On Aug. 15, 2024, the legendary country music band Alabama will be honored by CMT Giants TV series during a special event. Airing exclusively on CMT, the evening will feature guest appearances by some of country’s biggest artists, including Blake Shelton and Jamey Johnson.
The two-hour-long special will include live music and speeches that pay tribute to Alabama, one of the genre’s most impactful band.
A Family Affair
The Alabama band members come from humble beginnings. Growing up in the small town of Fort Payne, Alabama, the boys worked in their families’ cotton farms when they weren’t playing music. For the group, it’s always been a family affair. The core members of the band—Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, and Randy Owen—are all cousins. Gentry and Owen grew up singing in church together. As for Owen, the spiritual environment that fostered his love of music was a significant influence.
As young adults, Gentry and Owen teamed up with Cook to form their first band, Young Country, in 1969.
By 1973, the group, now named “Wildcountry,” took their band on the road. The young musicians ended up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where they became the house band at a local establishment, The Bowery. Their strong work ethic from their family farms helped them to play long hours for patrons. Many times, they’d play live throughout the entire day. The grueling hours and physical work took a toll on the group. In just six years, they had to replace their drummer three different times.
In 1977, they decided to change their name; they called themselves Alabama to honor their southern roots.
Their dedication and endurance ultimately paid off, and they established a local following. When drummer Mark Herndon teamed up with the group in 1979, they rounded out their style and their trademark homespun sound was born.
Some of the music industry’s biggest labels took notice. In 1980, they signed a deal with RCA Records, and kickstarted what became one of country music’s greatest success stories.
‘What Means the Most to You?’
Throughout the band’s 50 years together, they’ve racked up 43 No. 1 hits with songs like “Mountain Music,” “Dixieland Delight,” and “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band).” Over their tenure, they’ve sold 80 million albums. In 2005, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“Up to that point it had always been one or two, or in some cases maybe even four people with a backup band and that’s what was called a country act. We were the first ones who actually sang our own music and played our own stuff as a group, without a front person per se. We heard, ‘Well, we just don’t sign bands,’ I don’t know how many times back then. That’s why we had such a hard time getting signed to a record deal.”
Regardless of doubts from industry professionals, the band forged ahead. Cook explained:
“We changed the collective minds of label heads in Nashville about the longevity of how a band can stay together in country music. They thought back when we were trying to get signed in the late 1970s, that after a while the guys … would get [tired] of being together and playing together and traveling together. … But … we changed the minds of a lot of the label heads in Nashville after a few years.”
He named the newly converged land Bent Tree Farms, after a technique Native Americans use to manipulate and bend trees in certain directions to indicate a trail path.
There will be plenty of live music, featuring singers like Pam Tillis and guest appearances by veteran performers such as former honoree Vince Gill and Brad Paisley. Contemporary country stars Jason Aldean and Riley Greene are also a part of the lineup.
Along with live performances, guests will share personal stories about Alabama’s impact on their own artistic careers. Alabama will also take the stage for an exclusive interview. They’ll reminisce about their five-decade long career as one of the industry’s hardest working acts.
After their big night, Alabama will hit the road again, Despite their multi-decade career, the band shows no signs of retirement. Both Gentry and Owen view their continued commitment to the band and to music as an homage to their late bandmate. Before his passing, Cook shared his own thoughts on retirement, which the band echoes with each new tour date added to their schedule.
Regarding retirement, Cook remarked:
“As long as we’ve got our fans and the support of country radio, there’s not really much point in thinking about it.”
CMT Giants: Alabama airs exclusively on CMT via streaming platforms like Fubo, Hulu (with live TV), and YouTube TV. The event kicks off on Thursday, August 15, at 8 p.m. EST. To learn more, visit cmt.com
Original Article Courtesy of The Epoch Times
