In 1973, after Owen's graduation from Jacksonville State University, they gave up their day jobs and weekend gigs. The group, formerly known as "Wildcountry", left Fort Payne and Lookout Mountain to explore the possibilities of the club scene in surrounding coastal South Carolina.[2]
The band is often credited with bringing country music groups (as opposed to solo vocalists) into the mainstream, paving the way for the success of today's top country groups. Since its change in name in 1972, Alabama has included Owen, Cook and Gentry.[2] Mark Herndon was not the original drummer but was a member of the band throughout their period of fame and chart success.
The band's blend of traditional country music and southern rock combined with elements of gospel music, and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their unprecedented success. They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and "sets" inspired by rock concerts into their shows. The band has over 30 number one country records on the Billboard Magazine charts to their credit and have sold over 73 million records to date.[3]
In 1998, the band was honored with its own star in the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2000, it was presented with the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award. The band announced its farewell tour during the Academy of Country Music awards in 2002, and spent most of 2003 saying good-bye to the fans.
The Alabama Theater opened up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 1993. Gaylord Entertainment (TNN, CMT, Opry Land) was brought in to help produce a nightly show, and a Christmas show. The band tried to open up a string of bar and grills in 1996. The first Alabama Grill is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, a second opened up in Myrtle beach in 1998. Another grill can be found in the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.
Alabama sold its three publishing companies (Alabama Music/Maypop/Mountain Flower Music) to Sony-ATV for a reported $18 million in 1999, giving Sony an estimated 3,500 copyrights. Alabama then signed a five year writing contract with Sony/ATV Tree.
Alabama was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
The band parted ways with drummer Mark Herndon in 2008 during a public lawsuit.
Alabama returned to the studio in 2010 to record “Are You Sure Hank Done It That Way” as part of a Waylon Jennings tribute album. 'The Music Inside—A Collaboration Dedicated To Waylon Jennings Vol. I,' which hit shelves in February 2011.
The band reunited in 2011, playing with Brad Paisley on his single, "Old Alabama" and playing the Bama Rising benefit. Alabama played the song live with Brad Paisley at the ACM Awards in Vegas. Images of drummer Mark Herndon were cropped out of band photos that were displayed on the large TV screens during the performance.
Jeff Cook told the press in 2011 that the Farewell Tour didn't end right. The band ended its farewell tour in North Dakota. Cook hinted at a possible reunion and new album in 2012, wanting the band to play its final show in Alabama.
| Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Young Country Wildcountry |
| Origin | Fort Payne, Alabama, U.S. |
| Genres | Country southern rock Country Rock |
| Years active | 1972–2004 2006–2007 2010-present[1] |
| Labels | GRT MDJ RCA |
| Associated acts | Cook & Glenn, Juice Newton |
| Website | www.thealabamaband.com |
| Members | |
| Jeff Cook Randy Owen Teddy Gentry |
|
| Past members | |
| Mark Herndon Jackie Owen Rick Scott Bennett Vartanian | |
History
Origins
Cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry grew up together in Fort Payne, Alabama, which is about a three hour drive to Nashville, Tennessee. They eventually started playing music and singing in church. Teddy started playing guitar in church, but later switched to bass when he got into high school, winning the battle of the bands as the bass player for the, "Sand Mountain Chicken Pluckers."Jeff Cook, who was a distant cousin of Randy and Teddy's, lived in Fort Payne, and had his own guitars and a PA system. Randy had sung with Jeff and his band at a High School performance. Jeff had more money than Randy and Teddy, and had a house in town. Around 1969, when Randy was eighteen, he and Teddy showed up on Jeff's doorstep wanting to play.
Randy wanted to get an education, something to fall back on in case his musical career didn't take off. He attended a junior college called Northeast State in Powell, Alabama. Owen, Cook and Gentry continued to play music, and played their first show under the name, "Young Country." Randy's cousin Jackie played bass, and Teddy sat in on the drums. The band took first prize at a high school talent contest playing Merle Haggard's, "Sing Me Back Home." The prize was $500, however the band won gas money and a trip to the Grand Ole Opry.
The band took a break while Owen and Cook attended college, and then in 1972 the band reunited in Anniston, Alabama, using the name Wildcountry.[4]
Randy was getting an English degree from Jacksonville State University, Jeff had an electronics job, and Teddy had a job laying carpet. They shared an apartment, and often played the Canyon Land Amusement Park.
