Alabama is an American country, southern rock and bluegrass band formed in Fort Payne, Alabama in 1969. The band was founded by Randy Owen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass guitar, background vocals), soon joined by their other cousin, Jeff Cook (lead guitar, fiddle, keyboards). First operating under the name Wildcountry, the group toured the Southeast bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by RCA Nashville for a record deal. Alabamas biggest success came in the 1980s, where the band had over 27 number one hits, seven multi-platinum albums and received numerous awards. Alabamas first single on RCA Nashville, Tennessee River, began a streak of number one singles, including Love in the First Degree (1981), Mountain Music (1982), Dixieland Delight (1983), If Youre Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) (1984) and Song of the South (1987). The groups popularity waned slightly in the 1990s, although they continued to receive hit singles and multi-platinum record sales. Alabama disbanded in 2006 following a farewell tour and two albums of inspirational music, but reunited in 2011 and have continued to record and tour worldwide. The bands blend of traditional country music and southern rock combined with elements of gospel music, and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their success. They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and sets inspired by rock concerts into their shows. The band has over 30 number one country records on the Billboard charts to their credit and have sold over 75 million records, making them one of the worlds best-selling bands of all time. AllMusic credited the band with popularizing the idea of a country band, and wrote that its unlikely that any other country group will be able to surpass the success of Alabama.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 01:27:03 +0000
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