Alabama (band): Difference between revisions

| origin = [[Fort Payne, Alabama]], United StatesU.S.

*[[bluegrass music|bluegrass]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-alabama-st-0728-20170721-story.html|title=Alabama sees songs stand test of time|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=21 July 2017 |access-date=July 21, 2019}} ["The legendary Southern rock and bluegrass band formed in Fort Payne, Alabama...]</ref>

| label = {{hlist|[[GRT Records|GRT]], |MDJ, |[[RCA Records Nashville|RCA Nashville]], |[[BMG Rights Management|BMG Chrysalis]]}}

| current_members = {{hlist|[[Randy Owen]]<br />|Teddy Gentry}}

| past_members = {{hlist|Mark Herndon<br />|Jackie Owen<br />|Rick Scott<br />|Bennett Vartanian<br />|[[Jeff Cook]] (deceased)}}

'''Alabama''' is an American [[country music]] band formed in [[Fort Payne, Alabama]], in 1969. The band was founded by [[Randy Owen]] ([[lead vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]]) and his cousin Teddy Gentry ([[Bass guitar|bass]], [[Backing vocalist|backing vocals]]). They were soon joined by another cousin, [[Jeff Cook]] ([[lead guitar]], [[fiddle]], and [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]]s). First operating under the name Wild CountryWildcountry, the group toured the [[Southeast United States|Southeast]] bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by [[RCA Records Nashville|RCA Nashville]] for a recordrecording deal.

Alabama's biggest success came in the 1980s, wherewhen the band had over 27 numbercountry oneNo. 1 hits, seven multi-platinum albums, and received numerous major awards. Alabama's first single on RCA Records, "[[Tennessee River (song)|Tennessee River]]", began a streak of 21 numbercountry oneNo. 1 singles, including "[[Love in the First Degree (Alabama song)|Love in the First Degree]]" (1981), "[[Mountain Music (song)|Mountain Music]]" (1982), "[[Dixieland Delight]]" (1983), "[[If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)]]" (1984) and "[[Song of the South (song)|Song of the South]]" (1988). The band's popularity waned slightly in the 1990s, although they continued to produce hit singles and multi-platinum album salesalbums. Alabama disbanded in 2004 following a farewell tour and two albums of inspirational music, but reunited in 2010 and havehas continued to record and tour worldwide.

The band's blend of traditional [[country music]] and [[Southern rock]] combined with elements of [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]], [[folk music|folk]] and [[pop music]] gave it a [[crossover (music)|crossover]] appeal that helped lead to their success. They also [[concert|toured]] extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and "sets" inspired by [[rock concert]]s into their shows. The band has over 41 number -one country records on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts to their credit and have sold over 75&nbsp;million records, making them the [[List of best-selling music artists|most successful band in country music history]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/10/post_272.html|title=Teddy Gentry of the group Alabama will sing his songs and tell stories behind them at Samford University|newspaper=[[The Birmingham News]]|date=October 3, 2014|first=Cary|last=Estes|access-date=December 17, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217075942/http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/10/post_272.html|archive-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/07/26/alabama-southern-drawl-first-album--14-years/30411243/|title=After 14 years, Alabama is back with 'Southern Drawl'|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 27, 2015|access-date=December 20, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052347/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/07/26/alabama-southern-drawl-first-album--14-years/30411243/|archive-date=December 22, 2017}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] credited the band with popularizing the idea of a country band and wrote that "It's unlikely that any other country group will be able to surpass the success of Alabama."{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=6}}

Alabama was inducted into the [[Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum]] in 2019 and was awarded with the first -ever Life Time Achievement Award from this institution.<ref>{{cite web |title=2019 Inductees |url=https://www.musicianshalloffame.com/inductees-2019/ |website=Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum |access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref>