The Bowery
In 1973 they decided to pursue music full-time. The band had an opportunity to play for the Summer, and although Randy was still enrolled in college, he pleaded his case with Jacksonville State, and was able to finish in absentia.The rest of the band quit their day jobs and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they had a job playing at The Bowery. The band was asked to play the entire Summer as the house band, requiring them to move to Myrtle Beach. When they got to the bar, the Bowery had already hired a singer, making Wildcountry the backup band.
Each member of Wildcountry eventually had a chance to sing due to the fact that they would play for hours on end, playing for free, taking home only what they earned in tips. The group had a hard time keeping a drummer, but found Mark Herndon at a club in Florence, South Carolina in 1978.
Mark's mother had been working at the club and heard the group needed a drummer. Mark joined in 1979.
The band was able to play their own material and test it in front of the crowds. They'd return to the Bowery every Easter Weekend and play through Labor Day weekend.
The band later opened for the Doobie Brothers, and started to focus more on recording an album, and getting a single out.
When Randy turned twenty three, he met his soon to be wife, Kelly, who was fifteen at the time. Kelly had been to the Bowery, and the two met and quickly fell in love. Randy wanted to marry her, but her mother objected due to her daughter's age.
Kelly eventually went to Germany for two years, before returning back to the states. Kelly's friends had staged a car wash to raise money to buy Kelly a ticket home. The two were married soon after.
The Alabama Band
In 1977, they signed a contract to record a one shot record with GRT (General Recorded Tape, Inc.), and changed their name from Wildcountry to The Alabama Band at GRT's request. The Bowery had small signs that wrapped around the stage with the names of the fifty states on them.The band grabbed the Alabama sign and put it on the wall behind them because that was where they were from. Wildcountry didn't have any signs or banners, just the sign that said, "Alabama" hanging on the wall behind them. When it came time to rename the band, Randy looked no further than the sign on the wall.
The Alabama Band recorded "I Want to be With You Tonight", which broke the Top 80.
A year later GRT declared bankruptcy. Surprised to find that a contractual clause forbade them from recording with another label, the band bought out their contract, touring in a beat up van they called, "The Blue Goose" working for more than a year to raise the funds to buy out their contract.
Due to all of the financial woes the band had faced, Randy decided that Teddy, Jeff and he should be equal partners in the band, and at no time would they ever make another person an equal member of the band. Any drummer that was brought in to work, would simply be a hired hand.
They eventually recorded "My Home's in Alabama" and attempted to sell it to local radio stations. In 1979, the band self-recorded an album and hired a promoter to help get radio airplay for their single, "I Wanna Come Over". The band hired Wade Pepper in Atlanta to promote the single regionally. Band members and wives wrote hundreds of letters to radio stations begging them to play the song.
The bands manager Larry McBride took the song to Dallas,Texas-based MDJ Records. MDJ signed Alabama to a management contract. MDJ agreed to release the single, which peaked at 33 on Billboard's country chart. Randy states in his book, "Born Country" that the band paid almost $2 million dollars to get outof their management deal with Larry McBride.
The band had also recorded, "My Home's in Alabama" and due to the success of that song, the band was invited to a New Faces show where several bands came together to play for DJ's and music executives. At that show, Alabama had to perform with a house band.
The band wasn't allowed to play their own instruments, and drummer Mark Herndon was told to sit in the audience. Randy, Teddy and Jeff sang My Home's in Alabama, and Tennessee River. Randy impressed Joe Galante who at that time was the head of marketing for RCA.
Randy told the crowd that if the house band didn't know the songs, they would sing a cappella. The band felt they had performed horribly, but actually had three labels interested in them, RCA being one of them. (Reba McEntire was also performing at this show)
The band had recorded three albums before signing with RCA; Wildcountry (1973), Deuces Wild (1977), and Alabama 3 (1978). RCA bought the album, "My Home's in Alabama" from MDJ and re-released it. Alabama wanted to sign with RCA, because they were the label that had Elvis Presley.
On April 21, 1980, the group signed with RCA Records. The follow-up, "My Home's in Alabama", became their signature song and reached the Top 20 in March 1980. Both songs are on their first album, My Home's in Alabama. Alabama had a rapid rise to fame, selling over 4 million albums their first year with RCA.
Source: Wikipedia
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