Alabama is a country music band from Fort Payne, Alabama. The band has over… Read Full Bio ↴Alabama is a country music band from Fort Payne, Alabama. The band has over 41 #1 country records on the Billboard charts to their credit and have sold over 75 million records, making them the most successful band in country music history. AllMusic credited the band with popularizing the idea of a country band and wrote that "It's unlikely that any other country group will be able to surpass the success of Alabama."

The band was founded by Randy Owen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass, backing vocals). They were soon joined by another cousin, Jeff Cook (lead guitar, fiddle, and keyboards). First operating under the name Wild Country, the group toured the Southeast bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by RCA Nashville for a record deal.

Alabama's biggest success came in the 1980s, where the band had over 27 #1 hits, seven multi-platinum albums and received numerous awards. Alabama's first single on RCA Records, "Tennessee River", began a streak of 21 #1 singles, including "Love in the First Degree" (1981), "Mountain Music" (1982), "Dixieland Delight" (1983), "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" (1984) and "Song of the South" (1988). The band's popularity waned slightly in the 1990s although they continued to produce hit singles and multi-platinum album sales. Alabama disbanded in 2004 following a farewell tour and two albums of inspirational music but reunited in 2010 and have continued to record and tour worldwide.

Owen was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010, but he was later given a clean bill of health, which led to the band's reunion, without Herndon. Following a series of tornadoes destroying homes and businesses throughout their state in 2011, Alabama assembled a benefit concert in Birmingham, called Bama Rising. Featuring the band's first set since 2004, alongside Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley, the concert raised $2.1 million. "I guess we realized that maybe we missed the playing ... and five or six years had gone by and we were like, 'Maybe that wasn't as bad as we remember it being,'" said Gentry. In celebration of the group's 40th anniversary, Alabama resumed touring in 2013 for the Back to the Bowery tour, referencing the Myrtle Beach club where they first became professional musicians. They also undertook a short cruise, The Alabama & Friends Festival at Sea, which left for the Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Pearl ship. In addition, the band released Alabama & Friends, a tribute album encompassing covers from newer artists such as Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line, in addition to two new tracks by Alabama.

The band released their first new studio album in 14 years, Southern Drawl, on September 18, 2015, via BMG Chrysalis. In 2016, Alabama was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again", and "I Will Always Love You" that celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.

In April 2017, guitarist Jeff Cook announced in a video that he would reduce the number of shows for which he would be in attendance while the band was on tour, due to his struggle with Parkinson's. He had been diagnosed four years prior, and this was his first public announcement about his condition.

In August 2021, the band sold its interest in its recorded music rights catalog to Reservoir Media. Cook died from complications of Parkinson's disease on November 7, 2022.

The band's blend of traditional country music and Southern rock combined with elements of bluegrass, folk, gospel and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their success. They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and "sets" inspired by rock concerts into their shows.

Alabama was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019 and were awarded with the first ever Life Time Achievement Award from this institution.

The members of Alabama are:

- Randy Owen (lead vocals and rhythm guitar)
- Teddy Gentry (bass guitar and backing vocals)

Dixieland Delight
Alabama Lyrics

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Rolling down a backwoods Tennessee byway
One arm on the wheel
Holding my lover with the other
A sweet soft southern thrill
Worked hard all week
Got a little jingle
On a Tennessee Saturday night
Couldn't feel better

I'm together with my dixieland delight

Spend my dollar
Parked in a holler 'neath the mountain moonlight
Holdin' her up tight
Make a little lovin'
A little turtle dovin' on a Mason Dixon night
It's my life
Oh so right
My dixieland delight

Whitetail buck deer munchin' on clover
Red-tailed hawk sitting on a limb
Chubby ol' groundhog
Croakin' bullfrog
Free as a feeling in the wind
Home grown country girl
Gonna give me a whirl
On a Tennessee Saturday night
Lucky as a seven
Livin' in Heaven
With my dixieland delight

Spend my dollar
Parked in a holler 'neath the mountain moonlight
Holdin' her up tight
Make a little lovin'
A little turtle dovin' on a Mason Dixon night
It's my life
Oh, so right
My dixieland delight

Spend my dollar
Parked in a holler 'neath the mountain moonlight
Holdin' her up tight
Make a little lovin'
A little turtle dovin' on a Mason Dixon night
It's my life
Oh, so right
My dixieland delight

Rolling down a backwoods Tennessee byway
One arm on the wheel

Overall Meaning

"Dixieland Delight" by Alabama is a song about love and the simple pleasures of life in the American South. The lyrics paint a picture of a country boy driving down a Tennessee byway with his lover by his side, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. The singer describes how he has worked hard all week and how he is looking forward to spending a little bit of money on a Saturday night with his lover. He mentions spending a dollar parked in a holler under the mountain moonlight and making a little bit of love in a romantic and intimate way.

The song is full of Southern imagery, with references to whitetail buck deer, red-tailed hawks, chubby ol' groundhogs, and croakin' bullfrogs. The singer also talks about a home-grown country girl who is going to give him a whirl on a Tennessee Saturday night. He feels lucky and blessed to be living in Heaven with his dixieland delight.

Overall, the song is a celebration of the Southern way of life and the joys of love and companionship. It is a song about slowing down and enjoying the simple things in life, like nature and spending time with loved ones.

Line by Line Meaning

Rolling down a backwoods Tennessee byway
Driving down a small Tennessee road through the countryside

One arm on the wheel
Driving with one hand on the steering wheel

Holding my lover with the other
Hugging and holding onto their partner with the other hand

A sweet soft southern thrill
A pleasant and exciting feeling of being in the South

Worked hard all week
Spent the week working hard

Got a little jingle
Earned some extra money

On a Tennessee Saturday night
Enjoying the weekend in Tennessee

Couldn't feel better
Feeling really good

I'm together with my dixieland delight
Being together with a special someone who brings joy and happiness

Spend my dollar
Spending their hard-earned money

Parked in a holler 'neath the mountain moonlight
Stopping the car in a quiet, secluded area at night