American Country Music Artist. He played lead guitar for the band Alabama. Additionally, he could play numerous instruments including keyboards, fiddle, mandolin and contributed with vocal harmonies as well. He is also credited for introducing the electric double neck guitar to country music. He was of English and Native American descent, a graduate of Fort Payne High School and Jacksonville State University. He obtained a broadcast engineer license three days after his fourteenth birthday and worked at a local radio station as a disc jockey while still in high school. Later obtaining an Electronic Technology Degree at Gadsden State Community College, he built Cook Sound Studios Inc. at his home in Fort Payne, working with other aspiring musicians. He also established a local radio station, WQRX - AM in sister city Valley Head, but later sold it.
With his cousins, singer Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry, Cook formed a band called Wildcountry in 1972, later changing the name to Alabama in 1977 and adding drummer Mark Herndon. They were particularly well-liked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina playing at a venue called the Bowery. By the end of the seventies, they were beginning to gain national recognition.
Being given a major label contract with RCA, they sold over 80 million albums. They totaled 43 number one hits, having one every year from 1980 to 1993. Also winning Entertainer of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Some of their songs included hits like "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get," "Angels Among Us," "If You're Gonna Play in Texas," "Mountain Music," "I'm in a Hurry (and I don't know why)," "Song of the South," "Feels So Right," "Love In The First Degree," "High Cotton," "Close Enough to Perfect," "Tennessee River," "Down Home," "Roll On," "Born Country," "Take Me Down," "When We Make Love," "Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard," "Forever's as Far as I'll Go," "Can't Keep A Good Man Down," and Jukebox In My Mind." They also performed numerous old time favorites by other famous artists.
From 1982 to 1997 they hosted June Jam for their local fans in Fort Payne, contributing to numerous charities. They could be seen at their local fan club and roaming around Fort Payne, always having time to share a moment with a fan. After retiring in 2004, the band was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Later he formed and performed with the groups Cook & Glenn and the Allstar Goodtime Band. Getting Alabama back together in 2013, minus—Herndon—they continued touring until 2018. Jeff was also renowned for his culinary achievements, establishing a restaurant and marketing his own cooking sauce. For his love of Bass fishing, he was proclaimed Fishing Ambassador to the State of Alabama by five governors.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and went public with the news a few years later in 2017. He maintained a busy touring schedule with Alabama through 2018, at which point he decided to permanently retire from the road. He was then inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. He did one last 50th anniversary tour with Alabama in 2022.
With his cousins, singer Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry, Cook formed a band called Wildcountry in 1972, later changing the name to Alabama in 1977 and adding drummer Mark Herndon. They were particularly well-liked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina playing at a venue called the Bowery. By the end of the seventies, they were beginning to gain national recognition.
Being given a major label contract with RCA, they sold over 80 million albums. They totaled 43 number one hits, having one every year from 1980 to 1993. Also winning Entertainer of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Some of their songs included hits like "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get," "Angels Among Us," "If You're Gonna Play in Texas," "Mountain Music," "I'm in a Hurry (and I don't know why)," "Song of the South," "Feels So Right," "Love In The First Degree," "High Cotton," "Close Enough to Perfect," "Tennessee River," "Down Home," "Roll On," "Born Country," "Take Me Down," "When We Make Love," "Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard," "Forever's as Far as I'll Go," "Can't Keep A Good Man Down," and Jukebox In My Mind." They also performed numerous old time favorites by other famous artists.
From 1982 to 1997 they hosted June Jam for their local fans in Fort Payne, contributing to numerous charities. They could be seen at their local fan club and roaming around Fort Payne, always having time to share a moment with a fan. After retiring in 2004, the band was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Later he formed and performed with the groups Cook & Glenn and the Allstar Goodtime Band. Getting Alabama back together in 2013, minus—Herndon—they continued touring until 2018. Jeff was also renowned for his culinary achievements, establishing a restaurant and marketing his own cooking sauce. For his love of Bass fishing, he was proclaimed Fishing Ambassador to the State of Alabama by five governors.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and went public with the news a few years later in 2017. He maintained a busy touring schedule with Alabama through 2018, at which point he decided to permanently retire from the road. He was then inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. He did one last 50th anniversary tour with Alabama in 2022.