Alabama was formed by guitarists Randy Owen and Jeff Cook, and bassist Teddy Gentry, three cousins born and raised near Fort Payne, Alabama, an area with strong country music roots.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Owen and Gentry grew up on separate [[cotton]] farms on [[Lookout Mountain]] (a plateau that stretches across northeastern Alabama, through northwest Georgia and into Tennessee), learning guitar together and singing in church before the age of six.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Gentry and Owen played in numerous groups during the 1960s, ranging from [[pop music|pop]] to [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Cook joined the band in 1969 forming the group Young Country, which first jammed together around Christmas.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Cook also played in numerous other bands and was a [[rock and roll]] [[diskdisc jockey]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} The three cousins all shared vocal duties, with another cousin, drummer Jackie Owen, completing the group's first lineup.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The band's first performance was at a high school talent contest (playing a [[Merle Haggard]] song), for which they won first prize and tickets to the [[Grand Ole Opry]].<ref name="usatoday"/>{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Despite this, all were too busy with prior commitments to pursue music: Owen still in high school, Cook working for [[Western Electric]], and Gentry laying carpets full-time.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The band grew further inactive when Cook and Owen went to college.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}

The group became a professional band in 1972, adding drummer Bennett Vartanian and changing their name to Wild CountryWildcountry.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} During this time, the group accepted a position playing at the now-defunct Canyon Land theme park near Fort Payne.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}}{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The park would bring in established stars, such as [[Jerry Wallace]], [[Bobby Bare]], and [[Narvel Felts]], and the band would back them, afterwards performing a one-hour dance set.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} After a while, with opportunities for the band slow to materialize, a discouraged Cook took a government job in [[Anniston, Alabama]]. Owen was studying English at [[Jacksonville State University]], and Cook had an electronics job.<ref name=billboard>{{cite magazine| last =Flippo| first =Chip| date =August 29, 1998| title =Alabama: The ''Billboard'' Interview| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =110| issue = 35| publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510}}</ref> The trio shared a $56-a-month apartment in Anniston,<ref name="billboard"/> and worked to keep the band afloat with night and weekend gigs.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The group decided to become professional musicians in 1973, and began performing at bars throughout the [[Southeast United States|Southeast]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} In March, the band relocated to [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]], performing six nights a week at a club named The Bowery for tips.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}}<ref name="tenn"/> They made their best money performing [[cover (music)|cover]] songs of [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] and Merle Haggard.<ref name="usatoday"/> The group could not secure a record contract and began to self-finance recordings.<ref name="billboard"/> The group borrowed $4,000 from a Fort Payne bank to record and release their own albums to sell at shows.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Vartanian dropped out of the group, and following a rotation of four more drummers, they settled on Rick Scott in 1974.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}

The group sent out demo tapes to record companies but received few responses until executives at [[GRT Records]] signed the band to a one-record contract,{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} issuing their debut single, "I Want toWanna Be with You Tonight", in 1977.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} GRT was more interested in the band as songwriters, and convinced the group to change their name to The Alabama Band, later shortened to just Alabama.<ref name="billboard1"/>{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}} The song only reached number 78 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Songs]] charts,<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|date=2008|pages=19–20|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> and GRT declared bankruptcy the following year. Due to a hidden clause in their contract, Alabama was forbidden from recording with another label.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} For the next two years, the band raised money to buy out their contract and they began recording again in 1979.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Following self-recorded efforts ''Wild CountryWildcountry'' (1976) and ''Deuces Wild'' (1977), ''Alabama Band No. 3'' (1979) became the band's third album, and the band performed over 300 shows on the road that year.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} The group hired independent radio promoters to receive radio play for the single "[[I Wanna Come Over]]", and they sent hand-written letters to program directors and DJs nationwide.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} It received the attention of [[Dallas]]-based MDJ Records, who signed the band.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Scott left the group at this time, and was replaced by Mark Herndon, a rock drummer later credited with bringing the band their signature sound.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} "I Wanna Come Over", became their first radio hit, reaching the top 40 in the ''Billboard'' country chart.<ref name="billboard3"/>

