Achievers Alphabetical Listing

MUSIC ACHIEVERS

MERLE & BUFORD ABNER - --Wedowee, Alabama

Members of the Swanee River Boys
Their unique sound was often compared to the Mills Brothers, due to their "black", spiritual sound with smooth, close harmony.
The lead singer, Buford Abner, wrote many famous songs including "Gloryland Jubilee". His brother, Merle Abner, sang bass for the group.
They sang together for thirty-seven years and had network programs on both NBC and CBS.
Buford Abner was inducted into the Southern Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame in May 2002.

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FRANK ADAMS SR. --- Birmingham, Alabama

He served for 47 years as a music teacher and supervisor of music for Birmingham City Schools.
In 1978, Adams was inducted as a charter member into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
In 1998 he was named executive director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

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JOHN RAINEY ADKINS --- Dothan, Alabama

Played lead guitar with Roy Orbison for 7 years
John played the now famous lick on Roy's biggest hit "Pretty Woman".
He also appeared on network television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig and others.

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THE AEOLIANS OF OAKWOOD COLLEGE --- Huntsville, Alabama

Choir originally organized in 1946 by the late Dr. Eva B. Dykes.
The Aeolians have performed in nearly every state of our nation, Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Great Britain, and Romania.
They have also made appearances on Good Morning America (ABC) and the CBS Morning Show.

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RAY AGEE --- Dixon Mills, Alabama

Rhythm & blues singer whose smooth and relaxed vocal style was similar to Charles Browns'
Agee and his brothers formed a gospel group called the Agee Brothers. The group often performed in local churches on the west coast.
Some of Agee's later records include guitar work by Bay Area artist Johnny Heartsman.

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ALABAMA--- Fort Payne, Alabama

Named "Country Music Artist of the Decade" in the 1980s
Charted 41 #1 singles
21 consecutive #1 singles
Record sales in excess of 45 million albums.
Become the first "group" to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association
Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

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AVA ALDRIDGE --- Sheffield, Alabama

She co-wrote the award winning song "Sharing The Night Together" recorded by Dr. Hook, the #1 song "Treat Her Right" by Sawyer Brown, as well as songs by America, John Prine, Tammy Wynette, Percy Sledge, Z.Z. Hill, Barbara Mandrell, Marty Stuart, Melba Montgomery, and many others. She has had over 150 songs recorded.
She is a former member of the board of the Muscle Shoals Music Association, and organized the first Songwriter Workshops in the area sponsored by the MSMA.

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WALT ALDRIDGE --- Florence, Alabama

Billboard magazine named Aldridge one of the Top Ten Country Songwriters of the year in 1989 and 1991
His song "(There Ain't) No Gettin' Over Me" was ASCAP's most performed country song in 1982 and in the top 5 in 1983.
"Holding Her and Loving You" was named song of the year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

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ARTHUR ALEXANDER--- Sheffield, Alabama

Wrote & recorded the 1st hit for FAME Studio, "You Better Move On"
Career was the cornerstone of the "Muscle Shoals Sound"
His style influenced Beatles, Rolling Stones, Percy Sledge, and many others.

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JAMES ALLEN --- Mobile, Alabama

Classic Birmingham tenor singer
He came to Jefferson County in 1920 and was drafted into the Dunham Jubilee Singers. He toured and recorded with that quartet during the 1920s.
In the early 1930s James Allen moved to Gadsden, Alabama to train a quartet, known as the Golden Stars, sponsored by the Gulf State Steel Company.

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RICH AMERSON--- Livingston, Alabama

A relatively obscure Alabama blues harmonica player and singer who recorded some sides for the Folkways label in the early 1950s.
He drew most of his vocal inspiration from old field hollers and shouts.
He performed in local jukes and at Saturday night socials.
In the late 1930s he recorded for the Library of Congress.
He is listed in The Big Book of the Blues and his recordings appear on numerous blues compilations.

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DAVE ANDERSON-- - Huntsville, Alabama

Toured with gospel duo, BeBe and CeCe Winans doing shows in Europe and Japan.
Later became guitarist for the rock group Brother Cain

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ANDY ANDREWS --- Birmingham, Alabama

For two years in a row, he was voted "Comedian of the Year" by the National Association of Campus Activities.
He was also given their highest honor when he was voted "Entertainer of the Year," voted on by 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide.
The 1988 cassette Andy Andrews Live at Caesars, Tahoe, was the fist live tape recorded by a comedian at Caesars

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ANGLIN BROTHERS-- - Athens, Alabama

One of the brother acts of the 30's,
Considerable significance as predecessors of the highly successful team of Johnnie and Jack (Anglin).
Jim Anglin had a later career as a songwriter.
As a musical group, the Anglins fit within the spectrum of what might be termed the Delmore tradition.

