4 Years Ago Today, We Lost the “Workhorse” Multi-Instrumentalist Who Co-Founded the Most Successful Band in Country Music History

Jeff Cook, co-founder and multi-instrumentalist of Alabama, died in Destin, Florida, on 7 November 2022, aged 73, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. The band he formed with cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry became one of country music’s most successful acts, helping make Cook’s wide-ranging musicianship central to its sound.

The trio reunited as Wildcountry in 1972, later taking the name Alabama and signing with RCA in 1980. Their first number one, “Tennessee River”, began a run of 21 consecutive chart-toppers; they ultimately had 27 number ones and more than 200 awards. Cook played guitar, fiddle, mandolin, keyboards and bass, and continued performing and recording after Alabama stopped touring in 2004, releasing eight solo albums and supporting emerging artists through his studio.