Hall of fame starts year strong

MUSCLE SHOALS - After some lean times, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame is starting 2008 in its best financial shape in three years.

Executive Director David Johnson said the hall of fame received a $250,000 appropriation from the state for the 2007-08 fiscal year after receiving nothing the year before.

"It's been tough, very, very tough," Johnson said. "We've literally been fighting for the life of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. But we've survived and overcome some overwhelming obstacles, and now we're starting to see some great things come together in our favor."

Randy Owen, founder of the country group Alabama, brought Alabama Attorney General Troy King to visit the hall of fame.

Impressed with what he saw, King presented Johnson with a check for $73,947, partial proceeds from a nationwide copyright lawsuit.

Johnson said King told him he couldn't think of a more obvious place for the money to go than to the hall of fame to help with its education programs.

Johnson said some of the additional money will be used for advertising and promoting the hall of fame. It will also be used to address some overdue maintenance issues with the 18-year-old hall.

"We're in much better shape this year than we have been in the past three years," Johnson said.

Education and Marketing Director Dixie Connell said the hall of fame has two new billboards on Interstate 65, one near the Cullman exit at Alabama 157 and another on the interstate near the Alabama-Tennessee state line.

"That's something we haven't been able to do in a while," Connell said.

The additional money will allow the hall of fame to advertise in tourism magazines.

"We have some other ideas for some fundraisers," Connell said.

Johnson said the hall of fame has one concert scheduled for May 17 and he hopes to have two or three more during 2008. The events are designed to raise money for the hall of fame.

"Most of them have been real good," Johnson said. "I don't think we haven't made extra funds for the hall of fame on any of them."

The 2008 Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam will feature the Charlie Daniels Band, 38 Special and Shooter Jennings, son of the late Waylon Jennings.

Johnson said the May 17 concert will be advertised throughout a 150-200 mile radius of the Shoals in hopes of drawing fans from outside the area.

Another positive note that was struck in 2007 was the fact that admissions were up 13 percent over 2006.

Johnson said he's convinced higher gas prices and the tendency to take shorter trips has a lot to do with it.

Some of the increased attendance could be because of the national publicity from travel writers who have been to the hall of fame. He said the hall has also taken advantage of visitors to the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and bus tours brought in by the Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau.

Johnson said he hopes the development of the Music Heritage Trail will further increase awareness of the hall of fame.

The trail will allow travelers on the Natchez Trace Parkway to take short trips off the trace to visit historic music-related sites in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

"It's going to really be something that works to our advantage," Johnson said.

He said this year's hall of fame induction banquet at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa is sold out.

The induction banquet will be hosted by Owen and will feature the induction of Florence's Donnie Fritts, a songwriter and keyboard player who will be inducted by his friend Kris Kristofferson. Fritts spent 22 years playing keyboards in Kristofferson's band.

Boyd Bennett, a former resident of Muscle Shoals, is being inducted posthumously. Johnson said Bennett is credited with recording in the 1950s the first record targeted at teenagers.

Local artists Angela Hacker and Larry Byron will receive achievement awards along with former Shoals resident and Grammy Award nominee Chris Tompkins.

Tompkins, who is from Greenhill and now resides in Nashville, Tenn., co-wrote "Before He Cheats," a hit for Carrie Underwood.

While Johnson is enjoying the current financial situation, he knows the next budget year could bring less funding.

"It all depends on the economy," he said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.