David Hood

The story of Muscle Shoals as a recording mecca is simply incredible. Nestled in the northwest corner of Alabama, the area became a hotbed of hits in the ’60s and beyond, prompting everyone from The Rolling Stones to Willie Nelson to make the trek to capture the magic. A big part of its magnetism came from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the bass lines of David Hood, whose unforgettable body of work plays on the radio around the world all day long.

Laying down hot grooves on big hits, while chilling in the background, happily ceding spotlights and stardom to others. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has been described that way for nearly 60 years. On Tuesday, Watts was described that way again, many more times, after news broke he’d died in...

Together, drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist David Hood, guitarist Jimmy Johnson and keyboardist Barry Beckett were the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. These four studio musician helped create many of the ’60s’ and ’70s’ most enduring recordings, from Aretha to Seger, leaving a unique musical legacy still reverberating in Muscle Shoals and around the world. Johnson died in 2019 and Beckett passed in 2009. And on Thursday, Hawkins died at age 75 after an extended illness. A memorial service will be held for Hawkins, May 24 in Tuscumbia at Morrison’s Funeral Home, address 825 N. Main St. Visitation is 2 – 4 p.m. The funeral is 4 p.m.

SHEFFIELD, Ala. — Thanks to Lynyrd Skynyrd, you know that “Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers.” And thanks to the Swampers, you know the Muscle Shoals Sound. Swampers was the nickname given to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, a group of musicians who founded the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios located at 3614 Jackson Highway in Sheffield.

It’s happened more than a few times in rock history. The musician son of a famous musician father languishes in the shadows of the father’s achievements. Sometimes it happens the other way too. A wunderkind forever eclipses dad. Which makes David Hood and Patterson Hood rare birds, because they each...

Earlier this month, geoLOGIC systems ltd. completed the acquisition of JWN Energy – publishers of the Daily Oil Bulletin – a move that creates a powerful energy intelligence combination by bringing together two of Canada’s leaders in oil & gas data, news, insights and analytics. For chief executive David Hood,...