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Alabama's Music Achievers
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MUSIC ACHIEVERS
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4HIM-- - Daphne, Alabama
- After a three year stint in the vocal group Truth, group members Andy Chrisman, Kirk Sullivan, Mark Harris and Marty Magehee debuted as 4HIM in 1990.
- They were awarded the "Best New Artist of the Year" Dove Award in 1991.
- The group has produced 22 #1 songs, obtained seven Dove Awards and one Grammy nomination.
- Nominated for "Group of the Year" for six consecutive years, they have won the title three times
MARY FABIAN-- Birmingham, Alabama
- 1st to present a Grand Opera production in English in the South
- Debuted in Italy in "Madame Butterfly," which she sang over 100 times in that country
- 1st opera singer to appear in movies with a cameo role in Lon Chaney's "Phantom of the Opera"
FAIRFIELD FOUR-- - Birmingham, Alabama
- Three of the group members were born in Jefferson County; baritone, James Hill is a native of Bessemer; lead singer, Willie Love is from Fairfield; the magnificent basser Isaac "Dickie" Freeman is originally from Johns, Alabama.
- Group ruled the South's black gospel quartet scene during the 1940's - 50's.
- Performed at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center.
- Awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts
FAME RECORDING STUDIO-- - Muscle Shoals, Alabama
- Originally started by Tom Stafford, Billy Sherrill and Rick Hall as "Florence Alabama Music Enterprises"
- The sound coming from FAME was a unique blend of fundamental rhythm and blues and rock and roll, enhanced by a funky backbeat.
- World famous for the "Muscle Shoals" sound it's rhythm sections created
BILLY C. FARLOW- Decatur, Alabama
- Original member of Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen on vocals and harmonica
- Writer of band's signature song, "Lost In The Ozone" also "Down to Seeds and Stems" and "Too Much Fun".
MICHAEL FARROW-- - Montgomery, Alabama
- In the late 60's, was appointed Principal Trumpet with the Indianapolis Symphony.
- In 1972, he co-founded the first 16 track studio in Indiana and helped develop a thriving jingle industry in Indianapolis.
- His recording career includes mixing the music for numerous Hollywood soundtracks including the Academy Award winning soundtracks for "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin."
- Recipient of 3M Lyra Awards, Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement as well as numerous gold and platinum records.
"FOXXY FATTS" aka SHERMAN CARSON --- Birmingham, Alabama
- Known for performing with a toothpick in his mouth
- Traveled the world with the popular R&B group The Dominoes.
- He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.
TERRY FELL- Dora, Alabama
- Best known as writer and original artist to record the classic "Truck Driving Man"
- Co-wrote 1961 hit "You're the Reason" with Bobby Edwards
- Fell co-authored 20 lines of a song titled "Mississippi River" with Elvis Presley. The song was never finished or recorded but was sold at auction in 1996 for $30,000.
"RIVERBOAT" JOHN FERGUSON --- Blountsville, Alabama
- "A true American Minstrel."
- He has developed a unique style as a singer, banjo player, and master storyteller.
- He has recorded several albums, written and produced movie sound tracks, performed with symphonies, and written numerous educational programs for teachers and students.
BERNARD FLOOD --- Montgomery, Alabama
- Studied music at Tuskegee Institute, Atlanta.
- Trumpet with Teddy Hill (1933-5). Brief spells with Chick Webb and Luis Russell, with Charlie Johnson (1936-7). Edgar Hayes (1937-8) including tour of Europe, then with Louis Armstrong from summer of 1939 until 1940. With Jimmy Reynolds in New York (Spring 1941), rejoined Louis Armstrong (1942-3).
EDDIE FLOYD-- Montgomery, Alabama
- Member of the late-50s harmony group, the Falcons
- Wrote and recorded "Knock on Wood," which was later recorded by over 64 singers such as Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie.
- Also wrote the classic "634-5789"
HAROLD FLOYD-- - Pritchard, Alabama
- Played bass for Gatemouth Brown for 18 years.
