Alabama is a country band, through and through, but that doesn't mean they didn't venture outside of the genre. The group, made up of Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook, released their first album on RCA Records, My Home's In Alabama, in 1980. That record includes their first No. 1 hit, with "Tennessee River."
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With their sophomore Feels So Right album, the group had hit singles with the title track and "Love in the First Degree." The song is one of several the Country Music Hall of Fame members have that is also a pop hit as well. But "Love in the First Degree" landed in the Top 15, and became their biggest crossover hit.
Written by Tim DuBois and Jim Hurt, Alabama was grateful for the song's success, even if they never tried to be anything but country artists.
"We're country first and crossover second," Gentry says (via
Classic Country Music Stories). "If crossovers come, that's great, but we would rather have a #1 country song than get lost in the middle of the country and pop charts."Alabama had other crossover hits, including "Feels So Right," "The Closer You Get" and more. But none did quite as well as a crossover hit as "Love in the First Degree."
Alabama's Biggest Tragedy
Alabama is still making music and performing, albeit without one of their founding members. In 2022, Cook passed away, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. It was a devastating loss for Owen and Gentry, three cousins who had been making music together their entire lives.
"He lived to play our music we created together," Owen says. "He could play any instrument he chose, but his harmonies I'll miss the most. I'm thankful we got to create music together for over 50 years! Wish we could play 'My Home's in Alabama' one more time. I'm hurt in a way I can't describe!"
"Closer than brothers, we lived together more than with our immediate families," adds Gentry. "Don't think I've known anyone who loved playing more. Jeff, along with me and Randy, experienced the highs of undreamed success, as well as some very tough early years. None of us were perfect, but together we had something so special it will never die. No other guitar player I've known had the range of styles Jeff had. No one can take your place. Ever. Rest in peace till we get to jam again."
