THE OAK RIDGE BOYS KICK-OFF CHRISTMAS IN TENNESSEE SHOW AT GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT TONIGHT!

39th Annual A Country Christmas Celebration Brings The Oak Ridge Boys’ ‘Christmas In Tennessee’ Dinner Show
Back to Popular Holiday Destination

 November 23 – December 25, 2022

GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys, return tonight to the Gaylord Opryland Resort to celebrate the holiday season at home this year with a 32-show residency as part of the resort’s 39th annual ‘A Country Christmas’ event. The Oaks’ ‘Christmas in Tennessee’ Dinner Show, November 23 – December 25, 2022, features a delicious holiday meal prepared by the resort’s culinary team followed by the Oaks and their band performing Christmas classics, new favorites, and many of the timeless hits that have shaped their legendary career. This year’s residency is sponsored by AARP Tennessee. For more information on ‘Christmas in Tennessee’, visit ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com.

“It is such an honor to be bringing our Christmas show back to Gaylord Opryland in 2022 for the THIRD year in a row,” shares Joe Bonsall. “Nobody does Christmas like Gaylord Opryland, and our dinner shows have become a part of the tradition over the last few years! We can promise this, our show will be much different than last year, but Santa will still be a part of, as will our big state-of-the-art production. And we will give each audience a strong set list of songs covering every aspect of Christmas. We hope you will plan to join The Oak Ridge Boys over the holidays this year for a gourmet dinner and a show that has been honed over decades of Christmas tours.”

Along with classic Christmas tunes, the Oaks will also perform some of their biggest hits from more than 40 albums including eight of their Christmas albums. The band will also take a look back on Christmas past, celebrate the birth of Christ, and create amazing holiday memories for guests in the festive surroundings of Gaylord Opryland Resort.

JILLIAN JACQUELINE RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM, HONESTLY, ON VINYL

Critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter Jillian Jacqueline today released the Vinyl edition of her critically acclaimed debut album, Honestly. The Vinyl edition includes a bonus track, the new reimagined version of her beloved single, “God Bless This Mess” ft. famed indie-pop band Lucius. Jaqueline today premieres the official music video for the track via Youtube today at 12pm CT, where she will be watching along live and chatting with fans. Watch the premiere here.

Jacqueline’s compassionate songwriting and exquisitely winsome vocal allure has been lauded by Billboard for her ability to “balance her blatant honesty with unshakable optimism… helping separate her from the pack of country mainstays.” Rolling Stone seconded that, pointing out that she has a way of melding “downright melancholy concepts with enough bursts of joy to make pondering the bad stuff a whole lot less painful,” and NPR describing her as an “unvarnished communicator.”

The 12 track Vinyl was co-produced with kindred-spirit musical partners Tofer and Bryan Brown and includes the original 11 tracks from her debut album, including tracks written or performed with Nashville notables Charlie Worsham (“The Ocean”), Lori McKenna (“God Bless This Mess”), Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion (“Bandwagon”) and more.

Beloved by artists, critics and fans alike, Jacqueline has garnered more than 100 million streams with a sequence of initial EPs and singles – including hit tracks “Reasons,” and “If I Were You” featuring Keith Urban and officially released her highly-anticipated debut album in June 2022 through Virgin Music. The album garnered critical acclaim, including her powerful duet “Better With a Broken Heart” with TJ Osborne, which Billboard noted “vocally, Jacqueline and Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne offer a complementary, silk-over-steel wool tension that heightens the song’s mournful undertones” and “Magic,” which was hailed for being “grounding and cathartic and boldly human” by American Songwriter. Jacqueline is currently on the road opening for Cam. For additional information and tour dates, visit https://www.jillianjacqueline.com.

BILLY RAY CYRUS AND FIREROSE RELEASE “TIME”

“Time” Written and Performed by Billy Ray Cyrus and FIREROSE Available Everywhere Now

Global entertainment icon Billy Ray Cyrus and critically acclaimed Aussie songstress FIREROSE release their new single “Time” after recently opening up about their engagement with People Magazine. Click HERE to stream “Time.”

