Some artists are just Muscle Shoals through and through. Mickey Buckins is one of those artists. 

In the mid-1960s, Buckins toured throughout the Southeast, fronting Mickey Buckins and the New Breed and recording British Invasion mixed with Alabama garage-rock numbers, such as “Long Long Time” and “Reflections of Charlie Brown”. 

In 1967, Rick Hall hired him at FAME studios where he started out as an assistant and, in his words, “did anything and everything that needed to be done.” From there, Buckins worked his way up the ranks at FAME to assistant engineer before becoming a producer, studio manager, and chief engineer.

As a producer and arranger, Buckins was a valuable member of the world-famous Fame Gang band, adding his masterful touches to hit recordings by singers such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter, Lou Rawls, the Osmonds, Little Richard, Bobbie Gentry, Etta James, and Candi Staton.

Buckins is also an accomplished composer, penning five BMI award-winning songs including Janie Fricke’s chart-topping “Tell Me a Lie”, “Double Lovin’” a Top 10 hit for the Osmonds, and “The Feeling Is Right” a Top 10 R&B hit for Clarence Carter, to name but a few. Recently Mickey has had his songs recorded by the “King of Americana” Jason Isbell appearing on his “Here We Rest” and “Live From Alabama” albums.  His song “Double Lovin” by Spencer Wiggins was also used in a national Citi-Bank commercial in 2020.

After more than five decades of leaving his stamp on the sound of Muscle Shoals, Buckins is still going strong. FAME is not only honored to be a part of his legacy, but proud to call him family.