Musicians of Alabama

Alabama has a rich musical heritage that has produced some of the nation's most influential composers, instrumentalists, and vocalists. Rooted in traditional folk and spiritual music brought to the region by European immigration and enslaved Africans, Alabama's musical legacy includes jazz and blues legends Dinah Washington and W. C. Handy, country music pioneers Hank Williams Sr. and Alabama, and "Father of Rock and Roll" Sam Phillips.

Adele "Vera" Hall

Adele "Vera" Hall (1902-1964) is considered by many music fans to be the foremost singer of the blues...

Alabama (Music Group)

From 1979 to 2004, the Fort Payne-based country music band Alabama was one of the most successful musical ...

Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes is a Grammy-winning American soul and blues rock band ...

Arlin Moon

Cullman County native Arlin Moon (1917-2008) was a nationally known and celebrated stringed instrument...

Arthur Alexander

Rhythm and blues (R&B) singer and songwriter Arthur Alexander (1940-1993) played a significant role...

Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama or Clarence Fountain and the...

Bobby Goldsboro

A 1999 inductee into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Bobby Goldsboro is a singer and composer (1941-...

Charlie Stripling

Charlie Stripling (1896-1966), a fiddler born in rural West Alabama in 1896, is esteemed by musicians...

Clarence Carter

Montgomery County native Clarence Carter (1936- ) has released 37 albums and topped the charts with numerous songs.

Cleo "Big Bo" McGee

Big Bo McGee (1928-2002) was a blues performer, songwriter, and harmonica player. Never as well-known...

Dan Penn

Wallace Daniel Pennington (1941- ) of Vernon, Lamar County, is a songwriter, singer, producer, and guitarist....

Delmore Brothers

Alton (1908-1964) and Rabon (1916-1952) Delmore possessed a formidable combination of writing, singing,...

Denson Brothers

Seaborn McDaniel Denson (1854-1936) and Thomas Jackson Denson (1863-1935) were born in Arbacoochee in...

Dinah Washington

Singer and pianist Dinah Washington (1924-1963) was one of the most popular African American recording artists of the 1950s and was often called the "Queen of the Blues."

Donnie Fritts

In the 1960s and 1970s, songwriter and musician Donnie Fritts (1942- ) wrote and performed unique and ...

Drive-by Truckers

Based in Athens, Georgia, the Drive-by Truckers are a southern rock band with strong roots in Alabama...

Eddie Hinton

Edward C. "Eddie" Hinton (1944-1995) was a guitarist and singer-songwriter whose career spanned the most...

Eddie Kendricks

Eddie Kendricks (1939-1992) was the first lead tenor for the Temptations, one of the most popular rhythm...

Emmylou Harris

One of the truly distinctive and prolific American female singers to emerge in the last 50 years, Emmylou...

Erskine Hawkins

Musician and Birmingham native Erskine Hawkins (1914-1993) was a prominent African American trumpeter,...

George "Wild Child" Butler

A product of the "Great Migration," George "Wild Child" Butler (1936-2005) left his native Alabama for...

Hank Williams Sr.

Few performers in the history of country music can compare with Hank Williams Sr. (1923-1953) in terms...

Herman Blount (Sun Ra)

Herman Blount (1914-1993), who later became known as Sun Ra, was a Birmingham native and visionary musician...

Hugh Martin

Hugh Martin (1914-2011) was an acclaimed composer, lyricist, and playwright whose career spanned the...

Jake Hess

Jake Hess (1927-2004) of Limestone County was a noted and prolific southern gospel singer from his youth...

James Reese Europe

Mobile native James Reese Europe (1880-1919) was an accomplished orchestra conductor, bandleader, and...

Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell (1979- ) is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Alabama.

Jerry "Boogie" McCain

Alabama bluesman Jerry "Boogie" McCain (1930-2012) was a prolific songwriter and one the world's...

Jimmy Buffett

Singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett (1946- ) spent his early formative years in Mobile, Alabama, and...

Johnny Sandlin

John Everett "Johnny" Sandlin Jr. (1945-2017) of Decatur, Morgan County, made important contributions...

Lionel Hampton

Renowned musician Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) was perhaps the world's best-known jazz vibraphone...

Lionel Richie

Musician and composer Lionel Richie (1949- ) is an internationally known and respected performer. His...

Louvin Brothers

Charlie (1927-2011) and Ira (1924-1965) Loudermilk, better known as the Louvin Brothers, formed a key...

Man or Astroman?

Man or Astroman? is a musical group that formed in Auburn, Lee County, in 1992. The band's ...

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS)

The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS) is one of America's most notable American recording-studio...

Nat "King" Cole

Nat "King" Cole (1919-1965) was a leading figure in American popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. A...

Ottokar Cadek

Violinist, conductor, and teacher Ottokar Cadek (1897-1956) contributed significantly to promoting...

Percy Sledge

Singer Percy Sledge (1940-2015) was one of the most identifiable voices in the unique and inimitable...

Ronnie McNeir

Ronnie McNeir (1949- ) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for both his solo work and...

Sam Phillips

Music producer and disc jockey (DJ) Samuel Cornelius Phillips (1923-2003) of Florence, Lauderdale County...

Sonny James (James Hugh Loden)

Sonny James (1929- ) is a country music singer widely known by his nickname, the "Southern Gentleman."...

Spooner Oldham

Spooner Oldham (1943- ), a keyboardist and songwriter from Center Star, Lauderdale County, continues...

The Commodores

The funk and soul band the Commodores emerged from Tuskegee Institute (present-day Tuskegee University...

The Speer Family

Led by family patriarch George Thomas Speer (1891-1966), the Singing Speer Family was a well-known gospel...

Thomas Cain

Alabama native Thomas Glenn Cain (1946- ) is a keyboard virtuoso, composer, and vocalist who achieved...

Tommy Shaw

Tommy Roland Shaw (1953- ), a native of Montgomery, Montgomery County, is an American musician …

William "W. C." Handy

A native of Florence, Lauderdale County, W. C. Handy (1873-1958) was a songwriter, arranger, music publisher,...

Willie King

Willie Earl King (1943-2009) was an outstanding blues musician, songwriter, community activist, and international...

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton

Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984) was an influential African American blues singer and songwriter whose...

Wilson Pickett

Singer Wilson Pickett (1941-2006) was renowned as an energetic and intense performer. He gained international...