- Has toured most of Europe and the U.S., as well as New Zealand and Japan.
- An accomplished songwriter as well as a gifted musician.
V. O. FOSSETT-- - Dekalb County, Alabama
- Renowned for his thoroughness in gospel song work.
- He was a teacher, an accompanist, a member of the Baxter Quartet, a writer of hundreds of songs, and editor-in-chief of song books published by the Stamps-Baxter Company.
THE FOSTER FAMILY STRING BAND-- Florence, Alabama
- Named "String Band of the Year" for five consecutive years by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America
- The members of the Foster Family captured the title of "Championship Band of the Upper Cumberlands".
- Will Foster was named the "Most Promising Bass Player in the United States" (under 18), and Dr. Bill Foster garnered thirty-three championship titles in old?time banjo and bluegrass banjo.
R. C. FOSTER-- - Lowndes County, Alabama
- In 1915, established the first black spiritual quartet in Jefferson County, the Foster Singers
- The Foster Singers were content to sing for the pure enjoyment of singing and never demanded a fee when they performed at churches and other gatherings.
- The quartet continued to sing until the 1950s.
SAM "HIGH C" FOSTER --- Birmingham, Alabama
- Nickname, "High C," was a tribute to his skill in playing his trumpet in the upper-register.
- A professional musician featured with the internationally acclaimed Ringling Brother's Band, he was able to read music fluently.
- Foster was bandmaster at Tuggle Institute. This was the first endeavor to teach music in a black school in the Birmingham area outside of the church.
- Tuggle Institute gained a reputation as one of the best schools in the State.
- John T. Whatley was one of his students.
GREG FOWLER-- - Fort Payne, Alabama
- Road manager for the group Alabama
- Co-writer of Alabama songs: "Fallin' Again" (#1, 1988), "How Do You Fall In Love" (#2, 1998), "Sad Lookin' Moon" (#2, 1997), and "Dancin' and Shaggin' On the Boulevard" (#3, 1997).
CHARLIE FOX --- Mobile, Alabama
- Songwriter, producer and singer who hit the charts during the 1960s and 1970s.
- He and his sister, Inez, were one of the first R&B acts to tour European clubs in the '60s
- The duo's hit "Mockingbird" hit the top 10 on Billboard music chart in June 1963.
- Garnered a Grammy nomination as songwriter in 1970 when the record went to the No. 1 spot as recorded by Carly Simon and James Taylor.
- In 1996, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
JOE L. FRANK-- Mt. Rosel, Alabama
- Manager and promoter who popularized the Singing Cowboy through artists like Gene Autry and Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys
- Combined radio with personal appearances to develop acts such as Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Amos and Andy, and Minnie Pearl
CAT FREEMAN --- Fyffe, Alabama
- Unique tenor voice.
- He sang with some of the nations top male quartets: Walley Fowler's Oak Ridge Quartet, The All Star Quartet, The Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen Quartet.
- Older brother to Vestal Goodman of the Happy Goodman Family
"FIDDLING" TOM FREEMAN --- Bug Tussle, Alabama
- A plain, old-fashioned fiddler whose personality and antics made him well?known in Cullman, Walker and surrounding counties.
- He would fiddle for political candidates and fiddle people out of trouble.
DONNIE FRITTS--- Florence, Alabama
- Musician & songwriter in the early days of the Muscle Shoals recording industry
- Toured as Kris Kristofferson's keyboard player for over twenty years
- Wrote "We Had It All" recorded by Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and many others,
- Also wrote "You're Gonna Love Yourself In The Morning", "Breakfast In Bed", and "Choo Choo Train".
- Appeared in three of Sam Peckinpah's movies, "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid", "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", & "Convoy" as well as other movies including "A Star Is Born" and "Songwriter".
HOWARD FUNDERBURG-- - Birmingham, Alabama
- Led the 10 piece Howard Funderburg Orchestra during the 1930s.
