Exhibit 99.1

News Release AmSouth Bancorporation Post Office Box 11007 Birmingham, Alabama 35288

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:	(Investment Community)	List Underwood	(205) 801-0265
	(News Media)	Rick Swagler	(205) 801-0105
	To hear a webcast of the conference call with analysts at 2 p.m. CDT, April 18, 2006, go to www.amsouth.com and click on the webcast link under “Message Center.” For supplemental financial information about the first quarter results, visit the Investor Relations Resource Center on AmSouth’s web site at www.amsouth.com/irrc.

AmSouth Reports Earnings for First Quarter 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 18, 2006 – AmSouth Bancorporation (NYSE: ASO) today reported earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2006, of $.52 per diluted share, compared to $.50 per diluted share reported for the first quarter of 2005. Net income for the first quarter of 2006 was $181.0 million versus $178.6 million for the same period in 2005. AmSouth’s first quarter performance resulted in a return on average equity of 20.5 percent, a return on average assets of 1.39 percent, and an efficiency ratio of 52.5 percent.

“AmSouth delivered a solid quarter based on strong loan growth funded by continued increases in low-cost deposits,” said Dowd Ritter, AmSouth’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Our broad revenue growth and expanding net interest margin indicate that the momentum we carried into this year is continuing to build.”

Net interest income in the first quarter grew to $397.7 million, or an annual rate of 5.7 percent compared with the prior quarter, and the net interest margin expanded 5 basis points during the quarter to 3.42 percent. Strong loan growth continued, particularly in Commercial Real Estate, which grew 25.8 percent, and Residential Mortgage lending, which grew 15.4 percent, compared with the first quarter of 2005. Low-cost deposits grew $1.3 billion or 5.6 percent during the same period.

Noninterest revenue, which includes earnings from service charges, trust, investment services, interchange, and other sources of fee income, was $219.7 million for the quarter. Noninterest expenses in the first quarter were $330.0 million, reflecting increases in personnel costs and marketing expenses, partially offset by lower professional fees.

Underlying credit quality remained strong despite charge-offs of two airline leases, which had been significantly reserved for previously. Net charge-offs were 0.47 percent of average net loans in the first quarter, increasing 24 basis points compared with the first quarter of 2005. Without the effect of the airline leases, net charge-offs would have been 0.17 percent, a 6 basis point decline. The ratio of loan loss allowance to total loans was 0.96 percent at March 31, 2006, a level commensurate with our improving credit risk profile. Excluding the airline leases, the loan loss provision exceeded net charge-offs, representing amounts attributable to loan growth and other factors.

Total nonperforming assets at March 31, 2006, were $100.3 million, or 0.27 percent of loans net of unearned income, foreclosed properties and repossessions, compared to $122.9 million, or 0.34 percent, in the previous quarter.

For supplemental financial information about the first quarter results, please refer to the Form 8-K filed by AmSouth with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2006, or visit the Investor Relations Resource Center on AmSouth’s web site at www.amsouth.com.

About AmSouth

AmSouth is a regional bank holding company with $53 billion in assets, more than 680 branch banking offices and more than 1,200 ATMs. AmSouth operates in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia. AmSouth is a leader among regional banks in the Southeast in several key business segments, including consumer and commercial banking, small business banking, mortgage lending, equipment leasing, and trust and investment management services. AmSouth also offers a complete line of banking products and services at its web site, www.amsouth.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this document that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), including any statements regarding descriptions of management’s plans, objectives or goals for future operations, products or services, and forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other measures of performance. Forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations and, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors – many of which are beyond AmSouth’s control – could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the execution of AmSouth’s strategic initiatives; legislation and regulation; general economic conditions, especially in the Southeast; the performance of the stock and bond markets; changes in interest rates, yield curves and interest rate spread relationships; prepayment speeds within the loan and investment security portfolios; deposit flows; the cost of funds; cost of federal deposit insurance premiums; demand for loan products; demand for financial services; competition, including a continued consolidation in the financial services industry; changes in the quality or composition of AmSouth’s loan and investment portfolios including capital market inefficiencies that may affect the marketability and valuation of available-for-sale securities; changes in consumer spending and saving habits; technological changes; adverse changes in the financial performance and/or condition of AmSouth’s borrowers which could impact the repayment of such borrowers’ loans; changes in accounting and tax principles, policies or guidelines and in tax laws; other economic, competitive, governmental and regulatory factors affecting AmSouth’s operations, products, services and prices; the effects of weather and natural disasters, such as hurricanes; unexpected judicial actions and developments; results of investigations, examinations, and reviews of regulatory and law enforcement authorities; the outcome of litigation, which is inherently uncertain and depends on the findings of judges and juries; the impact on AmSouth’s businesses, as well as on the risks set forth above, of various domestic or international military or terrorist activities or conflicts; and AmSouth’s success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. AmSouth does not undertake a duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

