Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area
- Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area
The Shoals is a metropolitan area in northwestern Alabama, officially known as the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area, including the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, and Sheffield, and the counties of Lauderdale and Colbert. The population is about 142,950.
The Shoals is home to the University of North Alabama located in Florence and is the birthplace of Helen Keller, Tuscumbia. Every summer the play "The Miracle Worker" is produced for the public to view on the original Keller homesite. The water pump at which Helen rediscovered language is used as a prop in the play. Other area attractions include the Zodiac Theater located in downtown Florence.
The Shoals is also noted for its rich music traditions and is sometimes referred to as the birth place of the blues. W. C. Handy, credited by some as the father of the Blues was born there. In addition it is the literal birthplace of three members of the contemporary southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. In the 1970s and 80s, and to some extent even today, The Shoals was home to a thriving recording industry, particularly based on FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Popular groups and musicians including The Rolling Stones, Julian Lennon and Lynyrd Skynyrd have recorded there. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is located in Tuscumbia.
In the summer, late July and early August, the area hosts the famed Handy Music and Helen Keller Festivals.
Notable attorney, actor, former senator and presidential contender Fred Thompson was born in Sheffield. Also the actor Cedric Pendleton, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, is from Florence.
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Muscle Shoals, Alabama — Muscle Shoals City Location in … Wikipedia
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio — U.S. National Register of Historic Places … Wikipedia
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section — The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have appeared on more than 75 gold and platinum hits. These musicians … Wikipedia
Muscle Shoals Bill — The Muscle Shoals Bill was designed to dam the Tennessee River and sell government produced electricity in competition with citizens in private companies. Vetoed by President Herbert Hoover in 1931, Congress had drafted the bill to harness energy … Wikipedia
Muscle Shoals — former rapids of the Tennessee River in SW Alabama, changed into a lake by Wilson Dam: part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. * * * Former rapids, Tennessee River, northwestern Alabama, U.S. At about 37 mi (60 km) long, it was a navigation… … Universalium
Florence, Alabama — Infobox Settlement official name = Florence, Alabama settlement type = City nickname = Alabama s Renaissance City imagesize = image caption = image imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250px map caption = Location in Lauderdale County and… … Wikipedia
Northwest–Shoals Community College — NWSCC Established 1993 by merger Type Community College Two Year College Endowment … Wikipedia
Florence — /flawr euhns, flor /, n. 1. Italian, Firenze. a city in central Italy, on the Arno River: capital of the former grand duchy of Tuscany. 464,425. 2. a city in NW Alabama, on the Tennessee River. 37,029. 3. a city in E South Carolina. 30,062. 4. a… … Universalium
Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas — An enlargeable map of the 942 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) of the United States. The 367 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are shown in red. Main articles: Metropolitan Statistical Area and Core Based Statistical Area … Wikipedia
List of metropolitan areas of Alabama — Birmingham, largest city and metropolitan area … Wikipedia
