Founded by Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill and Tom Stafford in Florence, AL, in the late 50s, the studio was first located above the City Drug Store in Florence, AL. The facility was moved to an former tobacco warehouse on Wilson Dam Road in Muscle Shoals in the early 60s, when Hall split from Sherrill and Stafford. Hall soon recorded the first hit record from the Muscle Shoals area, Arthur Alexander’s “You Better Move On.”
Hall took the proceeds from that recording to build the current facility on Avalon Av. in Muscle Shoals, and in 1963, Hall recorded the first hit produced in that building, Jimmy Hughes “Steal Away.”
As the word about Muscle Shoals began to spread other acts began coming to Muscle Shoals to record. Nashville producer Felton Jarvis brought Tommy Roe and recorded the Rick Hall Dan Penn song “Everybody.” Atlanta Music Publisher Bill Lowery, who had mentored Hall through his early days sent the Tams, Nashville Publisher/Producer Buddy Killen brought Joe Tex, and
Atlantic Records Jerry Wexler brought Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett to record.