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AmSouth Bancorporation

SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

($ in thousands, except per share data)

EARNINGS SUMMARY	Three Months Ended										Percent Change Versus Prior Year		YTD				Percent Change Versus Prior Year
	2006		2005										2005 December 31		2004 December 31
	March 31		December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
Net interest income	$	397,720	$	392,150	$	374,733	$	378,643	$	379,748	4.7	%	$	1,525,274	$	1,476,025	3.3	%
Provision for loan and lease losses		27,300		20,850		34,800		17,700		20,600	32.5	%		93,950		127,750	(26.5	)%
Net interest income after provision		370,420		371,300		339,933		360,943		359,148	3.1	%		1,431,324		1,348,275	6.2	%
Noninterest revenues		219,683		216,944		259,649		223,151		215,436	2.0	%		915,180		1,032,142	(11.3	)%
Noninterest expenses		330,002		320,559		336,905		314,942		319,517	3.3	%		1,291,923		1,456,938	(11.3	)%
Income before income taxes		260,101		267,685		262,677		269,152		255,067	2.0	%		1,054,581		923,479	14.2	%
Income taxes		79,110		85,552		82,349		84,553		76,422	3.5	%		328,876		299,981	9.6	%
Net income	$	180,991	$	182,133	$	180,328	$	184,599	$	178,645	1.3	%	$	725,705	$	623,498	16.4	%
Earnings per common share - basic	$	0.52	$	0.52	$	0.52	$	0.52	$	0.50	4.0	%	$	2.07	$	1.77	16.9	%
Earnings per common share - diluted		0.52		0.52		0.51		0.52		0.50	4.0	%		2.04		1.74	17.2	%
Cash dividends declared per common share		0.26		0.26		0.25		0.25		0.25	4.0	%		1.01		0.97	4.1	%
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic		345,433		347,201		349,346		352,054		354,299				350,702		352,684
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - diluted		350,743		351,811		354,654		357,026		358,812				355,554		357,952
End of period common shares outstanding		346,590		348,072		348,562		352,349		353,051				348,072		356,310

KEY PERFORMANCE RATIOS	Three Months Ended															YTD
	2006			2005												2005 December 31			2004 December 31
	March 31			December 31			September 30			June 30			March 31
Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets		6.79	%		6.87	%		7.06	%		7.03	%		7.04	%		7.00	%		6.98	%
End of period shareholders’ equity to end of period total assets		6.84			6.91			7.00			7.20			6.98			6.91			7.20
Return on average assets (annualized)		1.39			1.40			1.41			1.47			1.44			1.43			1.30
Return on average shareholders’ equity (annualized)		20.52			20.36			20.02			20.92			20.48			20.44			18.60
Net interest margin - taxable equivalent		3.42			3.37			3.31			3.40			3.45			3.38			3.47
Efficiency ratio		52.53			51.71			52.22			51.41			52.72			52.01			57.12
Loans net of unearned income to total deposits		98.97			98.76			96.23			94.96			94.82			98.76			95.82
Book value per common share	$	10.44		$	10.44		$	10.26		$	10.33		$	9.89		$	10.44		$	10.02
Tangible book value per common share		9.58			9.59			9.41			9.48			9.04			9.59			9.17

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AmSouth Bancorporation

SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

($ in thousands)

BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION AVERAGE BALANCES	Three Months Ended										Percent Change Versus Prior Year		YTD				Percent Change Versus Prior Year
	2006		2005										2005 December 31		2004 December 31
	March 31		December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
Loans net of unearned income	$	36,344,524	$	34,993,552	$	33,765,529	$	33,361,522	$	33,208,549	9.4	%	$	33,836,996	$	31,241,987	8.3	%
Total investment securities *		11,530,789		11,792,136		11,969,618		12,374,769		12,530,581	(8.0	)%		12,164,213		12,264,785	(0.8	)%
Interest-earning assets *		48,394,488		47,373,341		46,276,262		46,007,898		45,928,699	5.4	%		46,400,178		43,801,691	5.9	%
Total assets		52,708,707		51,673,254		50,635,581		50,341,297		50,296,110	4.8	%		50,740,057		48,010,625	5.7	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits		7,956,264		7,949,605		7,565,672		7,454,032		7,225,621	10.1	%		7,550,762		6,561,938	15.1	%
Interest-bearing deposits**		28,790,160		28,166,662		27,848,894		27,403,908		27,486,980	4.7	%		27,728,809		25,453,038	8.9	%
Total deposits**		36,746,424		36,116,267		35,414,566		34,857,940		34,712,601	5.9	%		35,279,571		32,014,976	10.2	%
Shareholders’ equity		3,576,492		3,548,566		3,572,805		3,540,078		3,538,378	1.1	%		3,550,047		3,351,754	5.9	%

* Excludes adjustment for market valuation on available-for-sale securities and certain noninterest-earning marketable equity securities.

** Statement 133 valuation adjustments related to time deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities are included in other liabilities.

BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION ENDING BALANCES	2006		2005								Percent Change Versus Prior Year
	March 31		December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
Loans net of unearned income	$	36,737,948	$	35,897,939	$	34,335,169	$	33,533,382	$	33,025,437	11.2	%
Total investment securities		11,394,687		11,669,483		11,855,712		12,245,731		12,571,502	(9.4	)%
Interest-earning assets		48,491,173		48,072,394		46,779,359		46,191,133		45,815,651	5.8	%
Total assets		52,858,162		52,607,110		51,105,385		50,546,831		50,011,458	5.7	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits		8,291,134		8,233,137		8,022,022		7,687,525		7,500,430	10.5	%
Interest-bearing deposits		28,828,184		28,115,245		27,658,103		27,626,183		27,328,090	5.5	%
Total deposits		37,119,318		36,348,382		35,680,125		35,313,708		34,828,520	6.6	%
Shareholders’ equity		3,617,742		3,634,577		3,577,455		3,638,225		3,491,722	3.6	%

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AmSouth Bancorporation

SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

($ in thousands)

NONPERFORMING ASSETS	2006			2005
	March 31			December 31			September 30			June 30			March 31
Nonaccrual loans*	$	84,150		$	102,981		$	80,421		$	70,421		$	87,255
Foreclosed properties		14,566			17,667			15,853			17,791			23,258
Repossessions		1,599			2,274			1,869			1,755			2,208
Total nonperforming assets*	$	100,315		$	122,922		$	98,143		$	89,967		$	112,721
Nonperforming assets to loans net of unearned income, foreclosed properties and repossessions		0.27	%		0.34	%		0.29	%		0.27	%		0.34	%
Accruing loans 90 days past due	$	49,208		$	54,005		$	52,404		$	49,185		$	50,718

* Exclusive of accruing loans 90 days past due

ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES	2006			2005
	1st Quarter			4th Quarter			3rd Quarter			2nd Quarter			1st Quarter
Balance at beginning of period	$	366,695		$	384,647		$	365,626		$	366,836		$	366,774
Loans charged off		(50,571	)		(47,314	)		(23,926	)		(27,170	)		(29,679	)
Recoveries of loans previously charged off		8,818			8,512			8,147			9,528			10,598
Net Charge-offs		(41,753	)		(38,802	)		(15,779	)		(17,642	)		(19,081	)
Addition to allowance charged to expense		27,300			20,850			34,800			17,700			20,600
Reduction of allowance related to sold loans		-0-			-0-			-0-			(1,268	)		(1,457	)
Balance at end of period	$	352,242		$	366,695		$	384,647		$	365,626		$	366,836
Allowance for loan and lease losses to loans net of unearned income		0.96	%		1.02	%		1.12	%		1.09	%		1.11	%
Net charge-offs to average loans net of unearned income *		0.47	%		0.44	%		0.19	%		0.21	%		0.23	%
Allowance for loan and lease losses to nonperforming loans**		418.59	%		356.08	%		478.29	%		519.20	%		420.42	%
Allowance for loan and lease losses to nonperforming assets**		351.14	%		298.32	%		391.93	%		406.40	%		325.44	%

* Annualized

** Exclusive of accruing loans 90 days past due