Alabama's Awards Are Many and a Long Time Coming

GAC Music Beat

By Ronna Rubin

The group Alabama is (from left) Jeff Cook, Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Mark Herndon.

Aug. 7, 2006–"For us it was, as they say, the outhouse or the penthouse!", Randy Owen, lead singer of country's Alabama says of all the hard work that made them the ninth biggest-selling group of all time, ahead of acts like the Beach Boys, Queen and Led Zeppelin.

Owen and bandmates Teddy Gentry, Jeff Cook and Mark Herndon talk about their remarkable career with Master Series host Bill Cody for a special episode airing at 8 pm ET, Thursday, Aug. 17). Shot at Nashville's historic Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the group was present for a special medallion ceremony commemorating their induction into the revered Country Music Hall of Fame.

Cousins Owen and Gentry have been playing together since their teens. And when they were old enough, they set off for Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they became the house band–called Wildfire at the time–at a place called the Bowery.

"We had no responsibilities ... (just) started working for tips, and things were lean," Owen recalls. "There were no so-called country bands (at the time) and we learned that you had to do requests and be flexible. We sang so many Merle Haggard songs that he kept our tip jar full."

In the early '70s, the group scraped together enough money to buy plane tickets to Nashville.

"We'd record a little bit, but everything that we played for anybody was pretty much frowned upon," the 56-year-old says. "We went back to the Bowery and started honing in on how to entertain. The crowd loved it and we got extra tips."

The group changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and to this day is credited with establishing the first self-contained country band, one that both played instruments and sang.

Alabama was signed to RCA Records in 1980 and were told at the time that the label was interested not just in signing the act, but in building their career. Seventy-three million albums later, it's clear that mission was accomplished.

The group has earned more than 200 major awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their 2003 Farewell Tour did so well it was extended into 2004.

"We're blessed and very grateful," Owen says about their recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. "The reason we're here is because of our fans and because we were kids who just would not quit."

(Ronna Rubin, a 21-year veteran of the music industry, can be contacted at ronna@gacmusicbeat.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)