R.I.P. Rick Hall

Read More Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It's the story of a dirt-poor farmer's son, Rick Hall, and how he produced some of the most iconic music in American blues, soul, and rock and roll …

We’re only a few days into 2018, but already we’re seeing a ton of death reports. One of the big names to drop is music producer and FAME Studios founder Rick Hall, who recently has died at the age of 85.

His family issued the following statement:

It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our father, husband and beloved grandfather, Rick Hall. His spirit will live on forever through the massive amount of legendary music that he so tirelessly produced. Music was his life and because of him, Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals will always be “shooting for the stars!" We hope the band in Heaven is ready. If not, there’s going to be a problem.

Considered “Father of the Muscle Shoals Sound,” Rick Hall help define a new sound that would inspire artists, to come to his FAME Studios. With over 300 hit singles, and over 40 Gold and Platinum records, it helped Hall earn a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.

Hall is survived by his wife Linda, sons Rick Jr., Mark and Rodney, as well as his 5 grandchildren, Rebecca, Mary Elizabeth, Jackson, Sara and Sam.

Hall’s family requests privacy at this time.

Below are more deaths for the month of January - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2018.

January (9)

[03 Jan 2018] Lara Kruger (South African disc jockey for Motsweding FM), 30

[03 Jan 2018] Medeniyet Shahberdiyeva (Soviet opera singer and music educator), 87

[03 Jan 2018] Colin Brumby (Australian composer and conductor), 84

[02 Jan 2018] Rick Hall (American record producer, songwriter and recording studio owner of FAME Studios, "Father of Muscle Shoals Music"), 85

[02 Jan 2018] Radha Viswanathan (Indian vocalist), 83, pneumonia

[02 Jan 2018] Tony Calder ( English music promoter and executive for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones), 74

[01 Jan 2018] Vidwan Mahadevappa (Indian violinist, professor at the Fine Arts College of University of Mysore), 87

[01 Jan 2018] Teddy Edelmann (Danish singer), 76

[01 Jan 2018] Robert Mann (American violinist and composer, founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet), 97

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