For nearly five decades, the bond between Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook was more than music — it was brotherhood. Together, they built Alabama into one of the greatest country bands of all time, their voices and harmonies shaping a generation and carrying the sound of the South across the world. But when Jeff Cook passed away in 2022 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, that bond was forever altered.
For the first time, Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry have spoken openly about the pain of losing their lifelong friend and bandmate. “We thought we had years ahead,” Randy admitted, his voice breaking. “When you’ve been together as long as we have, you don’t imagine the music stopping. Jeff was more than our guitarist — he was our brother. He was the heart of so many nights on stage, and it’s hard to accept that he’s gone.”
Teddy Gentry echoed the same sorrow. “We always believed there was another song, another show, another tomorrow. But losing Jeff taught us that time is never promised. He carried us through the highs and lows, and even in the hardest days of his illness, he showed more courage than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Their silence, held until now, wasn’t from indifference but from grief too heavy to put into words. Yet by speaking, both men honor the memory of their bandmate — not just as a performer, but as a man who loved deeply, lived fully, and left a legacy that can never be replaced.
As Randy said softly, “We’ll keep singing, because that’s what Jeff would want. But nothing will ever sound the same without him.”
