On this day (November 8) in 1942, Donald Ray “Donnie” Fritts was born in Florence, Alabama. He was perhaps most visible as the longtime keyboardist for Kris Kristofferson, who considered him a “brother” and bestowed upon him the nickname “Funky” Donnie Fritts. But he was also a singer, a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, and a driving force in the vibrant fusion of Southern soul, pop, country, and R&B that became recognizable as the Muscle Shoals Sound.
Alongside Muscle Shoals guitarist Eddie Hinton, Fritts co-wrote the song “Breakfast in Bed” for pop-R&B singer Dusty Springfield in 1969. Nearly two decades later, the English reggae-pop band UB40 teamed up with the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde to turn “Breakfast in Bed” into a Top 10 hit on the U.S. pop chart in 1988.
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His other standout compositions include “You’re Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning” — recorded by folk singer Bonnie Koloc, Charlie Rich and Roy Clark — and “We Had It All”, which both Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton took to the top 30.
On August 27, 2019, “Funky” Donnie Fritts, 76, died from complications of heart surgery at a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Today, we’re remembering his monumental contributions to the music industry on what would have been his 84th birthday.
How Donnie Fritts Helped Kickstart the Muscle Shoals Sound
Donnie Fritts inherited his musical passion from his father, who spent his weekends playing guitar and bass for a swing band.
By age 15, Fritts was playing drums for local bands including The Satellites and Hollis Dixon and the Keynotes. He would later take up the keyboard, the instrument for which he would become known.
In the late 1950s, he bonded with Tom Stafford, the son of a local drug-store owner and manager of the Shoals Theatre, over their dreams of making it in the music business.
““All those talks became the studio above the drug store,” Fritts recalled.
That studio, Stafford Publishing and Recording (SPAR), became a hotspot for budding artists — including country-soul pioneer Arthur Alexander, who first helped nurture Fritts’ songwriting talents.
Later, Stafford’s business partner Rick Hall exited SPAR and opened the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, taking Fritts with him. The aspiring musician honed his skills there as a staff songwriter.
The Move to Nashville
In 1965, Donnie Fritts left behind his home state and headed to Nashville, where he signed a songwriting contract with Mercury Records producer Shelby Singleton.
He spent the next few years polishing his resume, co-writing three hits with Eddie Hinton, including Percy Sledge’s “You’re All Around Me,” “Choo-Choo Train” by The Box Tops, and “Breakfast in Bed” for Dusty Springfield.
At the same time Fritts was making his name in Nashville, another burgeoning songwriter named Kris Kristofferson was also getting started on Music Row. The two men struck up a friendship, and Fritts joined Kristofferson’s touring band in 1970.
Recording and Acting Career
In between jamming with Kristofferson and penning hits for other artists, Donnie Fritts managed to record five albums of his own. Kristofferson and Jerry Wexler co-produced his 1974 solo debut Prone to Lean at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
His 1998 album, Everybody’s Got a Song, featured cameos from Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Delbert McClinton, John Prine, and more.
[RELATED: This 1973 Waylon Jennings Hit Was Later Recorded by Over a Dozen Artists]
Additionally, Donnie Fritts landed roles in three Sam Peckinpah movies — “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid”, “Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia”, and “Convoy” — in addition to other films including “A Star Is Born” and “Songwriter”.
He moved back to Muscle Shoals permanently in the 1990s, remaining a mainstay of the local music scene until his final years.
Featured image by Robin Little/Redferns
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NASHVILLE – 1965: Country singer Dolly Parton poses for a portrait in 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
American country music performer Merle Haggard smiles as he plays an acoustic guitar, 1970. (Photo by Lynn Pelham/Getty Images) -
Joni Mitchell singing and playing a piano in the recording booth, seen from over the piano, with a music stand in the background. (Photo by Sulfiati Magnuson/Getty Images) -
Glenn Frey performing with the Eagles -
LOS ANGELES – MAY 28: Rick Rosas, Rock and Roll bassist for various recording artists including Joe Walsh, Neil Young, Crosby Stills, Nash & Young, Johnny Rivers, and Waddy Wachtel poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California on May 28, 2007. (Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
