190812 August 12, 2019
(L-R) Kathy Harris Jones, Lynn Bozeman Van Pelt, Linda Collinsworth Provost, Darla Gentry Steinberg, Susie Wohschlaeger Schlette.
The Sisterhood Invades the Shoals
Linda Collinsworth Provost
LHS '66
This week the YaYa Sisterhood met at my house for our yearly gathering. Other members/sisters/dear friends, are Darla Gentry Steinberg, Lynn Bozeman Van Pelt, Kathy Harris Jones, and Susie Wohlschlaeger Schlette. We took a day trip to the Shoals area to explore this state's music history. Our first stop was the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. We hung out by the Jim McBride display while boring other visitors by telling them that Jimmy is our friend. Aren't we all so proud of him? We visited FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprise) where we saw the recording studios used by Percy Sledge, the Osmonds and hundreds of other recording artists, old and new.
Our favorite stop was the Muscle Shoals Recording Studio known only by its address: 3614 Jackson Highway. Cher recorded her first album there and afterward sent the studio an address sign as a gift. I have attached a picture of us with our tour guide taken under the sign. During the tour we saw a couple of recording studios. We saw the piano that Paul Simon played when he recorded "Kodachrome." We saw the toilet where Keith Richards sat to write "Fast Horses." Yes, there is a story about that. You'll have to visit to hear it for yourself. Kathy played on a piano touched by the hands of Alicia Keyes & Aretha Franklin. Hundreds and hundreds of famous musicians & singers have recorded in the Shoals - Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson and Paul Anka, to name a few. The walls of both museums are covered with pictures of the once unknown, now famous artists. The Rolling Stones have a very long history with the Shoals. And all because of "The Swampers." I recommend the documentary "Muscle Shoals" which tells the story of musical beginnings in Alabama and the "Swampers." recording still happens in the Shoals and there are eight recording studios currently.
Memphis, TN - On Friday one of the movies in which I worked premiered. It is "Brian Banks" and is the story of a high school football star who was falsely accused of raping a girl in high school and spend 11 years in prison and on parole and the efforts he took to get his conviction overturned. I was afraid I would not like the movie, but I was wrong. It is really a good movie to see.
I say I worked on the movie. I was actually on set for three different scenes, and ended up zero time in the finished project. I did get $80.00 a day plus time and an half overtime for those days, plus an extra $20 for driving my car - which also did not end up in the final movie.
I found myself in the movie trailer though, in a very fast pan of the audience at a football game. Can you recognize me? I'm in the green jacket!
On another note. Look for my football story in the latest Old Huntsville magazine. I think you might enjoy it.
From Our Mailbox
Subject: Last Week's Issue
Belinda German Talley
HHS '69
I love 5 songs at a time! Also last week's dam story was really good. It made me scared, as I have my own Tennessee River stories.
Last Week's Name That Tune
John Drummond, LHS '65
Dianne Hughey McClure, LHS '64
I had votes on both five songs and one, so I am going to alternate the clips each week. This week we go back to one song, but you had better listen carefully if you want to dance to this song.
This Week's Song
Eddie Cochran – Summertime Blues
Hank Williams Sr. – Your Cheatin’ Heart
The Kingsmen – Louie, Louie
Patsy Cline – Crazy
Sam & Dave – Soul Man
Jeffrey Fussell, LHS '66 - "All classics! I added the artist because each of these songs have had fairly successful covers by other artists. “Louie, Louie” and “Crazy” were covers themselves, but were the most recognizable versions."
Linda Collinsworth Provost, LHS '66 - "T. Tommy, you are giving me a headache! LOL. I think 5 songs at one time is too much for my aging brain. I had difficulty determining where song 1 ended and song 2 began. There were 2 notes floating around somewhere between the two songs that confused me. My vote would be to have one tune at a time."
Max Kull, LHS '67 -"You left me off of last week's "success list"."
Escoe German Beatty, LHS '65 - "First of all I have to admit…I got help!! I asked my sister to fill in a couple of blanks…well, 4 blanks actually."
Others Who Got All Five
Belinda German Talley HHS '69
Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter LHS '65
Tom Davidson, LHS '69
Got Four
Jim Jones, LHS '67
Honorable Mentions
