David Hood was born and grew up in Sheffield, Alabama. He started playing trombone in the high school band at age 14, and by age 17 he had started playing guitar and bass. After graduating from high school and while attending the University of North Alabama, David and three former classmates from Sheffield formed the “Mystics” to play the fraternity circuit in Alabama and Mississippi. It was during this period that David started hanging out at Rick Hall's Fame Studios and Quin Ivy's Quinvy studios, with the hope of getting into the fledgling recording industry in Muscle Shoals.

By 1966-67, Hood had played bass or trombone on several early Muscle Shoals hits including James and Bobby Purify's “I'm Your Puppet,” Percy Sledge’s “Warm and Tender Love,” Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man,” and Etta James’ “Tell Mama.” It was during this period that he teamed with Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Beckett to form what was to become the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The rhythm section continued to rack up a string of hits at Fame and other studios until 1969, when they felt it was time to go out on their own.

David, Roger, Jimmy and Barry became studio owners with the purchase of a studio in Sheffield at 3614 Jackson Highway which they remodeled and renamed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. The rest is history, with David and the rhythm section recording hits with R.B. Greaves, Aretha, Lulu, The Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, Bobby Womack, Mel and Tim, Paul Simon, Traffic, Millie Jackson, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, Delbert McClinton, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Buffett, Dr. Hook, Oak Ridge Boys, Glen Frey, and many, many more.

In 1978, they moved to new, more modern facilities on the Tennessee River and continued the string of hits until they sold the studios to Malaco Records in 1985. Since selling the studios, David has remained in Muscle Shoals and continues playing on recordings there and in Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, London, Paris and anywhere else he is called. In the last few years, David has played on hit recordings by Primal Scream, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffett, The Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Taylor, and Bobby Blue Bland.

In 1995, David and the rest of the rhythm section were honored by induction to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. With the beginning of the new millennium, David Hood looks forward to playing the bass and making great records for years to come.

Interview with Tapestry from 90.3 WBHM Birmingham:
http://www.wbhm.org/Tapestry/#Hood