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Alabama

This band hails from Fort Payne, Alabama where the members formed in 1973 and were formerly known as Wildcountry.  They changed their name to Alabama a few years later.

They sang in Myrtle Beach for tips and finally won a recording contract in 1977.  Their drummer, Mark Herndon, joined them in 1979.  They are ranked as the 9th biggest selling group of all time and only behind Conway Twitty as having the most No. 1 records of all music.  Billboard quotes them as having 31 No. 1 hits while their official web site quotes 42.  They have the record for 21 consecutive No. 1s in the Billboard country music charts.

The band has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.  They were awarded the ACM “Entertainer of the Year” from 1981 to 1985 as well as “Artists of the .Decade” for the 1980s.  In 1999 they were honoured by the Recording Industry Association of America as being the “Country Group of the 20thCentury”.  They have collected more American Music Awards than anyone in history with 22 wins and have also received several Humanitarian awards for their work with charities.

Their Farewell Tour was announced in 2001 and took place in 2003 and 2004.  They reformed in 2011 after a period of seven years and resumed touring in 2013 along with releasing the album Alabama & Friends.   In 2015 they released Southern Drawl and were one of the bands to be chosen to perform on Forever Country which was a celeration of 50 years of the CMA Awards.

Members

  • Randy Yeuell Owen (rhythm guitar and vocals)(1973-2004)
  • Teddy Wayne Gentry (bass and vocals)(1973-2004
  • Jeff Cook (multi-instrumentalist/vocals)(1973-2004)
  • Mark Joel Herndon (drums)(1979-2004).

Alabama Recordings

  • I’m Stoned (Randy Owen/Teddy Gentry)
  • Old Flame (Donny R Lowery/Mac McAnally)

Here they are performing “I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)..

Sources:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_%28band%29
  2. www.thealabamaband.com
  3. www.alamhof.org/lmusachv.htm
  4. https://www.discogs.com/artist/294902-Alabama
  5. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alabama-mn0000936206/biography