Alabama

Formed in Fort Payne, Alabama, the group Alabama came together around the turn of the 1970s centered on cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, who were joined by Jeff Cook. They initially performed as Wildcountry before adopting the name Alabama permanently in 1977. The trio gradually established itself on the bar and club circuit of the southeastern United States, notably in Myrtle Beach, before joining Nashville’s country scene in the early 1980s. Alabama’s music blends traditional country, Southern rock and pop influences, marked by prominent vocal harmonies and electric guitars, with lyrics focused on rural life, family and regional roots. Albums such as “My Home’s in Alabama” (1980), “Feels So Right” (1981) and “Mountain Music” (1982) firmly placed Alabama in the country landscape, and the band followed with national and international tours. After an uninterrupted period of activity through the early 2000s, Alabama announced a farewell tour, then returned to touring and recording during the 2010s with, among other releases, the album “Southern Drawl” (2015), continuing a trajectory in which mainstream country remains interwoven with rock and Southern gospel references.