composition, and performance impacted people in such a way that transcended genres. His suit of clothing on display at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame is one of only four known in existence.
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It was around the time of Williams' passing that the music scene in the immediate area of the museum started hopping. The museum is appropriately located in Tuscumbia, one of four cities within two counties considered "The Shoals" area of Alabama. The Shoals area has become synonymous with music mostly because of the multi-talented producer Rick Hall. Although a Mississippi native, Hall's father moved him to Franklin County, Alabama as a toddler. He grew up to found the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, which resulted in the spin-off Muscle Shoals Sound.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Tourism Department/Chris Granger
The list of artists who've recorded at one or both studios includes Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, The Rolling Stones, Little Richard, and more. And those are just a few of my favorites. You'll learn all about it during your visit. The studio tours are incredible, and we recommend including the Hall of Fame as one of your itinerary bookends. You can use what you learn here either as an introduction to the area's music heritage or to tie it all together at the end of your day.
Most music lovers know Sun Records launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, and more. And while Sun Records was in Memphis, the man behind it was from right here in Alabama. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips grew up in his native town of Florence and was a radio DJ in Muscle Shoals before moving on to Tennessee to continue his career. At the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, you'll see an exhibit that commemorates the connection, complete with Elvis's original RCA contract and microphones that have captured a lot of magic.
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The museum honors music contributions well into the modern era and has some especially cool exhibits honoring Alabama-associated stars with career arcs in the 1980s and 1990s, such as Hank Williams Jr., the group Alabama, and Lionel Richie. Note that Richie was inducted twice into the hall, first in 1995 as an original member of the Motown marvels The Commodores, who hail from Tuskegee, and again in 1997 for his solo career. A personal favorite exhibit is a set of The Commodores' stage costumes.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Tourism Department/Chris Granger
Another favorite is perhaps the most immersive exhibit at the museum – the country supergroup Alabama's tour bus from the band's 1989 tour in support of their album "Southern Star." The band had over 40 No. 1 hits across industry charts overall and dominated the decade from 1980 to 1990.
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You can't deny the bus gives '90s today. And yet it captures the aesthetic of star-quality comfort in a precise moment for a band having experienced a long run of wins. At the same time, it took over a decade to lay the groundwork for that success. The band formed in 1969 in Fort Payne and solidified in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the mid-1970s.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Tourism Department/Chris Granger
While the bus may be the most immersive exhibit, do not miss the most experiential. The museum has a recording studio where you can record your own vocals set to a selection of more than 300,000 songs. And as you'll be reminded at every turn here – figuratively and literally – it starts with a song.
Photo Courtesy of Alabama Tourism Department/Chris Granger
Maximize your time (and savings) in the Shoals with a multi-attraction pass, which gives you access to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and eight other top attractions throughout the region at one relatively low price. You can stay in the music vein with an itinerary that includes this museum, the W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum & Library, FAME Recording Studios, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Or you can mix it up with other experiences, such as the Helen Keller Birthplace, the circa-1828 Belle Mont Mansion, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House, Florence Indian Mound, and The Tennessee Valley Museum of Art. Consider a two-day adventure or a weekend and book a stay at the unique ColdWater Inn in Tuscumbia.
Have you visited this museum dedicated to Alabama music history? Let us know about your time there and which exhibit was your favorite.
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