Jeff Cook (1949–2022)
Jeff Cook co-founded Alabama with his cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, contributing guitar, fiddle, and keyboard to the band’s sound. His musicianship helped shape the group’s string of hits that dominated country music charts through the 1980s and 1990s. Cook died in 2022 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, remembered for his role in turning Fort Payne into a landmark in American music.
Alabama (Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, Jeff Cook, Mark Herndon)
Formed in Fort Payne, Alabama, the band Alabama became the most successful country group in history, selling over 75 million records and producing more than 30 #1 singles. Their annual “June Jam” concerts turned a small Appalachian town into a national music destination while raising millions for charity. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005, Alabama remains a cornerstone of modern country music.
