On June 3, 2023, thousands of country music fans returned to Fort Payne, Alabama, for something they had waited 26 years to experience again.
June Jam was back.
But before the guitars started ringing across the DeKalb County VFW Fairgrounds, there was someone the crowd needed to remember.
Jeff Cook, the founding Alabama guitarist whose fiddle, guitar playing, and harmonies helped shape one of country music’s most successful bands, had died seven months earlier.
Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry had spent more than five decades making music alongside Jeff Cook. Now, for the first major June Jam since 1997, Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry were returning to the stage without their longtime bandmate.
Three Young Musicians From Fort Payne
Long before Alabama became a household name, Jeff Cook, Randy Owen, and Teddy Gentry were three young musicians from Fort Payne trying to build a career together.
During the 1970s, the group played long nights at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, developing the mixture of country harmonies and Southern rock that would eventually change country radio.
By the 1980s, Alabama was everywhere.
Songs like “Mountain Music,” “Love in the First Degree,” “Dixieland Delight,” and “Song of the South” became part of everyday life for millions of listeners.
Alabama eventually sold tens of millions of records and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.
Yet Jeff Cook contributed far more than guitar solos. Jeff Cook played fiddle, keyboards, and numerous other instruments, while adding the distinctive harmonies that made Alabama instantly recognizable.
Randy Owen’s Heartbreaking Wish
When Jeff Cook died on November 7, 2022, at age 73, Randy Owen shared a deeply personal message about losing a musical partner of more than 50 years.
“He could play any instrument he chose, but his harmonies I’ll miss the most.”
Randy Owen also expressed a wish to perform “My Home’s in Alabama” with Jeff Cook one more time.
Teddy Gentry remembered a friendship that had lasted through countless concerts, recording sessions, road trips, and years spent away from home.
For Alabama’s remaining founding members, Jeff Cook’s absence was more than a change in the band’s lineup. A lifelong musical partnership had ended.
The Celebration of Life That Opened June Jam
On June 3, 2023, a public celebration of life began at noon at the VFW Fairgrounds, before the festival performances.
The service brought together family members, friends, fellow musicians, and fans who had followed Alabama for decades.
Jeff Cook’s wife, Lisa Cook, shared memories. Mary Davis Travis, wife of Randy Travis, also spoke about Jeff Cook’s life and influence.
Pastors David Butler and Toy Arnett offered personal recollections. The group Wildwood, which had opened for Alabama in 1981, participated in the celebration.
Then came the music.
Home Free performed “How Great Thou Art,” while The Isaacs sang “It Is Well.”
Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry had also written a tribute titled “I Will Remember for You.” A music video featuring the song was presented during the memorial.
But the closing moment held something especially meaningful.
Jeff Cook’s Own Voice Closed the Memorial
Rather than ending the gathering with another musician singing about Jeff Cook, the organizers presented a video of Jeff Cook performing “On Jordan’s Banks.”
For the fans gathered in Fort Payne, it was an opportunity to hear Jeff Cook’s voice once again.
The musician whose playing had accompanied so many Alabama classics was given the final musical moment of the tribute.
And after the memorial ended, the festival continued.
The Music Continued, Just as Jeff Cook Had Wanted
June Jam 2023 brought together Alabama, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, The Oak Ridge Boys, Home Free, The Isaacs, Neal McCoy, Janie Fricke, and numerous other performers. Randy Travis also made a special appearance.
The sold-out event attracted nearly 11,000 fans and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes, renewing a tradition that began in 1982.
According to Alabama’s official tribute, Jeff Cook had encouraged Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry to continue performing even after Jeff Cook stopped touring in 2018. Jeff Cook never wanted the music or the celebration to end.
That made the return of June Jam particularly meaningful.
Fort Payne had welcomed Alabama home. Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry had honored Jeff Cook. Thousands of fans had gathered to celebrate the songs and friendships that endured.
And for one unforgettable afternoon in June 2023, Jeff Cook’s voice was heard again in the hometown where Alabama’s extraordinary story began.