- The Birmingham based orchestra was said to be second only to Fess Whatley's band in popularity.
- This band featured a number of the top young musicians, many attained prominence in the big bands of the era.
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date Of Birth | Date Of Death | Place Of Birth | Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Him | Gospel | Group | see Mark Harris | Daphne, AL | |||
| Fabian, Mary | Classical, Opera | Vocals | B'ham Civic Opera Assoc. | 1901 | 1973 | Birmingham, AL | |
| Fago, Celia | Blues, Jazz | Trumpet | 8/22/1921 | 7/1968 | Florence, AL | ||
| Fago, Jim | Rock | Piano | Charles Senn | 2/27/1938 | Florence, AL | Florence, AL | |
| Fain, Mark Lee | Gospel | Bass Guitar | Gold City | 11/26/1966 | Rogersville, TN | Gadsden, AL | |
| Fair, Mark | Country, Bluegrass | Guitar, Songwriter | Claire Lynch | 4/11/1953 | Gordo, AL | Montgomery, AL | |
| Fair, Rick | Gospel | Vocals | Statesmen Quartet | AL | |||
| Fairfield Four | Gospel | Group - a cappella | Birmingham, AL | ||||
| Falcons | R&B | Group | Eddie Floyd & Wilson Pickett | Montgomery, AL | |||
| Fame Recording Studio | R&B, Country, Pop | Studio | Muscle Shoals, AL | ||||
| Fant, Juell | Country Gospel | Vocals, Songwriter | The Swanson's | 7/9/1943 | Huntsville, AL | Arab, AL | |
| Farlow, Billy C. | Rock, Blues | Vocals, Harmonica, Writer | Commander Cody | 6/9/1948 | Greensburg, IN | Decatur, AL | |
| Farrow, Michael | Classical | Trumpet, Engineer | Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack | Montgomery, AL | |||
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Place of Birth | Home |
| Fast Moving Train | Rock | Group | Birmingham, AL | ||||
| Fatts, Foxxy | Jazz | Drums | AL Jazz Hall of Fame 1998 | 1949 | Birmingham, AL | ||
| Faulkner, Bill | Gospel | Vocals | Singing Americans | Rainsville, AL | |||
| Feldman, Charlie | Country, Pop, Rock | Publisher | Birmingham, AL | ||||
| Fell, Terry | Country | Vocals, Guitar, Bass | Elvis Presley, Bobby Edwards | 5/13/1921 | Dora, AL | ||
| Ferguson, John Riverboat | Folk | Banjo, Vocals | Dukes of Dixieland | 1942 | Newfoundland, Canada | Blountsville, AL | |
| Fiddleworms | Rock | Group | Florence, AL | ||||
| Fields, Johnny | Gospel | Bass Vocals | Blind Boys of Alabama | 9/9/1927 | Lowndesboro, AL | ||
| Fikes, Bettie | Gospel, Blues | Vocals | Freedom Choir, Mama Thornton | 1946 | Selma, AL | ||
| Five In Time | Pop, Gospel | Group | Athens, AL | ||||
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Place of Birth | Home |
| Flashbacks | Pop | Group | Athens, AL | ||||
| Fletcher, Glen | Bluegrass | Banjo, Songwriter | Captains Crew | Ball Play, AL | |||
| Fletcher, Walt | Rock, Christian | Vocals | Gilligan Loves MaryAnn Band | Birmingham, AL | |||
| Flood, Bernard | Jazz | Trumpet | Teddy Hill, Chick Web | 12/16/1907 | Montgomery, AL | ||
| Floyd, Eddie | R&B | Vocals | Falcons, Stax Records | 6/25/1935 | Montgomery, AL | ||
| Floyd, Harold | Blues | Bass | Clarence Gatemouth Brown | 1949 | Prichard, AL | ||
