Brent Smith Does An Incredible Cover of Wilson Pickett: LISTEN
Wilson Pickett was born on March 18th, 1941, and we celebrate his heavenly birthday by looking back at one of his classic, along with an incredible cover of that song by one of our favorite artists, Brent Smith.
Who is Wilson Pickett?
This singer and songwriter grew up in Prattville, Alabama. He combined his love of gospel singing with his admiration of rock n’ roll pioneers like Little Richard to eventually become a major figure in the development of soul music. He recorded over 50 songs that landed on the United States R&B charts in the 1960s and 1970s. His hits include “In the Midnight Hour” and “Don’t Knock My Love.”
There’s also “Land of a Thousand Dances,” and when I (Brent Porche) was in the marching band at Springfield High School, I was a percussionist and a drummer in the marching band. We would always perform that song when we were doing the football games and events, and I absolutely loved playing that song.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He’s also recognized by the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2006 after struggling with health issues in the final year of his life, and Little Richard, who had become a close friend, delivered the eulogy at his funeral.
What’s the connection between Wilson Pickett and Shinedown?
On Monday, we played a track on WMMR from an album called Muscle Shoals: Small Town, Big Sound. In the heart of this magical town known as Muscle Shoals in Alabama, right at the intersection of two main streets, you’ll find FAME Studios, an acronym for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises.
FAME and its legendary, late Grammy award winning founder, Rick Hall, captured, cultivated and preserved the “Muscle Shoals sound” established in the late 50s. Now, that legacy gets its due with an 18 track collection in homage to this particular sound. They compiled a list of hundreds of songs recorded in the area and sent them to a handful of dream artists.
These artists then made the trek to FAME in order record on the same hallowed ground with legendary studio musicians who played on many of the original recordings. Artists who contributed include Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, Michael McDonald and more.
Which song did Brent Smith cover?
A highlight of the collection is a Wilson Pickett song done by Brent Smith from Shinedown: “Mustang Sally,” a song that originally appeared on the 1966 record The Wicked Pickett. In 2000, the track was honored by the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Happy heavenly birthday to Wilson Pickett from us here at WMMR. Check out Brent Smith’s version below, along with the original track.
Which one do you like? How about both?? Let us know on Instagram! And if you haven’t already, check out our backstage interview with Shinedown at last year’s MMRBQ HERE.
Listen to Brent Porche every weekday on WMMR from 3-7pm for more deep tracks like these.
RELATED: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Brent’s Ballot
Shinedown at the 2023 MMRBQ [Brent's Photos]