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JACK ANGLIN --- Athens, Alabama

Jack along with Johnnie Wright formed the group Johnnie and Jack
Johnnie & Jack ranked as one of the great Country duets of the 40's and 50's.
In 1951, they had the Top 5 hit song "Poison Love" that elevated them from entertainers to stars.

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APPOINTED-- - Cullman, Alabama

The members are, Mike Foust (tenor vocal) formerly with the Singing Ambassadors, Michael Moore (lead vocal) winner of the 1996 National Quartet Convention talent contest in the individual category, and Tommy Swindle (baritone vocal) songwriter for the group.
Swindle has written such songs as "Master Physician," "Hold Back the Sea," and the top 40 hit, "I Go to the Mountain." He also wrote "Childlike Faith," which was recorded by both the Freemans and the Pfeifers, and "A Strong Hand," which was recorded by Gold City.

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ARCADIAN SERENADERS-- - Mobile, Alabama

Originally known as the Original Cresent City Jazzers the group changed their name after moving to St. Louis in 1925.
Trumpet player Sterling Bose went on to have a very successful career in Jazz up until the 1940s.

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THEODORE ARTHUR-- - Mobile, Alabama

Accompanied Bobby Blue Bland and Johnny Taylor during the 1960's. He also played with Aretha Franklin.
Arthur played tenor sax for 20 years but is now accompanying himself with a computer that mixes various instruments. Since 1980, he handles his own bookings and controls his own record label, Castanet Records. He also has his own publishing company, Prichard Music Co.

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DONALD ASHWANDER-- - Birmingham, Alabama

For 28 years he was Musical Director, composer and performer with The Paper Bag Players, considered by many to be America's foremost children's theater.
He composed a wealth of music: southern ragtime, cabaret songs, ranging from giddy musical story-stomps to torchy ballads straight out of 1940's film noir, Civil War-inspired operettas, southern gospel-flavored popular songs, and imaginative, skillfully crafted contemporary rags.

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ERNIE ASHWORTH--- Huntsville, Alabama

In 1963 and 1964 Ernie was voted the "Most Promising Male Artist" by Cashbox, Billboard and Record World.
From 1960 to 1970 every record Ernie released made the national charts. Of these, 12 were Top 10 Hits.
His signature song was the 1963 #1 hit "Talk Back Trembling Lips"
Wrote songs for country stars such as: Little Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith, Johnny Horton, Wilma Lee Cooper and Paul Anka
Joined Grand Ole Opry in 1964

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RANDALL ATCHESON-- - Clanton, Alabama

The only student in the history of The Julliard School ever allowed to pursue, and receive, simultaneous degrees in piano and organ performance.
Gave the premiere performance on the new pipe organ at Lincoln Center.
Has recorded 12 albums featuring classical music as well as his unique arrangements of sacred and popular music.

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JAMES ATHERTON --- Montgomery, Alabama

He made his debut with the San Francisco Opera in 1971 as Goro in Madame Butterfly, and with the Metropolitan Opera in 1977 as the Simpleton in Boris Godunov.
Since 1977 Atherton has been gaining experience as a director of opera.
His flexible vocal technique and dramatic abilities have made him highly respected in operas from all stylistic periods.

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CHOLLY ATKINS --- Pratt City, Alabama

He played drums in an Army band and co-wrote songs with Sy Oliver, including "Baby, Are You Kidding?" and "She's My Buddy's Chick," the latter recorded by Nat "King" Cole
He took jazz tap to new heights
Atkins devised the routines that became concert trademarks for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Marvelettes, the Supremes, the Temptations, Martha & the Vandellas, and Marvin Gaye.

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LEON ATKINS a.k.a. LITTLE JIMMY REED --- Enterprise, Alabama

Self-taught musician who learned to play the guitar and harmonica around the age of 16.
Recipient of the1995 Alabama Blues Treasure Award.
Plays many festivals around the south including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival.

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VICTOR "RED" ATKINS-- - Selma, Alabama

Atkins has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Good Morning America" and Black Entertainment Television's "Jazz Notes."
When he is not touring, he is an adjunct professor for Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans.
He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.

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ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION--

J.R. Cobb (Birmingham, Al.), guitar; Dean Daughtry (Samson, Al.), keyboards; Buddy Buie (Dothan, Al.), producer / manager.
Former sessionmen, the band smoothed out Southern rock's rough edges with studio sophistication.
J.R. Cobb, Dean Daughtry and Buddy Buie had been members of the Classics IV.
Their hit singles included "So In To You" (#7, 1977), "Imaginary Lover" (#7, 1978), and "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight" (#14, 1978).

