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Mac McAnally to perform at the Ritz in Sheffield, AL

SHEFFIELD-Long-time Shoals songwriter, musician and producer Mac McAnally will perform at the Ritz Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday, March 16, as part of a fundraiser for the Tennessee Valley Art Association.

The concert begins at 9 p.m., and doors open at 8:30 p.m. All seats are reserved. Tickets are $35 and are available at the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, 511 N. Water St., Tuscumbia, or 256.383.0533.

A Red Bay native, McAnally performed in clubs at 13, wrote his first song at 15 and worked as a Muscle Shoals studio musician at 18. He signed his first record deal, with Ariola, at age 20 and launched two singles: “It’s A Crazy World” peaked at No. 37 and “Minimum Love” topped out at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Both Jimmy Buffett and Hank Williams Jr., cut McAnally songs. The group Alabama took his “Old Flame” to No. 1 in 1981. Other artists who cut his songs include Reba McEntire, T.G. Sheppard, David Allan Coe, Shenandoah, Ricky Van Shelton, Charley Pride, Randy Travis and Steve Wariner.

In the late 1980s and ‘90s, McAnally worked as a producer with with Ricky Skaggs, Restless Heart, Chris LeDoux and Little Fea,t among others. He produced the band Sawyer Brown through their biggest successes and penned their signature hits, including “The Cafe On The Corner,” “The Boys And Me” and “Thank God For You”

In addition, he’s recorded with Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Amy Grant, Jimmy Buffett, Travis Tritt, Linda Ronstadt, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dolly Parton and many more. He’s a member of Buffett’s touring Coral Reefer band and has produced several of Buffett’s albums and written many of his songs.

McAnally has recorded 10 albums, all for major labels, and was the first artist signed to David Geffen’s legendary rock label Geffen Records.

In 2007, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was named to the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and the Country Music Association named him Musician of the Year. He also owns and operates a recording studio in Muscle Shoals.

For more information, call the museum at 256.383.0533 or visit tvaa.net.