David Hood
DAVID HOOD
David Hood was born and grew up in Sheffield, Alabama. He started playing trombone in the high school band and by age 17 he was playing guitar and bass. While attending the University of North Alabama, David and three former classmates formed The Mystics to play the fraternity circuit in Alabama and Mississippi. David also started hanging out at the FAME and Quinvy studios with the hope of getting into the recording industry in Muscle Shoals.
By 1966-67, Hood had played bass or trombone on several early Muscle Shoals hits including James and Bobby Purify’s “I'm Your Puppet,” Percy Sledge’s “Warm and Tender Love,” Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man,” and Etta James’ “Tell Mama.”
It was during this period that he teamed with Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Beckett to form the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The group became known as the Swampers and racked up a string of hits at FAME and other studios.
In 1969, David, Roger, Jimmy, and Barry purchased a studio in Sheffield at 3614 Jackson Highway, which they named Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. R.B. Greaves, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, Bobby Womack, Mel and Tim, Paul Simon, Traffic, Millie Jackson, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Delbert McClinton, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Buffett, Dr. Hook, the Oak Ridge Boys, Glen Frey, and many more singers recorded hits at the studio. In 1978, they moved to more modern facilities and continued the string of hits until selling the studio to Malaco Records in 1985. David continues playing on recordings in Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, London, and Paris. In the past few years, he has played on hit recordings by Primal Scream, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffett, The Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Taylor, and Bobby Blue Bland.
In 1995, Hood and the rest of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
It was during this period that he teamed with Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Beckett to form the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The group became known as the Swampers and racked up a string of hits at FAME and other studios.
In 1969, David, Roger, Jimmy, and Barry purchased a studio in Sheffield at 3614 Jackson Highway, which they named Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. R.B. Greaves, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, Bobby Womack, Mel and Tim, Paul Simon, Traffic, Millie Jackson, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Delbert McClinton, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Buffett, Dr. Hook, the Oak Ridge Boys, Glen Frey, and many more singers recorded hits at the studio. In 1978, they moved to more modern facilities and continued the string of hits until selling the studio to Malaco Records in 1985. David continues playing on recordings in Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, London, and Paris. In the past few years, he has played on hit recordings by Primal Scream, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffett, The Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Taylor, and Bobby Blue Bland.
In 1995, Hood and the rest of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.