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TOMMY ATWOOD-- - Mobile, Alabama

In 1999 inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame
In 1971 he was named the Singing News' favorite tenor and in 1996 was designated a "Living Legend."
The Florida boys recorded 11 of his songs; Atwood or others have recorded 43 of his compositions.

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HERMAN AUTREY--- Evergreen, Alabama

Trumpet player with Fats Waller 1930's
Toured Europe with Saints & Sinners during the 1960's

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Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Abner, Buford	Country, Gospel	Bass, Tenor Vocals	Swanee River Boys	Nov. 10, 1917		Lineville, AL	Mt. Pleasant, AL
Abner, Merle	Country, Gospel	Bass Vocals	Swanee River Boys	1913		Wedowee, AL
Abrams, Hooper T.	Jazz, R&B	Trumpet	Isaac Hayes			Birmingham, AL
Adair Family	Bluegrass	Group					Haleyville, AL
Adams House Cat	Rock	Group	Patterson Hood				Florence, AL
Adams, Frank E.	Jazz	Saxophone, Clarinet	Duke Ellington			Birmingham, AL
Adams, Frank Jr.	Jazz	Clarinet	Alabama School of Fine Arts			Birmingham, AL
Adams, Jo Jo Dr.	Blues
Adams, Peter	Folk	Guitar, Piano, Banjo	eastmountainsouth band	1970		Birmingham, AL
Adkins, John Rainey	Rock	Guitar	Roy Orbison, B.J. Thomas	Dec. 31, 1941	1989	Dothan, AL
Aeolians	A Cappella	Group	Oakwood College				Huntsville, AL
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Agee, Baron	R&B, Rap	Producer	B Rock & The Bizz			Mobile, AL
Agee, Ray	R&B	Vocals	aka Raymond Clinton	April 10, 1930	1990	Dixons Mill, AL
Aikens, Cornelius	Jazz	Saxophone
Alabama	Country, Pop, Rock	Group		1977			Fort Payne, AL
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame	Jazz	Museum					Birmingham, AL
Alabama Symphony Orchestra	Classical	Group
Alabamians	Jazz	Group	Alabama Theater in Birmingham	1920's			Birmingham, AL
Alan, Buddy	Country	Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter		May 23, 1948		Phoenix City, AL
Aldridge, Ava	Pop, Rock Country,	Background Vocals, Songwriter	MSS Studio, Fame Studio	Feb. 21, 1946	Aug. 12, 2003	AZ	Sheffield, AL
Aldridge, Roy	Country Swing	Songwriter	Narvel Felts, Jim Reeves	Nov. 20, 1928		Oil City, LA	Sheffield, AL
Aldridge, Walt	Country, Pop, Rock	Guitar, Producer, Songwriter	Ronnie Milsap, Bill Haley	Nov.12, 1955		Florence, AL	Florence, AL
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Alexander, A.T.	Country, Bluegrass, Gospel	Bass Guitar	Rhythmaires, The Inbetweens, Dixie Land Play Boys			Sulphur Springs, AL
Alexander, Arthur	Rock, Soul, R&B	Vocals, Songwriter		May 10, 1940	Junes 9, 1993	Florence, AL	Sheffield, AL
Alexander, Joseph "Big Joe"	Jazz	Tenor Saxophone	Erskine Hawkins, Count Basie			Birmingham, AL
Alexander, Sir Nature	R&B	Vocals	aka Everett Kimbrough, Prince			Citronelle, AL
Alford, Eddie "Spanky"	R&B	Guitar	Baby Face, Boyz II Men		March 24, 2008		Huntsville, AL
Allen, Chester	Country	Guitar, Fiddle, Harmonica	Skyline Farms Band	April 7, 1913		Jackson Co., AL	Skyline, AL
Allen, James	Gospel	Tenor Vocals	Golden Stars Quartet	1901		Mobile, AL
Allen, Leonard	R&B	US Records Owner		Mar. 21, 1900		Montgomery, AL
Allen, Leroy	Jazz	Piano				Birmingham, AL
Allman, Duane	R&B, Blues, Rock	Guitar	Allman Brothers Band	Nov. 20, 1946	Oct. 29, 1971	Muscle Shoals, AL
Alsbrooks, Billy	Country, R&B, Pop, Rock	Guitar	Dan Penn, MSS & Fame Studio	July 20, 1944		Russellville, AL
Amerson, Rich	Blues	Vocals, Harmonica	John Lomax	1893		Sumterville, AL
Anderson, Chris	Classical, Opera	Piano, Vocals	Boston Lyric Opera Company				Sheffield, AL
