See also Fame Musician History Pages (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

The Fame Gang II
The Fourth FAME Rhythm section

In the late 1980's Jackson, Mississippi flooded. Rick Hall heard of some talented young musicians that worked in a studio that had been damaged and closed by the flood. Rick contacted the studio and moved the entire rhythm section and part of the studio staff to Muscle Shoals to work for FAME.

The musicans included Ralph Ezell, Chalmers Davis, Owen Hale, Jimmy English and David Barone. These five, plus Muscle Shoals' own songwriting and guitar wizard Walt Aldridge, made up the FAME Gang II.

 This group played an important role in many of the country records done at FAME. They played on projects for Jerry Reed, Larry Gatlin, T. G. Sheppard, Wilson Pickett, Wild Cherry, Mac Davis, Lacy J. Dalton, Marty Stuart and Dobie Gray.

The Fame Gang II individuals have made their own acheivements in the music industry. Ralph Ezell was one of the founding members of the country supergroup Shenandoah.

Owen Hale has become one of the most sought after studio drummers in country music and is now a member of the southern rock supergroup Lynyrd Skynyrd.		 Chalmers Davis is a highly sought-after session keyboardist and has been touring with Little Richard for several years.

David Barone has been a contemporary Christian artist for the past several years.

Walt Aldridge has become one of the top country songwriters in the world with hits by BlackHawk, Reba McEntire, Pam Tillis, Earl Thomas Conley, Ronnie Milsap, Steve Wariner and many others. Walt was also a founding member of country-rock band The Shooters. Walt continues to play as a studio musician, write songs and produce records. Walt has produced T. G. Sheppard, Marty Stuart, The Shooters, Jason Sellers, and Lacy J. Dalton.

FAME Studios • 603 E. Avalon Ave. • P. O. Box 3629 • Muscle Shoals, AL 35662 • (256) 381-0801 • (256) 381-6337 fax