NEW YORK — Guitarist Jeff Cook dinner, who co-founded the profitable nation group Alabama and steered them up the charts with such hits as “Track of the South” and “Dixieland Delight,” has died. He was 73.
Cook dinner had Parkinson’s illness and disclosed his prognosis in 2017. He died Tuesday at his residence in Destin, Florida, stated Don Murry Grubbs, a consultant for the band.
Tributes poured in from nation stars, together with Travis Tritt who referred to as Cook dinner “an incredible man and one heckuva bass fisherman,” and Jason Aldean, who tweeted: “ I acquired an opportunity to carry out with him a number of occasions through the years and I’ll always remember it.” Kyle Younger, CEO of the Nation Music Corridor of Fame and Museum, added: “Every part he did was rooted in his deep love of music, a love he shared with hundreds of thousands.”
As a guitarist, fiddle participant and vocalist, Cook dinner — alongside cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry — landed eight No. 1 songs on the nation charts between spring 1980 and summer season 1982, in accordance with the Nation Music Corridor of Fame. That run included the pop crossover hits “Love In The First Diploma” and “Feels So Proper,” in addition to “Tennessee River” and “Mountain Music.”
“Jeff Cook dinner, and all the guys in Alabama, have been so beneficiant with knowledge and enjoyable once I acquired to tour with them as a younger artist,” Kenny Chesney stated in an announcement. “They confirmed a child in a T-shirt that nation music could possibly be rock, could possibly be actual, could possibly be somebody who appeared like me. Rising up in East Tennessee, that gave me the guts to chase this dream.”
The band had a three-year run as CMA Entertainer of the 12 months from 1982-1985 and earned 5 ACM Award Entertainer of the 12 months trophies from 1981-1985. He stopped touring with Alabama in 2018.
Cook dinner launched a handful of solo tasks and toured together with his Allstar Goodtime Band. He additionally launched collaborations with Charlie Daniels and “Star Trek” star William Shatner. He entered the Nation Music Corridor of Fame in 2005 as a member of Alabama.
A track he co-wrote in 2015, “No Unhealthy Days,” took on new that means after his prognosis. “After I acquired the Parkinson’s prognosis, individuals would quote the track to me and say, ‘No unhealthy days,’” Cook dinner instructed The Tennessean in 2019. “They write me letters, notes and emails and so they signal ‘No Unhealthy Days.’ I do know the help is there.”
Survivors embody his spouse, Lisa.