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Anderson, Dave	Rock	Guitar, Bass	Brother Cane	Sept. 18, 1967		Orlando, FL	Huntsville, AL
Anderson, Donna	Pop, Rock	Background Vocals	Wet Willie			Mobile, AL
Anderson, John H.	Jazz, Blues	Trumpet	Nat King Cole, Count Basie	Jan. 31, 1921	Aug.18, 1974	Birmingham, AL
Anderson, Wilson Stutz	Jazz	Piano	Louis Armstrong	1881		Tuscumbia, AL
Andrews, Andy	Country	Comedian		May 22, 1959		Birmingham, AL
Andrews, Henry Herz		Composer
Andrews, Inez	Gospel	Vocals	Caravans	1928		Birmingham, AL
Anglin Brothers	Country	Group	Red, Jim, Jack Anglin	1933			Athens, AL
Anglin, Jack	Country	Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter	Anglin Brothers	May 13, 1916	Mar. 8, 1963	Franklin, TN	Athens, AL
Anglin, Jim	Country	Vocals, Bass, Songwriter	Anglin Brothers	Mar. 23, 1913	Jan. 21, 1987	Franklin, TN	Athens, AL
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Anglin, Van Buren "Red"	Country	Vocals	Anglin Brothers	April 20, 1910	1975	Franklin, TN	Athens, AL
Anthony, John David	Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country	Keyboards, Producer	Member of Wet Willie	May 18, 1951		Mobile, AL	Whistler, AL
Apathy	Rock	Group	Ike Sherlock, Chris Wier				Dothan, AL
Appointed	Gospel	Group	M. Moore, M. Foust, T. Swindle				Cullman, AL
Arcadian Serenaders	Jazz	Group	Stirling Bose, Avery Loposer	1920's			Mobile, AL
Ard, Charlie	Jazz	Composer, Arranger	SuperJazz	1930	May 16, 2002		Birmingham, AL
Armstrong, Francis "Tippy	Rock, Blues, Country	Guitar, Songwriter	Bobby Womack, The Magnificent Seven	1947	June 9, 1979	Tuscaloosa, AL	Muscle Shoals, AL
Armstrong, Gary	Jazz, Pop, Country	Trumpet	Muscle Shoals Horns	1951		Sheffield, AL
Armstrong, William	R&B	Keyboards, Songwriter	Clarence Carter, Slip Away	Mar. 26, 1943		Evergreen, AL	Montgomery, AL
Arrington, Hardy	Jazz	Trombonist	Fess Whatley			Birmingham, AL
Arrington, Richard	Jazz		Fess Whatley			Birmingham, AL
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Arthur, Theodore	R&B, Blues	Saxophone	Bobby Bland, Johnnie Taylor	1946		Mobile, AL
Ashwander, Donald	Jazz, Ragtime	Keyboards, Composer	The Paper Bag Players	1929	Nov. 26, 1994	Birmingham, AL	New York City, NY
Ashworth, Ernie	Country, Honky Tonk	Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter	Grand Ole Opry	Dec. 15, 1928		Huntsville, AL
Atcheson, Randall	Classical	Piano, Arranger	Carnegie Hall	1951		Selma, AL
Athens Mass Choir	Gospel	Group	Dorothy Norwood				Athens, AL
Atherton, James, Jr.	Opera	Vocals	Metropolitan Opera	April 27, 1943		Montgomery, AL
Atkins, Ben	Rock, Country	Vocals	Toured with BJ Thomas	Sept. 23, 1943		Vernon, AL	Madison, AL
Atkins, Charles "Cholly"	R&B	Choreographer	Motown	Sept. 30, 1913	April 19, 2003	Pratt City, AL
Atkins, Victor "Red"	Jazz	Piano	AL Jazz Hall of Fame - 1998			Selma, AL
Atlanta Rhythm Section	Rock, Pop	Group		1970
Achiever	Style	Instrument	Worked With	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Place of Birth	Home
Atwood, Tommy	Gospel	Tenor Vocals, Songwriter	Florida Boys	1938		Whynot, MS	Satsuma, AL
Auburn Knights	Jazz	Group	Toni Tennille	1930			Auburn, AL
Ausman	Sonny	Trombone	Los Angeles Philarmonic			Bessemer, AL
Austin, Brad	Country	Vocals, Guitar	aka Brad Viall	Aug. 29, 1969		Colbert Heights, AL	Shoals Area, AL
Austin, C.P.	Black Folk	Vocals
Autrey, Herman	Jazz	Trumpet	Fats Waller	Dec. 4, 1904	June 14, 1980	Evergreen, AL
Avant, Mart	Jazz, Pop, Rock	Trumpet, Fluglehorn, Piano, Drums	Temptations, Martha Reeves, Tuscaloosa Horns	April 16, 1955		Birmingham, AL	Tuscaloosa, AL
Averytt, Fred	Jazz	Saxophone, Bandleader	Fred Averytt & His Dream Band			Birmingham, AL

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