American Country Music Artist. He played lead guitar for the band Alabama. Additionally, he could play numerous instruments including keyboards, fiddle, mandolin and contributed with vocal harmonies as well. He is also credited for introducing the electric double neck guitar to country music. He was of English and Native American descent, a graduate of Fort Payne High School and Jacksonville State University. He obtained a broadcast engineer license three days after his fourteenth birthday and worked at a local radio station as a disc jockey while still in high school. Later obtaining an Electronic Technology Degree at Gadsden State Community College, he built Cook Sound Studios Inc. at his home in Fort Payne, working with other aspiring musicians. He also established a local radio station, WQRX - AM in sister city Valley Head, but later sold it.
With his cousins, singer Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry, Cook formed a band called Wildcountry in 1972, later changing the name to Alabama in 1977 and adding drummer Mark Herndon. They were particularly well-liked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina playing at a venue called the Bowery. By the end of the seventies, they were beginning to gain national recognition.
Being given a major label contract with RCA, they sold over 80 million albums. They totaled 43 number one hits, having one every year from 1980 to 1993. Also winning Entertainer of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Some of their songs included hits like "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get," "Angels Among Us," "If You're Gonna Play in Texas," "Mountain Music," "I'm in a Hurry (and I don't know why)," "Song of the South," "Feels So Right," "Love In The First Degree," "High Cotton," "Close Enough to Perfect," "Tennessee River," "Down Home," "Roll On," "Born Country," "Take Me Down," "When We Make Love," "Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard," "Forever's as Far as I'll Go," "Can't Keep A Good Man Down," and Jukebox In My Mind." They also performed numerous old time favorites by other famous artists.
From 1982 to 1997 they hosted June Jam for their local fans in Fort Payne, contributing to numerous charities. They could be seen at their local fan club and roaming around Fort Payne, always having time to share a moment with a fan. After retiring in 2004, the band was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Later he formed and performed with the groups Cook & Glenn and the Allstar Goodtime Band. Getting Alabama back together in 2013, minus—Herndon—they continued touring until 2018. Jeff was also renowned for his culinary achievements, establishing a restaurant and marketing his own cooking sauce. For his love of Bass fishing, he was proclaimed Fishing Ambassador to the State of Alabama by five governors.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and went public with the news a few years later in 2017. He maintained a busy touring schedule with Alabama through 2018, at which point he decided to permanently retire from the road. He was then inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. He did one last 50th anniversary tour with Alabama in 2022.
With his cousins, singer Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry, Cook formed a band called Wildcountry in 1972, later changing the name to Alabama in 1977 and adding drummer Mark Herndon. They were particularly well-liked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina playing at a venue called the Bowery. By the end of the seventies, they were beginning to gain national recognition.
Being given a major label contract with RCA, they sold over 80 million albums. They totaled 43 number one hits, having one every year from 1980 to 1993. Also winning Entertainer of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Some of their songs included hits like "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get," "Angels Among Us," "If You're Gonna Play in Texas," "Mountain Music," "I'm in a Hurry (and I don't know why)," "Song of the South," "Feels So Right," "Love In The First Degree," "High Cotton," "Close Enough to Perfect," "Tennessee River," "Down Home," "Roll On," "Born Country," "Take Me Down," "When We Make Love," "Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard," "Forever's as Far as I'll Go," "Can't Keep A Good Man Down," and Jukebox In My Mind." They also performed numerous old time favorites by other famous artists.
From 1982 to 1997 they hosted June Jam for their local fans in Fort Payne, contributing to numerous charities. They could be seen at their local fan club and roaming around Fort Payne, always having time to share a moment with a fan. After retiring in 2004, the band was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Later he formed and performed with the groups Cook & Glenn and the Allstar Goodtime Band. Getting Alabama back together in 2013, minus—Herndon—they continued touring until 2018. Jeff was also renowned for his culinary achievements, establishing a restaurant and marketing his own cooking sauce. For his love of Bass fishing, he was proclaimed Fishing Ambassador to the State of Alabama by five governors.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and went public with the news a few years later in 2017. He maintained a busy touring schedule with Alabama through 2018, at which point he decided to permanently retire from the road. He was then inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019. He did one last 50th anniversary tour with Alabama in 2022.
Bio by: Bobby and Judy Laney Liles
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