Donnie Fritts was a young musician that grew up in Florence, AL – just 5 miles from Muscle Shoals. Ultimately, Fritts helped to shape the Muscle Shoals sound and its own success. Initially playing drums but moving to his signature sound, the Wurlitzer Electric Piano. It defined Donnie and his sound. Knowing the impact Fritts had on such a musical gem like M.S. & during some of the grandest years of music in general, it should come as no surprise that he spent his life rubbing elbows with the likes of Willie Nelson, Dylan, J. Prine, Tony Joe White, etc. Oh, and Kris Kristofferson whom he played keyboards with for nearly 3 decades. Donnie Fritts was a songwriter for much of the scene in the early 1970’s. In 1974, Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records signed Donnie. He and Kristofferson went on to create his most infamous record(he has 4), “Prone to Lean.” A masterful, deep-groove full of greasy Southern soul. The album was filled with guest appearances from friends like Tony Joe White, Rita Coolidge, John Prine, Billy Swann, and of course the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section. Rumor has it there’s an uncredited Dylan cameo on there as well but this has never been confirmed. The record didn’t do much in the way of sales or charts but has since become a record collectors dream.
