There are millions of guitar players around the world; tens of millions. So, to be thought of as one of the greatest guitar players of all-time, you’ve got to be pretty special. Duane Allman was a special guitar player — and human — to say the least. In 2003, Duane was ranked number 2 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. 

There are some guitar players — maybe a handful — who transcend the boundaries of the instrument to a point where you hear a song and you know right away who is playing. Duane Allman was one of those players and his guitar tone was named one of the greatest of all time by Guitar Player.

In 1968, at the age of 22, Duane moved to Muscle Shoals to work as a session guitarist in a studio where he and his brother, Gregg, had recorded earlier that year with their band Hour Glass. Duane arrived in Muscle Shoals, pitched a tent and camped out in the parking lot of FAME Studios in order to be closer to the recording sessions. 

During his time at FAME, Duane Allman put his indelible mark on some of the most timeless recordings to come out of that — or any — era, including Wilson Pickett’s cover of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Clarence Carter’s “The Dynamic Clarence Carter,” Arthur Conley’s “More Sweet Soul,” and King Curtis’ Grammy Award winning cover of The Band’s ‘The Weight,” which includes slide guitar work that still puts players jaws on the floor to this day. Auditions for what would become the Allman Brothers Band were later held in FAME’s historic Studio B with Gregg meeting and playing with Jaimoe and Berry Oakley for the first time.

Duane’s time in Muscle Shoals allowed him to let loose the kinetic energy he felt had been stifled by his time shuffling around the Los Angeles music scene:

“I rented a cabin and lived alone on this lake,” he said. “I just sat and played and got used to living without a bunch of jive Hollywood crap in my head. It’s like I brought myself back to earth and came back to life again through that, and the sessions with good R & B players.”

Allman’s work on Pickett’s “Hey Jude” album brought him to the attention of other musicians, including Eric Clapton who later said, “I remember hearing Wilson Pickett’s ‘Hey Jude’ and just being astounded by the lead break at the end. I had to know who that was immediately — right now.”

Sadly, Duane Allman’s life was cut short when he was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971, shortly after the release of The Allman Brothers’ ultra-successful “At Fillmore East.” 

It’s been 50 years since the death of Duane Allman, yet his stature has only grown over the years. Every guitar player who has walked through the famous doorway at FAME feels the spirit and sound that still echoes through the rooms and know they have big strings to fill. This month, FAME is humbled and proud to honor a true legend in the history of music: The Sky Dog, Duane Allman.

Clarence Carter’s time at Fame produced some of the most soulful grooves in the history of recorded music. “Patches,” “Slip Away”, and “Too Weak to Fight” alone would be enough to be placed in the conversation when talking about the great soul artists of all-time — and that’s before mentioning hits like “Backdoor Santa” (with its distinctive horn break, later sampled by Run DMC on their “Christmas in Hollis), “Snatching It Back” and “Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street).”

Blind at birth, Clarence Carter was born in Montgomery, Ala., in 1936. His grandmother gave him his first guitar at the age of nine. Carter graduated with a bachelor of science degree in music at Alabama State University, where he teamed with another blind student Calvin Scott, recording under the name Clarence & Calvin — later changing to the CC Boys — and serving as back-up musicians for touring acts, such as Otis Redding and John Lee Hooker.

In 1965, Carter and Scott, looking for that elusive hit record, wandered into FAME Recording Studios to record the songs ”Step by Step” and “Rooster Knees and Rice”.  FAME owner Rick Hall immediately recognized their distinctive sound and talent. Later, the CC Boys recorded singles at FAME which found their way to famed producer Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records. The Carter/Scott partnership was not long-lived and Carter embarked on a solo career in 1966, signing with the FAME label and co-writing and releasing the hit single “Tell Daddy” which hit #35 on the Billboard Charts in January, 1967. The reworked song would later be a monster hit for Etta James as “Tell Mama,” also recorded at FAME.

Carter released the “This Is Clarence Carter” album, in 1968, which earned him his first gold record with the million-selling hit “Slip Away,” which featured Spooner Oldham on keyboards. The following year, he continued his run of success with his second gold record, ”Too Weak to Fight,” from the album “The Dynamic Clarence Carter,” which also featured guitar work by a yet-unknown guitarist by the name of Duane Allman. 

In the early 1970s, Carter continued churning out hits with such songs as “The Feeling Is Right,” “Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street),” and “Patches,” which reached number two on the U.S. R&B chart.  “Patches” won a Grammy Award for “Best R&B Song” in 1971.

In 2001, “Slip Away” also had the unique honor of appearing on the soundtracks for the best adapted screenplay nominee “Wonder Boys,” and the best original screenplay winner “Almost Famous” at the Academy Awards.

After more than six decades, Carter is still going strong, releasing new records and touring. FAME is honored to be a part of his legacy and to highlight his legendary career. To re-introduce yourself to one of the most dynamic and fruitful periods in the history of Southern Soul, check out Clarence Carter — The FAME Singles Volume One here: https://famestudios.com/product/clarence-carter-the-fame-singles-volume-1/