RIP Jeff Cook

PeoplesChicken

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Founding member of Alabama passes away at 73

apnews.com

Jeff Cook, co-founder of country band Alabama, dies at 73

NEW YORK (AP) — Guitarist Jeff Cook, who co-founded the country group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Song of the South” and “Dixieland Delight,” has died. He was 73. Cook had Parkinson's disease and disclosed his diagnosis in 2017.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
This one hits deep. My parents first met Jeff in the late 70's when Alabama was known as Wild Country. They were waiting outside a concert venue trying to meet the band and Jeff just casually walked up to my Dad and asked him if he would give him a ride to this hotel. That set off a long friendship that has lasted decades. Alabama used to old a huge outdoor concert every year called the June Jam which lasted 3-4 days in Mid June. Jeff would put us up in a hotel, provide VIP tickets, the works. My dad attended every June Jam, and my mom only missed one year, which was for my sister's high school graduation. I hadn't seen Jeff in over 5 years, and right after that, he stopped touring with the band. My parents named me after Jeff, that's how close the bond was. My Dad passed away on a Tuesday, and by Saturday, Jeff had written a song for the funeral. He was truly an amazing person.
 
Grant Ward said:
This one hits deep. My parents first met Jeff in the late 70's when Alabama was known as Wild Country. They were waiting outside a concert venue trying to meet the band and Jeff just casually walked up to my Dad and asked him if he would give him a ride to this hotel. That set off a long friendship that has lasted decades. Alabama used to old a huge outdoor concert every year called the June Jam which lasted 3-4 days in Mid June. Jeff would put us up in a hotel, provide VIP tickets, the works. My dad attended every June Jam, and my mom only missed one year, which was for my sister's high school graduation. I hadn't seen Jeff in over 5 years, and right after that, he stopped touring with the band. My parents named me after Jeff, that's how close the bond was. My Dad passed away on a Tuesday, and by Saturday, Jeff had written a song for the funeral. He was truly an amazing person.
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wow, thanks for sharing, that's a pretty awesome story. Thoughts and prayers to you and the family.
 
Grant Ward said:
This one hits deep. My parents first met Jeff in the late 70's when Alabama was known as Wild Country. They were waiting outside a concert venue trying to meet the band and Jeff just casually walked up to my Dad and asked him if he would give him a ride to this hotel. That set off a long friendship that has lasted decades. Alabama used to old a huge outdoor concert every year called the June Jam which lasted 3-4 days in Mid June. Jeff would put us up in a hotel, provide VIP tickets, the works. My dad attended every June Jam, and my mom only missed one year, which was for my sister's high school graduation. I hadn't seen Jeff in over 5 years, and right after that, he stopped touring with the band. My parents named me after Jeff, that's how close the bond was. My Dad passed away on a Tuesday, and by Saturday, Jeff had written a song for the funeral. He was truly an amazing person.
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I remember those. I grew up across the border in TN not far from Ft. Payne and Chattanooga. The band was HUGELY popular in the area, and even though they were from Ft Payne AL, the Chattanooga area treated them like native sons. When they first hit it big, everyone in the Tri-State area was ecstatic because it was like "one of us" made it. Saw them a couple of times in concert and they always put on a great show. I loved when Jeff would get on the fiddle. They wrote about or reference the area, especially Lookout Mtn a lot. I never met Jeff, but did meet Teddy once at a Lookouts game, and when I was in Ft Payne with my then brother in law working, we saw Randy at a gas station. They all are/were very approachable and stayed true to who they were and where they came from.

He'll be missed.
 
Grant Ward said:
This one hits deep. My parents first met Jeff in the late 70's when Alabama was known as Wild Country. They were waiting outside a concert venue trying to meet the band and Jeff just casually walked up to my Dad and asked him if he would give him a ride to this hotel. That set off a long friendship that has lasted decades. Alabama used to old a huge outdoor concert every year called the June Jam which lasted 3-4 days in Mid June. Jeff would put us up in a hotel, provide VIP tickets, the works. My dad attended every June Jam, and my mom only missed one year, which was for my sister's high school graduation. I hadn't seen Jeff in over 5 years, and right after that, he stopped touring with the band. My parents named me after Jeff, that's how close the bond was. My Dad passed away on a Tuesday, and by Saturday, Jeff had written a song for the funeral. He was truly an amazing person.
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I agree with @OJB81, that's an awesome story.

Gotta question though.

Grant Ward said:
My dad attended every June Jam, and my mom only missed one year, which was for my sister's high school graduation.
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Your pops skipped his daughter's graduation to attend an Alabama concert?
 
SlinkyRedfoot said:
I agree with @OJB81, that's an awesome story.

Gotta question though.


Your pops skipped his daughter's graduation to attend an Alabama concert?
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lol sure did. :laugh3: My sister never seemed to mind, she owed him big time anyway. He paid for her to go to WPB for Spring Break and her and her friends destroyed a motel room that he had to pay for.
 
SlinkyRedfoot said:
I agree with @OJB81, that's an awesome story.

Gotta question though.


Your pops skipped his daughter's graduation to attend an Alabama concert?
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My dad didn’t attend my HS graduation. Had a big guts game going that me and my buddies joined after we got done. That might have been the first time I got drunk with my dad
 
Illustrious Potentate said:
Guts is what kicked off my life long gambling addiction. That quarter ante and matching the pot if you stay and lose could build up some 300-400 dollar pots, which was a lot of me when I was a teenager
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Ok, my parents took me to Ponderosa for lunch after I graduated
 
When Alabama was touring full time, Jeff actually lived in Ft Payne, where the fan club was based. His house was legit a castle that he named Excalibur. This place was amazing.
www.facebook.com

Cook Castle Events

Cook Castle Events, Fort Payne, AL. 6,702 likes · 890 talking about this. Lodging & Private Events Contact for more information
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

Met a few somewhat high profile celebs at the time there. Around 88-89 met Tattoo from Fantasy Island/The Man with The Golden Gun and Captain Harris from Police Academy. The only reason those stick out is because I had just broken my arm like a week before we went there, so I had a blue cast on my arm in pictures with Tattoo. He was only like a foot taller than me when I was like 4. lol

My brother almost drowned in the pool there when he was like 5. My dad had to jump in t shirt and all.
 
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