Cyrus says; “A moment of so much change. FIREROSE had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend. And then when we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn’t know could exist. Again, we’re musicians, first and foremost, both of us. And we found this harmony, and this rhythm, this melody to life.” FIREROSE adds; “Time” is about the precious and invaluable nature of time itself. In a world that often demands we worry about the future or dwell on the past, it offers its listeners a moment to just appreciate the present. It’s a song we wrote about choosing to spend each moment with the people we love, and not take a day for granted.”

“Time” is featured in Lionsgate’s “Christmas In Paradise.” Cyrus co-stars in the film with Kelsey Grammer and Elizabeth Hurley which is currently in select theaters and On Demand, Digital and Blu-ray and DVD now. Click HERE to watch the trailer for “Christmas in Paradise.”

Cyrus and FIREROSE co-wrote and recorded “Time” in the midst of the success of their chart topping hit “New Day.”

T.G. SHEPPARD & KELLY LANG JOIN FORCES WITH THE OAK RIDGE BOYS FOR “WHITE CHRISTMAS”

Country music legend T.G. Sheppard and singer-songwriter Kelly Lang are excited to announce the release of their version of the holiday classic, White Christmas.” Joined by Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame members, The Oak Ridge Boys, this fun and light-hearted rendition blends their unique vocal styles, creating an instant fan-favorite that will leave every listener begging for more. “White Christmas” was exclusively premiered by Cowboys & Indians and is available to download and stream on all digital platforms.

To view the “White Christmas” premiere with Cowboys & Indians, visit HERE.

To purchase/stream, visit HERE.

“When one of The Oak Ridge Boys walks into a room it can be exciting, but when they all walk in together, the earth shakes. The earth shook on the day that Kelly and I watched as they walked into the studio to sing on our new duet “White Christmas.” Thanks to The Mighty Oaks for being our featured guests, but more importantly thanks for being our dear friends. We would also like to thank Gus Arrendale and Springer Mountain Farms Chicken for making this single possible.” – T.G. Sheppard & Kelly Lang

“Our longtime friend and brother T.G. Sheppard called and asked if we would sing “White Christmas” with him and Kelly Lang and of course we agreed to do it. Not only do we love them both, but “White Christmas” is probably the most classic Christmas song there is! Overall, it was a great time in the studio and the final mix came out just great. We are honored to be a part of it!!!” – Joe Bonsall / The Oak Ridge Boys

ON-THE-RISE COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST DALLAS REMINGTON RELEASES NEW SINGLE, “GUILTY”

On-the-Rise Country music artist Dallas Remington has released her new single, “Guilty.” The latest in a string of single releases, the tongue-in-cheek tune was co-written by Craig WilsonNancy Deckant and Dallas Remington. “Sometimes being overly honest with your co-writers works out in your favor. One day instead of just saying ‘I’m sorry I was late’ or ‘sorry, there was traffic’ like most people would do, I felt the need to tell Craig and Nancy, in detail, why I was late for our writing appointment. I had seen the most gorgeous metro police officer and a fire truck full of good-looking firemen on my way. Both of those situations had me so flustered that I got lost trying to get to our writing session. That led to a very long conversation about my attraction to men in uniform and the next thing you know, “Guilty” was born!” shared Dallas Remington. Download and stream “Guilty” on all music platforms at https://taplink.cc/guilty_dr.

“Guilty” was produced by Corey Lawson and Harold LaRue served as Mastering Engineer. Studio musicians on the recording included Devin Malone (acoustic guitar), Caleb Gilbreath (drums and percussion), Tim Denbo (bass), Luke Mosley (keys), Nathan Keeterle (electric guitar), Smith Curry (steel guitar / synthesizer) Alexa Slaymaker (BGVs) and engineering by Bobby Holland and Corey Lawson

Keep current with Dallas Remington by following her on her website at dallasremington.com and social media platforms FacebookInstagramTwitter and TikTok. Subscribe to videos on her official YouTube channel. Stream and download Dallas Remington music on SpotifyAmazon MusicApple Music/iTunesPandoraYouTube Music and more.

About Dallas Remington:

Dallas Remington has sass and class. She is a country recording artist and songwriter who knows who she is and what she wants. The Kentucky-born, fifth-generation farming family member took the plunge and moved to Nashville at the age of 15 to pursue her dreams of a country music career. In 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Dallas released a song dedicated to her father and all essential employees – “Uncommon Man”. It has since crossed 700k organic streams on Spotify and charted #43 on the Billboard Country Indicator Chart as well as #24 on the MusicRow Country Breakout and #4 on the CDX True Indie Chart! In May 2021, Dallas released her first Billboard Indicator Top 40 single, “Princess”, which also charted in the top 40 on the MusicRow Country Breakout Chart and in addition to her radio airplay, she enjoyed the success of over a million views of the supporting video and her first video featured on CMT. In 2021, Dallas also released her digital singles “American Soil,” “Wild In The Woods” and her countrified cover of Metallica’s signature song, “Enter Sandman”. In 2022, Dallas set a goal to release one digital single every month. By the end of the year, Dallas will have released 13 singles, “Mullet”, “ White Trash Heart”, her recent viral song “Steal Your Dad”, “Wicked Witch” and now her 12th single “Guilty” for 2022.

EMILY ANN ROBERTS RELEASES NEW OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FROM THE RYMAN AUDITORIUM FOR HER LATEST SONG, “THE BUILDING”

Emily Ann Roberts recently released what some would call her ‘career song,’ “The Building.” Today, she released the official music video shot partially at the mother church of country music, the Ryman Auditorium. This song traces the Roberts family lineage from when her great-grandfather began preaching at her home church in East Tennessee more than 80 years ago. While Emily Ann sings about what this “building” did for her relationship with God, the “building” can also be any place that feels like home- a place to celebrate weddings, birthdays, the birth of a baby or the passing of a loved one. This song has gospel roots but Emily Ann is making traditional county music that sounds like what she grew up on. The gorgeous video was directed by Jeff Johnson on a single camera and the grandiose sweeping shots along with Emily Ann’s stunning vocals completely captivate the viewer. Watch “The Building” official music video here: http://bit.ly/3UWm5zt

“I grew up in East Tennessee and every Sunday and Wednesday night of my life I was at church. My great-grandfather was the pastor of the church and every Sunday felt like a family reunion. My grandmother was the church secretary and my mom and dad met there at vacation bible school when they were kids. It was the first place I ever sang publicly. Even more than the home I grew up in, that little church raised me up. It taught me right from wrong and laid a foundation for my life. It’s the place where I met Jesus and everything changed. No matter where this life takes me, that place will always bring me home,” said Emily Ann.

Emily Ann’s previous release “Whole Lotta Little” has re-energized fans and excited them for new music from the songstress. Since its mid-October release, “Whole Lotta Little” has garnered over one million cumulative streams. Her high-energy live shows are unlike any other and Emily Ann is becoming a consistent face at the Grand Ole Opry. She will be appearing again on Friday, November 18. For more info and additional show dates, please visit emilyannroberts.com.

About Emily Ann Roberts
Influenced by artists like The Chicks and Dolly Parton, Emily Ann Roberts, named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Best Acts of CMA Fest 2019” aims to take her love for authentic, classic country and make it fresh and new. In her hometown of Knoxville, TN, she was raised on mountain music and bluegrass. Her love for the sound shines through each release and sets her apart. In 2015, she placed as the runner-up on NBC’s The Voice. Roberts then began co-writing and recording her own music in Nashville while playing shows at venues across the country opening for big name artists like Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton. Fans can see Emily Ann’s boot stomping live show at over 30 dates in 2022. After dedicating three years to original music, she released the song, “Stuck On Me + You”, followed by “I’ve Got Forever” in 2018, both positively received by fans with over 1.2M streams. Roberts released her debut EP, “Someday Dream,” which landed at number two on Billboard album charts. She returned to The Voice stage to perform the title single “Someday Dream” receiving a standing ovation from all four judges. Most recently, Roberts released her highly-anticipated TikTok hit, “Whole Lotta Little,” and plans to continue releasing music through the year.

JOHN FORD COLEY MAKES GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT

Grand Ole Opry debut, Saturday, November 12, 2022

Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum-selling artist, John Ford Coley (best known for his early career work as one-half of the ‘70s duo England Dan & John Ford Coley whose hits included “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” “We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again,” and “Love is the Answer”) made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, November 12, stepping into the sacred circle after nearly six decades in the business.

“Being on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time after all of these years was a dream come true,” shares John Ford Coley. “I have played all over the world, but the Opry was one place that hadn’t happened. Standing on that iconic circle where so many greats have stood…it takes your breath away. I hope to play it again soon!”

While the duo split in 1980 so England Dan (a.k.a. Dan Seals) could pursue a solo career in country music, Coley has remained busy and active as a songwriter, producer, and actor. He continues to tour and thrill audiences around the globe, including opening for the soft-rock group Ambrosia. England Dan sadly passed away in 2009 of mantle cell lymphoma.

About John Ford Coley:
For nearly six decades, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Coley has thrilled audiences around the globe with his timeless and compelling music. Best known for his early work as half of the Grammy-nominated duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, Coley has topped the charts in Japan and Israel and generated six Top-20s in the United States (four of them charting in the Top 10). He was recently named one of the “Top-10 Artists of All Time” (Rock Justice Award, 2019).

Over the years, he has shared the stage with such artists as Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Carole King, Bread, Loggins & Messina, Poco, Orleans, Lou Gramm, and Gordon Lightfoot, just to name a few. He has written and produced for other acts, including The Hollies, Eddie Money, Tom Wurth, Connie Smith, Rob Guest, and Foss Doll, as well as corporate clients including Maxwell House Coffee and Dr. Pepper.

His boundless creativity and friendly personality have allowed him many opportunities on TV and film. His acting credits include films such as “Dream a Little Dream” alongside Corey Feldman and Jason Robards, and “Scenes from the Gold Mine” alongside musician Timothy B. Schmidt, as well as an episode of “America’s Most Wanted.”

John Ford Coley continues to tour, but when off the road, he is still creative and has even penned a book about his year in the industry entitled “Backstage Pass.”

SCOTTY McCREERY RELEASES SAME TRUCK: THE DELUXE ALBUM

Returns to the Road after Paternity Leave on Nov. 30 for Solo Shows,
Opening for Alabama and Co-Headlining Acoustic Dates with Lee Brice

With 2021’s Same Truck producing two RIAA Gold-certified No. 1 hits “You Time” and three-week chart topper “Damn Strait” along with current climbing single “It Matters To Her,” Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery continues to deliver fan-favorite tracks with today’s release of Same Truck: The Deluxe Album, available on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

“It’s so exciting to release a Deluxe Edition of the Same Truck album with these additional songs that I have been wanting to share with everyone,” said McCreery. “We played a few of them live before I went on paternity leave, and they went over well with the audience. Plus, I’m happy to have the album out on vinyl. That’s what Gabi and I listen to at home, and I’ve heard from many fans that they were also hoping to get the album on vinyl.”

As a co-writer on all but four of the 18 tracks, Same Truck: The Deluxe Album, produced by Frank RogersDerek Wells and Aaron Eschuis, continues to showcase McCreery’s lauded songwriting skills with six new songs, including “On It,” reconnecting McCreery with “In Between” co-writers Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton and Rogers, which was one of three consecutive No. 1 singles from his RIAA Gold-certified album Seasons Change. Celebrated by Billboard as a continuation of “his winning arc of songs pulled from chapters of his own life,” “Small Town Story” finds McCreery joined by his 2013 Platinum-certified Top 10 smash “See You Tonight” co-writers Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell.

Written by McCreery, Rhett Akins and Lee Thomas Miller, the official music video for “It Matters to Her” debuted earlier this week with PEOPLE.com. Directed by Jeff Ray (who also directed McCreery’s videos for “Five More Minutes,” “This is It,” “In Between” and “Damn Strait”), the heartwarming video was filmed while preparations were made for Merrick Avery McCreery’s arrival, featuring a collection of home videos starring his wife Gabi and their dog Moose.

The new dad will return to the road after paternity leave on Nov. 30 to headline the National Finals Rodeo’s Downtown Hoedown on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada. His performance schedule through the end of the year is below.

Nov. 30            Las Vegas, NV            Downtown Hoedown on Fremont Street
Dec. 4              Nashville, TN             Opry Country Christmas at the Grand Ole Opry House
Dec. 7              Houston, TX               KKBQ 93Q Star Party
Dec. 9              Roanoke, VA               Berglund Coliseum (as direct support for Alabama)
Dec. 10            Marietta, GA               Peoples Bank Theatre
Dec. 15            Fort Smith, AR           Temple Live (co-headlining with Lee Brice)
Dec. 16            El Dorado, AR            First Financial Music Hall (co-headlining with Lee Brice)
Dec. 17            Huntsville, AL            Von Braun Center (co-headlining with Lee Brice)
Dec. 18            Raleigh, NC                94.7 QDR Acoustic Christmas for the Kids Guitar Pull

The three dates featuring McCreery co-headlining with Brice will be acoustic shows. Both artists will be on stage for the entire concert, and they will trade off songs with each other, providing a more intimate concert experience than usual.

McCreery will perform on “CMA Country Christmas” on Dec. 8 at 9 PM ET (8 PM CT) on ABC (and next day on Hulu and Disney +). He will ring in the holidays alongside Steven Curtis Chapman, Dan + Shay, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle and The War And Treaty.

His 2018 No. 1, RIAA Double Platinum-certified hit song “Five More Minutes” (co-written with Rogers and Monty Criswell) has inspired a second movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to premiere on Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, starring Ashley Williams and Lucas Bryan. Titled Five More Minutes: Moments Like These, the film is not a sequel to last year’s hit Five More Minutes, and has a brand new storyline. McCreery does not appear in the movie, as it was filmed during the last month of Gabi’s pregnancy.

McCreery also took home a BMI Award last week for co-writing his No. 1, RIAA Gold-certified hit “You Time,” named one of BMI’s Most Performed Country Songs of 2021. Co-writers to the song Frank Rogers and Aaron Eschuis received an ASCAP Award for the song in the same category.

2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Country Nominees

The 2023 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 65th GRAMMY Awards, will air live on Sunday, Feb. 5, from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, and it will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT+. The special ceremony’s broadcast time, hosts, presenters, and performers will be announced soon.

 

Country Nominees
Best Country Solo Performance [For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.]

Heartfirst
Kelsea Ballerini

Something In The Orange
Zach Bryan

In His Arms
Miranda Lambert

Circles Around This Town
Maren Morris

Live Forever
Willie Nelson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance [For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.]

Wishful Drinking
Ingrid Andress & Sam Hunt

Midnight Rider’s Prayer
Brothers Osborne

Outrunnin’ Your Memory
Luke Combs & Miranda Lambert

Does He Love You – Revisited
Reba McEntire & Dolly Parton

Never Wanted To Be That Girl
Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde

Going Where The Lonely Go
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Best Country Song [A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.]

Circles Around This Town
Ryan Hurd, Julia Michaels, Maren Morris & Jimmy Robbins, songwriters (Maren Morris)

Doin’ This
Luke Combs, Drew Parker & Robert Williford, songwriters (Luke Combs)

I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
Lori McKenna & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)

If I Was A Cowboy
Jesse Frasure & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die
Rodney Crowell & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Willie Nelson)

‘Til You Can’t
Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis, songwriters (Cody Johnson)

Best Country Album [For albums containing greater than 50% playing time of new country recordings.]

Growin’ Up
Luke Combs

Palomino
Miranda Lambert

Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville
Ashley McBryde

Humble Quest
Maren Morris

A Beautiful Time
Willie Nelson

ALABAMA CO-FOUNDER AND COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME MEMBER JEFF COOK PASSES AT 73

Jeff Cook, founding member and legendary guitarist of the supergroup ALABAMA, has died. Cook, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame,  Musicians Hall of Fame, Fiddlers Hall of Fame and Gibson’s Guitarist of the Year, passed away peacefully yesterday, November 7, with his family and close friends by his side at his beach home in Destin, Florida. He was 73. The multi-award winning guitarist was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012. Cook was a champion in all he attempted and he courageously faced his battle with a positive attitude.

Jeffrey Alan Cook was born in Fort Payne, Alabama on August 27, 1949. He began playing lead guitar and keyboards in bands at the age of 13. Securing a broadcast license only three days after his 14th birthday, Cook went to work as a disc jockey at a local Fort Payne radio station. The broadcast bug had entered his blood and later resulted in him owning radio and TV stations. After graduating from Fort Payne High School, Cook received a degree in Electronic Technology from Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, Alabama and was named “Outstanding Alumni” by the American Association of Community Colleges. Cook loved that radio combined two of his favorite things, music and electronics.

One of Cook’s lifelong dreams came true with the construction of Cook Sound Studios and his home, “Cook Castle,” based in Fort Payne. The studio was a way for him to help musicians share their music with others. Outside of music, one of his favorite hobbies was bass fishing. He was proud to be an official “Fishing Ambassador” to the state of Alabama, as proclaimed by five Governors.

Cook is credited for introducing the electric double neck guitar to country music. He was also an accomplished musician with the ability to play piano, guitar, fiddle, bass guitar, banjo, mandolin and anything else thrown in front of him.
He married the love of his life, Lisa Williams, on June 9, 1995. The Cooks resided in “Cook Castle” atop Lookout Mountain in Fort Payne, AL, Guntersville, AL and Destin/Miramar Beach, FL.

As a member of ALABAMA, Cook enjoyed one of the most successful careers in country music history. Over 50 years ago, Cook, along with cousins Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen, left Fort Payne to spend the summer playing music in a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina bar called The Bowery. It took Cook, Gentry and Owen six long years of tip jars and word-of-mouth to earn the major label deal they’d been dreaming of. Then, seemingly no time at all to change the face of country music forever. Cook’s iconic guitar licks, unique fiddle style, exceptional vocals and harmony, along with his bandmates, went on to sell 80 million albums and charted 43 No. 1 hits, becoming the biggest group in the history of the country genre.

Due to Cook’s health battle, he ceased touring with ALABAMA in 2018. With his encouragement and well wishes, ALABAMA went on because Cook never wanted “the music to stop or the party to end.”

With his profound desire to help others, The Jeff and Lisa Cook Foundation was formed along with The Jeff and Lisa Cook Children’s Home to house orphaned children worldwide, starting in the Philippines.

Cook is survived by his wife of 27 years Lisa Cook, beloved puppies Blazer and Blakely, his mother Betty Cook, his brother David Cook, Crystal Cook, his father-in-law Jerrial Williams, his brother-in-law Randy Williams and many nieces and nephews. Cook was pre-deceased by his father James Cook and his mother-in-law, JoAnn Williams.

Jeffrey Alan Cook will always be thankful for his loving family, many close friends and especially… his FANS.

ALABAMA’s Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry released the following statements, mourning the passing of their friend, cousin and bandmate of more than 50 years, Jeff Cook.

“He lived to play our music we created together. He could play any instrument he chose, but his harmonies I’ll miss the most. I’m thankful we got to create music together for over 50 years! Wish we could play ‘My Home’s in Alabama’ one more time. I’m hurt in a way I can’t describe! To Lisa, thanks for loving him and being there for him to the end. Play on, Jeff. Love you!” –Randy Owen

“Closer than brothers, we lived together more than with our immediate families. Don’t think I’ve known anyone who loved playing more. Jeff, along with me and Randy, experienced the highs of undreamed success, as well as some very tough early years. None of us were perfect, but together we had something so special it will never die. No other guitar player I’ve known had the range of styles Jeff had. No one can take your place. Ever. Rest in peace till we get to jam again.” –Teddy Gentry