The Alabama Music Hall of Fame was a dream and goal of the Muscle Shoals Music Association, a Shoals area based professional organization of recording studio owners, producers, musicians, songwriters and other music professionals. In 1980, through their efforts, the State legislature, with leadership of State Senator Bobby Denton, created a state agency, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, with a mandate to honor all of this state's great music achievers, and to build a facility in which to showcase these talented individuals and their accomplishments.