Alabama Modifies Song Lyrics To Reflect Late Member Jeff Cook’s Passing
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Legendary country music band Alabama recently performed at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday, July 19.
They kicked off their headlining show with “Tennessee River,” the very song that had secured them their first No. 1 hit over four decades earlier.
The group’s singer, Randy Owen (74), and bass player, Teddy Gentry (72), played for over two and a half hours, singing all of Alabama’s popular songs.
During one of their performances, Owen playfully snagged a cowboy hat from an audience member and proudly wore it around the stage.
“When you play Nashville, there’s a little added pressure on yourself to perform well in front of a lot of your peers and fans,” Gentry told American Songwriter. “The crowd was incredible from the start. They gave me their energy, and I gave them all of mine. It was a great team effort from a great band as well. I love it.”
After the concert, Owen shared, “The show reminded me of the ’80s. It was just like I prayed it would be. It was very emotional, and the audience was perfect.”
Alabama, formed in 1969 as Wildcountry, changed their name in 1977. The original members of the band included Owen and Gentry before their cousin, Jeff Cook, soon joined. Cook played lead guitar and the fiddle.
They dominated 1980s country music with 27 number-one hits, eventually totaling 41. A few of their classics include “Mountain Music,” “Song Of The South,” and “Dixieland Delight.”
Sadly, Cook passed away in 2022 from Parkinson’s disease, but Owen and Gentry continue performing, honoring his memory.
RELATED: Country Music Stars React To The Death Of ALABAMA’s Jeff Cook
Owen and Gentry even changed the lyrics to one of their songs at their recent concert to observe Jeff Cook’s passing.
The group followed their opening number with another popular song from their repertoire, “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band).” The lyrics originally referenced Cook in the line:
“Them Texans raised the roof when Jeff opened up his case.”
But now, they have changed the words to acknowledge their current instrumentalist, Megan Mullins Owen, instead.
The new line reads:
“Them Texans raised the roof when Megan opened up her case.”
We are happy to see Owen and Gentry still showing up and playing shows. Watch Alabama perform “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band)” in 1986 below.
