Jeff Cook, Guitarist And Co-Founder Of Country Band Alabama, Dead At 73

Jeff Cook, co-founder and guitarist of country band Alabama, has died. The band confirmed in a press release the Country Music Hall of Famer died peacefully in his home in Destin, Florida, on Nov. 7 after a 10-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

"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, Nov. 7, with his family and close friends by his side at his beach home in Destin, Florida. He was 73," the statement reads. "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."

Cook released a statement announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2017, saying he would step back from touring with his band due to his condition.

"This disease robs you of your coordination, your balance, and causes tremors," he said in a statement at the time. "For me, this has made it extremely frustrating to try and play guitar, fiddle, or sing. I've tried not to burden anyone with the details of my condition because I do not want the music to stop or the party to end, and that won't change no matter what."

He also noted despite his hiatus, he was not calling it quits.

"Sometimes, our bodies dictate what we have to do, and mine is telling me it's time to take a break and heal," he said.

Cook and his two cousins, guitarist Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry, co-founded a band in the late '60s before forming Alabama in the '70s. After releasing three successful albums in a decade, they signed a contract with RCA Records to pave the way for their major label debut, "My Home's in Alabama."

Cook and his band sold 80 million albums, charted 34 No. 1 hits, got 13 Grammy nominations and won two Grammys over the course of his career. In 2019, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. He is also a member of the Fiddlers Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame.