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)
Jukebox in My Mind
Alabama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the corner of my mind stands a jukebox
It's playing all my favorite memories
One by one they take me back
To the days when you were mine
And i can't stop this jukebox in my mind
I don't need no quarters
You filled it up forever
When you said goodbye
Heaven knows i love old melodies
They were meant to ease the pain
But the kind that's playing on my mind
Are driving me insane
[Chorus]
Song by song those melodies
Were meant to ease the pain
But the kind that's playing on my mind
Are driving me insane
[Chorus]
Tag
No i can't stop this jukebox in my mind
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Alabama's song "Jukebox in My Mind" depict the pain and agony of a person who is struggling to come to terms with a lost love. The main theme of the song revolves around reminiscing about past memories, and how they can't help but resurface time and again, in the form of an unrelenting jukebox in the singer's mind. The emotional turmoil is reflected in the lyrics, where the singer expresses how the memories and melodies they are listening to, are not helping in easing the pain but driving them insane.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it describes the memories playing one after the other, drowning the singer in nostalgia. This image of the jukebox in the corner of the singer's mind is a powerful one- a metaphor that's both vivid and imaginative. The lines, 'I don't need no quarters, don't need any dimes' are also significant in conveying the sense in which the singer is forced to replay the memories- like a jukebox that can't be stopped.
Overall, "Jukebox in My Mind" is an eloquent testimony to the power of music and memories to heal and to hurt. The singer acknowledges how much they loved the old melodies but also realizes that they're now causing more harm than good.
Line by Line Meaning
In the corner of my mind stands a jukebox
There is a place within my thoughts where a jukebox remains present
It's playing all my favorite memories
The jukebox plays all of my cherished memories
One by one they take me back
The memories take me back individually and sequentially, as if I am reliving each one
To the days when you were mine
The memories transport me back to the days when you were a part of my life
And i can't stop this jukebox in my mind
I cannot cease the memories from replaying in my mind
I don't need no quarters
I do not require coins to use this jukebox in my mind
Don't need any dimes
Nor do I need ten cent coins to operate it
You filled it up forever
You completed the jukebox and it will never run out of memories
When you said goodbye
When you left me
Heaven knows i love old melodies
I appreciate classic songs
They were meant to ease the pain
These songs are intended to alleviate emotional turmoil
But the kind that's playing on my mind
However, the songs replaying in my mind do not provide that comfort
Are driving me insane
They are causing me emotional distress to the point of derangement
Song by song those memories
The memories play out one after the other continuously
Were meant to ease the pain
Their original intent was to provide calmness during difficult times
But the kind that's playing on my mind
Instead, the memories causing chaos in my mind
Are driving me insane
They are leading me to madness
No i can't stop this jukebox in my mind
I am unable to prevent the jukebox in my mind from playing on
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVE GIBSON, RONNIE ROGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kimberly Bittner
on Carolina Mountain Dewe
Why would you put this one to show, when I made a video to it on u-tube.. This dosen't tell the story to the song I have loved for over 30 tears..