Alabama enjoyed a great deal of creative freedom at RCA; they followed up "Tennessee River" with "[[Why Lady Why (Alabama song)|Why Lady Why]]" despite the objections of executives and trade publications,<ref name="billboard2"/> The song became their second number one on the charts.<ref name="billboard3"/> They toured extensively, headlining small clubs and opening for bigger acts in major venues.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} In addition, the group also received television exposure on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' and ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]''.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} In February 1981, Alabama released its second major label album, ''[[Feels So Right]]''; it peaked at number 16 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and stayed for more than three years, longer than any other Alabama album.<ref>Whitburn, Joel. ''The Billboard Book of Top Pop Albums 1955–1985'', Record Research Inc., 1985, p. 11, 493.</ref> "[[Old Flame (Alabama song)|Old Flame]]" was their next number one in February 1981, followed by "[[Feels So Right (song)|Feels So Right]]" in May, and "[[Love in the First Degree (Alabama song)|Love in the First Degree]]" that October.<ref name="billboard3"/><ref name="chart">{{cite book |last=Roland |first=Tom |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits |publisher=Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications |date=1991 |location=New York |isbn=0-8230-7553-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn0000rola }}</ref> That year, Alabama received a great deal of industry attention: ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' named them New Group for the Year, ''[[Radio & Records]]'' called them Group of the Year, and the [[Academy of Country Music]] (ACM) deemed the band the Vocal Group of the Year.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The quintetquartet performed on the 1981 [[Country Music Association Awards]], where it received both Instrumental Group of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Although the band received unprecedented success, Owen's personal life was falling apart: his father died while he was on the road, affecting him greatly.<ref name="tenn"/>

Although their popularity continued to decline during the 1990s, their further studio albums still reachedachieved gold and platinum status.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}} The 1990 album ''[[Pass It On Down (Alabama album)|Pass It on Down]]'' featured three number one singles: "[[Jukebox in My Mind]]", "[[Forever's as Far as I'll Go]]", and "[[Down Home (Alabama song)|Down Home]]".<ref name="chart3"/> According to [[AllMusic]], by the time the band released 1992's ''[[American Pride (album)|American Pride]]'', "they were among the genre's aging veterans."{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=5}} Richard Carlin of ''Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary'', suggested that the group's harmonies sounded dated to the new audience.<ref name="BiographicalDictionary"/> "[[I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)]]" became the album's biggest hit, reaching number one; the album's other singles still fared very well, with "[[Take a Little Trip]]", "[[Once Upon a Lifetime]]", and "[[Hometown Honeymoon]]" peaking within the top three.<ref name="chart3"/><ref name=chart1>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1993/hot-country-songs| title=Best of 1993: Country Songs| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]| access-date=August 5, 2013| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211063508/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+Country+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1993| archive-date=December 11, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Cheap Seats (album)|Cheap Seats]]'' followed in 1993, with "[[Reckless (Alabama song)|Reckless]]" becoming Alabama's final number one, although most of the band's singles afterward peaked within the top 10.<ref name="chart3"/><ref name="chart1"/> The band's 1995 album, ''[[In Pictures]]'', represented their 18th gold album, more than the total for any other country act to that point.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=7}} In 1996, the group remained finalists in the Vocal Group of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.{{sfn|Stambler| Landon|2000|p=7}} The band released ''[[Dancin' on the Boulevard]]'' in 1997, exploring [[R&B]] and [[beach music]].{{sfn|Kingsbury|2004|p=8}} Singles "[[Sad Lookin' Moon]]" and "[[Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard]]" were top five hits in the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="chart1"/> The following year, the group released ''[[For the Record (Alabama album)|For the Record]]'', a two-disc greatest hits compilation that contained two new singles — "How Do You Fall in Love" and "Keepin' Up". Both new tracks were hits on the [[Hot Country Songs|Hot Country Singles & Tracks]] chart, peaking at number two and 14, respectively.<ref name="chart3"/>

