South Memphis’ Royal Studios – home of Willie Mitchell, Al Green and Hi Records – to get Grammy exhibit in Mississippi

Royal Studios – the recording home of iconic Memphis soul producer Willie Mitchell – will be the subject of a new exhibit opening at the Grammy Museum Mississippi on Oct. 1. 

The exhibit, titled "Willie Mitchell & The Music of Royal Studios," is a collaboration between the Mississippi Museum and Memphis-based Royal Studios, and presented in partnership with Memphis Tourism. It will tell the story of the Mitchell and the studio which helped redefine the sound of soul music starting in the late 1960s. 

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with the Museum to bring the history of Royal Studios to life in the form of this exhibit,” said Boo Mitchell, Willie Mitchell’s son, Royal’s current owner, and a Grammy winning producer/engineer. “[It] will show how instrumental Royal Studios has been and continues to be in shaping the music and careers of so many influential artists of yesterday and today.”

The exhibit will be on display at the museum — located in Cleveland, Mississippi — until Sept. 5 2021, and will feature artifacts and memorabilia from throughout the long, storied history of Royal and its maestro Willie “Pops’ Mitchell. 

Born in Ashland, Mississippi, in 1928,  Mitchell was a talented trumpeter who fronted some of the city's most renowned nightclub combos. In the late '50s he would find a home at Joe Coughi's Hi Records and its Royal Studios, a movie theater built in 1915 and later converted into a recording setup.

At Hi, Mitchell would record a series of popular instrumental records and dance hits like "Soul Serenade" and "20-75," while his band would back other notable acts like Bill Black, Ace Cannon, Charlie Rich and Jumpin' Gene Simmons.

In 1970, Mitchell took over the running of Hi Records following the sudden death of label owner Coughi. It was during that decade that Mitchell would go on to redefine soul music. He assembled one of the greatest house bands ever, Hi Rhythm; and discovered and molded Al Green's million-selling career, as well as those of soul stars like Clay, Ann Peebles and O.V. Wright. The Hi sonic signature was a sophisticated groove-fueled R&B sound that continues to be imitated today.

In the late '70s, Mitchell's partners sold Hi Records, although Mitchell retained Royal Studios. He remained a prolific producer throughout the next three decades, working on projects for the likes of Rod Stewart and Keith Richards, and reuniting with Green.

The elder Mitchell eventually ceded day-to-day operations of Royal his son Boo Mitchell, but remained a fixture in the studio until the final days of his life. He died in January 2010 at the age of 81. Boo Mitchell has continued to carry on the studio’s hitmaking tradition. 

Among the items included as part of the Grammy exhibit will be Al Green’s famous "No. 9" microphone, an RCA 77DX ribbon mic used on his many hit recordings; also on display will be Willie Mitchell’s lifetime Grammy award and Boo Mitchell’s Record Of The Year Grammy for his work on Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk," which was partially recorded at Royal. 

“Willie Mitchell and Royal Studios played such an important role in developing the Memphis soul sound," said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. "And today, as one of the oldest still-operating recording studios in the world, Royal Studios continues to bring us music by such contemporaries as Bruno Mars and John Mayer. We’re thrilled to be able to share this important piece of music history with our visitors.”

Opened in 2016, the Grammy Museum Mississippi is owned and operated by the Cleveland Music Foundation. The 27,000-square-foot museum is housed on the Delta State campus and is "dedicated to exploring the past, present and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges."

The Grammy Museum Mississippi is currently open with updated health and safety protocols every Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit here.