| Foggy Hollow | Bluegrass | Group | Bluegrass Festival | Webster's Chapel, AL | |||
| Fossett, Vernie O. | Gospel | Songwriter, Vocals | Baxter Quartet | DeKalb County | |||
| Foster Family Band | Bluegrass | Group | Florence, AL | ||||
| Foster, Anne | Bluegrass | Guitar | Foster Family Band | Florence, AL | |||
| Foster, Bill | Bluegrass | Banjo | Foster Family Band | Florence, AL | |||
| Foster, Melissa | Bluegrass | Mandolin | Foster Family Band | Florence, AL | |||
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Place of Birth | Home |
| Foster, R.C. | Gospel | Tenor Vocals | Foster Singers Quartet | Bessemer, AL | |||
| Foster, Sam High C | Jazz | Trumpet, Educator | Pops Williams, Tuggle Institut | GA | Birmingham, AL | ||
| Foster, Will | Bluegrass | Bass | Foster Family Band | Florence, AL | |||
| Fountain, Clarence | Gospel | Vocals | Blind Boys of Alabama | 11/28/1929 | Tyler, AL | ||
| Founty, James | Blues | Vocals | aka Dan Pickett | 8/31/1907 | 8/16/1967 | ||
| Four Eagles | Gospel | Group | a cappella | 1930 | Wenonah, AL | ||
| Fowler, Bob | Bluegrass | Guitar | Bill Monroe | ||||
| Fowler, Greg | Country | Songwriter, Manager | Alabama | Fort Payne, AL | |||
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Place of Birth | Home |
| Fox, Charlie | Pop, R&B | Vocals, Songwriter | Inez & Charlie Foxx | 1934 | 9/18/1998 | Greensboro, NC | Mobile, AL |
| Fox, Larry | Pop, Rock | Juice Newton, Beach Boys | Gadsden, AL | ||||
| Francis, Billy | Pop, Country | Keyboards | Dr. Hook | 1/16/1942 | Mobile, AL | ||
| Frank, Joe L. | Country | Manager | Pee Wee King, Delmore Bros. | 4/15/1900 | 5/4/1952 | Mt. Rozell, AL | |
| Frank, Oscar | R&B | Songwriter | FAME | AL | |||
| Franklin, Melvin | R&B, Pop | Bass Vocals | Temptations | 10/12/1942 | 2/23/1995 | Montgomery, AL | |
| Frat Band | R&B | Group | Otis Redding's son & brother | Montgomery, AL | |||
| Free, Brian Stacy | Gospel | Vocals | Gold City | 3/29/1963 | Marietta, GA | Gadsden, AL | |
| Freehling, Art | Jazz, Marching Band | Art's Music Store | 4/9/1998 | Montgomery, AL | |||
| Achiever | Style | Instrument | Worked With | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Place of Birth | Home |
| Freeland, Deana | Pop | Vocals | Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
| Freeman, Cal | Engineer | Sheffield, AL | |||||
| Freeman, Cat | Gospel | Tenor Vocals | Statesmen Quartet, Blackwoods | 3/11/1922 | 3/21/1989 | Fyffe, AL | |
| Freeman, Isaac Dickie | Gospel | Bass | Fairfield Four | 1929 | Johns, AL | ||
| Freeman, Tom Fiddling | Country | Fiddle | 1883 | 1952 | Bug Tussel, AL | ||
| Fritts, Donnie | Country, Pop, R&B | Keyboards, Songwriter | Kris Kristofferson, MS Studios | 11/8/1942 | Florence, AL | ||
| Froehlig, Celia Hill | Country | Publisher | EMI Music | 1/20/1953 | Albertville, AL | ||
| Frye, George | Country, Bluegrass, Gospel | Fiddle | 1912 | June, 2000 | Uriah, AL | ||
| Full Moon Ensemble | Folk, Irish, Bluegrass | Group | Florence, AL | ||||
| Funderburg, Howard | Jazz | Reeds, Bandleader | Howard Funderburg Orch. | Birmingham, AL |