In the ensuing years, Owen stayed active as a solo act, Cook with his Allstar Goodtime Band and Gentry as a producer and with his band Rockit City.<ref name=usatoday>{{cite journal| last =Mansfield| first =Brian| date =April 5, 2013| title =On the Road Again: Alabama celebrates 40 years| journal =[[USA Today]]| url =https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/05/alabama-40th-anniversary-tour-on-the-road-again/2056529/| url-status =live| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20161002004325/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/05/alabama-40th-anniversary-tour-on-the-road-again/2056529/| archive-date =October 2, 2016}}</ref> Herndon and the other group members had a difficult relationship during the band's career.<ref name=tenn1>{{cite journal| last =Watts| first =Cindy| date =August 23, 2013| title =Alabama's Randy Owen says drummer Mark Herndon wasn't invited to reunion| journal =[[The Tennessean]]| url =http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/08/23/alabamas-randy-owen-says-drummer-mark-herndon-wasnt-invited-to-reunion/| access-date =July 6, 2014| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://archive.today/20140709091904/http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/08/23/alabamas-randy-owen-says-drummer-mark-herndon-wasnt-invited-to-reunion/| archive-date =July 9, 2014}}</ref> While he was present in each press photo and a photo of him once hung at Alabama's fan club and museum, Owen contended that he was never an official member of the group. He claimed his inclusion in photos was the label's idea, and that Herndon was a paid employee of the band, rather than a member.<ref name="tenn1"/> In May 2008, the other members of the group sued drummer Mark Herndon for $202,670 in money allegedly overpaid to him three years earlier after the band's farewell tour concluded.<ref name="herndon"/> This money was factored into the net profit and given to Herndon before accounting was completed, an allegation Herndon has denied. The band did not sue Herndon until he requested money from the multiple live albums and songs that the band had released but never paid Herndon for playing on.<ref name=herndon>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-06-07-alabama-sues-drummer_N.htm|title=Country group Alabama sues drummer for $200K|date=June 7, 2008|work=[[USA Today]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210020316/http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-06-07-alabama-sues-drummer_N.htm|archive-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref> Owen stated that RCA desired Herndon in the band so their image could be comparable to [[the Beatles]].<ref name="tenn"/> Despite their troubles, he stated they had no hard feelings in an interview years later: "I don’tdon't have one thing against him in any way in the world."<ref name="tenn"/>

Alabama's music mixes both country, rock, and pop, particularly evident in their musical concept: the band was one of the first country bands to achieve significant airplay.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=3}} Despite their influences from other genres, the band was most inspired by country music, which is most evident in their "harmonies, songwriting, and approach."{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=3}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that the band is "indebted to country, particularly the [[Bakersfield sound]] of [[Merle Haggard]], and the sound of [[country pop|Nashville pop]]."{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=3}} The band echoed its country upbringing in one of its first trade articles: "We're country first and crossover second. If crossovers come, that's great, but we'd rather have a No. 1. country song than be lost in the middle of both country and pop charts," said Owen.<ref name=billboard2>{{cite magazine| last =Wells| first =Robyn| date =December 13, 1980| title =Alabama Makes Its Mark| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =92| issue = 50| publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510}}</ref>

Alabama has been credited with "substantially broadening country's audience while becoming one of the most popular acts in American musical history" by Michael McCall of ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}} The band was notable for its three-person lead (as "most other country acts focused on a soloist accompanied by an anonymous band"), their collective hair length and facial hair (which would have been deemed unacceptable just a decade earlier), and their prominent electric bass and drums.<ref name="BiographicalDictionary"/> They had a slightly edgier sound than other groups, and both played their own instruments and wrote their own songs.<ref name="tenn"/> Alabama mostly appealed to a younger audience, although their clean-cut image appealed to the more [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]], older country audience as well.<ref name="BiographicalDictionary"/> Kurt Wolff described the band's appeal: "They're just rebel enough for the young folks, but their parents also dig the boys' pretty harmonies, sentimental soft spots, and old-fashioned family values."<ref name=wolff>Wolff, Kurt. (2000). ''Country Music: The Rough Guide''. Rough Guides, 608 pp. First edition, 2000.</ref> Alabama gave prominence to their hometown of Fort Payne, and also raised awareness for environmental issues.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=6}}

Beginning in 1982 and continuing until 1997, Alabama sponsored the June Jam, a music festival in Fort Payne, which at its peak drew 60,000 fans and raised millions for local charities.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=6}} The group also held "Fan Appreciation Days,", weekend events that included a golf tournament and a songwriters concert that raised money for charities in Fort Payne.<ref name="billboard1"/> Owen spearheaded "Country Cares for Kids,", an annual country [[Telethon|radiothon]] that raised over $70&nbsp;million for [[St. Jude Children's Research Hospital]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]].<ref name="billboard1"/>

* ''Wild CountryWildcountry'' (1976)

[[Category:American southernSouthern rock musical groups from Alabama]]