Donnie Fritts

One of the architects of the famed Muscle Shoals Sound, songwriter Donnie Fritts also enjoyed success as a longtime associate of <a href="spotify:artist:0vYQRW5LIDeYQOccTviQNX">Kris Kristofferson</a>. A native of Florence, Alabama, as a teen Fritts played drums with local acts like the Satellites and Hollis Dixon. By the late '50s he was writing and performing with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:0j4pxInmdtF4bYQj0VVpbz">Arthur Alexander</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4Z8f0RlC4uuFPi8KD5JbvB">Dan Penn</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6GwM53df9UWtthcHHBiPpS">Spooner Oldham</a>, all of them joining forces to forge the unique fusion of Southern soul, pop, country, and R&B immediately recognizable as the Muscle Shoals Sound. Fritts' early songs were recorded by performers as diverse as <a href="spotify:artist:3rRmDmzPcAFwcUDvG5gBqO">Percy Sledge</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5zaXYwewAXedKNCff45U5l">Dusty Springfield</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3KGQvnOoqUHi3KxKQMZtXr">the Box Tops</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7t4XHvWfj0XtEB8SNFeALw">Tommy Roe</a>.

By the late '60s he was employed as a Nashville staff writer, often working alongside fellow up-and-comer <a href="spotify:artist:0vYQRW5LIDeYQOccTviQNX">Kristofferson</a>. Beginning in 1970, Fritts was <a href="spotify:artist:0vYQRW5LIDeYQOccTviQNX">Kristofferson</a>'s touring keyboardist, and they even appeared together in films including Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, and A Star Is Born. In 1974 Fritts issued his debut solo LP, Prone to Lean; however, no more solo material was forthcoming prior to 1997's Everybody's Got a Song, which included new renditions of his classics "We Had It All" and "A Damn Good Country Song," recorded with guests including <a href="spotify:artist:7wCjDgV6nqBsHguQXPAaIM">Waylon Jennings</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5W5bDNCqJ1jbCgTxDD0Cb3">Willie Nelson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0nJUwPwC9Ti4vvuJ0q3MfT">John Prine</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:60ht0hWRy1yjUDfNsLuHuP">Lucinda Williams</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3Ri72CuuQSCLLkDRJgniFU">Delbert McClinton</a>.

Fritts focused on session and touring work during the early 2000s. He guested on <a href="spotify:artist:1OwarW4LEHnoep20ixRA0y">Robert Plant</a>'s Sixty Six to Timbuktu in 2003 and on <a href="spotify:artist:75zzDZMEGzk9uvFRdj2o4p">the Resentments</a>' Roselight in 2009, but did little else. His songs paid the bills, as they appeared on dozens of compilations and were covered by current artists including <a href="spotify:artist:3xx17YXYvPl9PBx6Jzalk4">Shelby Lynne</a>, who made his "Breakfast in Bed" the title track of her tribute to <a href="spotify:artist:5zaXYwewAXedKNCff45U5l">Dusty Springfield</a> in 2008.

Fritts didn't record again under his own name for another half dozen years. He had become friendly with producer and label and studio owner <a href="spotify:artist:1yDI9pWnlrJmi9kZn3gkCb">John Paul White</a> (formerly of <a href="spotify:artist:6J7rw7NELJUCThPbAfyLIE">the Civil Wars</a>), who asked him to play the premiere of the Muscle Shoals documentary. While visiting one day, <a href="spotify:artist:1yDI9pWnlrJmi9kZn3gkCb">White</a> heard Fritts play songs on his well-used Wurlitzer that were favorites, not necessarily his own. The producer convinced him to record an album of this material on that instrument. With assistance from <a href="spotify:artist:16GcWuvvybAoaHr0NqT8Eh">the Alabama Shakes</a>' Ben Tanner, <a href="spotify:artist:1yDI9pWnlrJmi9kZn3gkCb">White</a> assembled various guests including <a href="spotify:artist:4XquDVA8pkg5Lx91No1JxB">Brittany Howard</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3Q8wgwyVVv0z4UEh1HB0KY">Jason Isbell</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5yN0nwLpUCaZ2gr67bndCN">Amanda Shires</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0nJUwPwC9Ti4vvuJ0q3MfT">John Prine</a>, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, <a href="spotify:artist:6GwM53df9UWtthcHHBiPpS">Spooner Oldham</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5fIZHCg2de8322HZodBDWL">the Secret Sisters</a> to back Fritts. Released by <a href="spotify:artist:1yDI9pWnlrJmi9kZn3gkCb">White</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Single+Lock+Records%22">Single Lock Records</a>, Oh My Goodness was issued in October of 2015. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi