by – Addi Broadfoot
It’s not unusual for the halls of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio to echo with memories. But recently, those echoes carried something a little more… otherworldly.
We had the pleasure of hosting The Southern Ghost Girls, a spirited team led by Lesley Ann Hyde. Known for blending American history with hands-on paranormal exploration, their tours are immersive experiences where guests use real investigative tools like EMF meters, ghost boxes, and dowsing rods to try and connect with whatever might still be lingering from the studio’s legendary past.
The evening opened with Will Allison, local musician and one of our regular guides, who welcomed guests with a brief yet insightful history of the studio. Then he took a seat at the piano—the same one heard on a version of “Free Bird” and the Bob Seger hit “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Will’s impromptu performance wasn’t just a highlight; it was a kind of invocation. The vibe shifted, and from that moment on, the studio didn’t just feel historic. It felt charged.
To give everyone a thorough experience, guests were divided into smaller groups and rotated between the studio, the basement, and the iconic airstream. But it was the main studio, unsurprisingly, that seemed to hold the strongest energy.
One of the evening’s most talked-about moments came during a “human pendulum” session in the recording room. For the uninitiated: a volunteer stands still, acting as a kind of living antenna swaying forward for “yes,” back for “no.” Just after Will’s set, the pendulum pointed to the presence of Swamper Jimmy Johnson, the legendary guitarist and co-founder of the studio. Fittingly, Johnson was also the one who first introduced Will to Muscle Shoals Sound. The timing felt hard to ignore.
Then came a curious hit on the ghost box: a line from “Take It Easy” by The Eagles. A strange choice, until you dive a bit into the studio’s history. When Linda Ronstadt was recording here, her backing band was reportedly so argumentative that Jimmy Johnson kicked them out. Her band later on became known as The Eagles. So when his name and their song came through in the same breath? Whether it was a moment of static serendipity orJimmy Johnson trying to change the station, we’ll leave that up to you.
Other notable contacts followed, such as Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley, even the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. When asked whether Aretha ever recorded at the studio, the ghost box offered a cryptic reply: “Better not ask that.” And fair enough; technically, she didn’t. But she did record with the Swampers, who went on to found Muscle Shoals Sound. Sometimes connections in music (and in the spirit world, apparently) don’t follow a straight line.
So, do we now consider Muscle Shoals Sound Studio officially haunted? We’ll leave that to the believers. But there’s no denying this place holds a presence, whether it’s the ghosts of legends past or the sheer weight of history soaked into the wood and wires.
Either way, we were honored to spend the evening with the Southern Ghost Girls. And to be reminded, once again, that Muscle Shoals Sound is still very much alive. Maybe even more than we thought.