Muscle Shoals Broadcasting country television network coming

MUSCLE SHOALS - Muscle Shoals and Nashville soon will be home to two new sister national country music television networks, with former National Basketball Association all-star Kevin Willis president of the local one, which will be known as Muscle Shoals Broadcasting.

The American Country Network will have individual broadcasting networks in Muscle Shoals, near the intersection of Sixth Street and Woodward Avenue, and Nashville.

"We're going to launch Muscle Shoals Broadcasting," said Tommy Snyder, former chief executive officer of The Country Network, who, along with 8 Track Entertainment President Noah Gordon, are partnering in the venture.

Snyder said they expect to launch the American Country Network by April and Muscle Shoals Broadcasting will follow soon afterward.

The announcement was made during a celebration of "Two Dozen Roses," by local group Shenandoah and featuring Luke Combs, reaching No. 1 on the country charts. The song has major Shoals and Nashville connections, being written by Mac MacAnally and Robert Byrne and originally released by Shenandoah in 1989 and climbing to the top of the charts at that time. It was re-released under 8 Track Entertainment.

It seemed fitting, then, that the American Country Network announcement was made at The Mane Room in Florence, which is operated by the University of North Alabama. In fact, organizers said they want to provide internships and hopefully permanent jobs to UNA students who are studying in the music field.

"It's simply an honor to be part of this family," Willis said after the event.

He said he and 8 Track's Jeff Goodwin have had a long friendship. Willis and his brother Robert founded the nonprofit Atlanta Children’s Foundation and got to know Goodwin through their mutual desire to help children. Goodwin and his wife have fostered 38 children over the years.

That brought Willis to Muscle Shoals, where Goodwin showed him around and shared the area's musical history.

"He reached out to me and asked if I'd heard of Muscle Shoals," Willis said. "I said I hadn't, but when I got here and I went to FAME studios and I saw all that history, it started pulling on my heartstrings.

"When I first came here from Atlanta and saw people like Little Richard, the Osmonds, Wilson Pickett, Etta James and Clarence Carter had recorded here, there were so many amazing names, it just amazed me. I said I've got to be part of this."

Willis frequently used the word "synergy" when describing everyone involved in the two networks, as well as the musical connections between Nasvhille and the Shoals. A native of Detroit, he said he also detects a Motown feel.

"There's that synergy, that feeling," Willis said.

He said he looks forward to learning more about the area's musical heritage and about running a network.

"It's a learning curve for me, just understanding the music that's here," Willis said. "It's very compelling and very heartfelt."