BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama record producer Rick Hall, who recorded some of the biggest musical acts of the 1960s and ’70s and helped develop the fabled “Muscle Shoals sound,” has died. Hall founded FAME Recording Studios in northwestern Alabama in 1959 and went on to record major acts including R&B stars Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. Hall also recorded country artists including George Jones and Brenda Lee and produced pop acts including Paul Anka and the Osmonds. A new generation of listeners knows Hall through the 2013 documentary “Muscle Shoals.” The movie tells the story of Hall, the region’s musicians and their distinctive, soulful sound featuring heavy bass, guitar and electronic organ or piano. Isbell tweeted: “Rick Hall and his family gave me my first job in the music business, and nobody in the industry ever worked harder than Rick.

Source: National Post January 02, 2018 19:30 UTC