Alabama, legendary country music group, announce Huntsville concert
Eighty million albums sold. Forty-three number-one country hits and 21 of those in a row. Dozens of Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards. And in 2023, one new tour.
Country Music Hall of Fame group Alabama — known for songs like “Mountain Music,” “40 Hour Week,” “The Closer You Get” and “Song of the South” — have announced a Dec. 1 show at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center Propst Arena. The Fort Payne-founded group is led by frontman Randy Owen and bassist/backing vocalist Teddy Gentry.
Tickets for the Huntsville show, part of Alabama’s “Roll On Tour,” are $40 to $150 (plus applicable fees) and go on sale 10 a.m. Aug. 25 via Ticketmaster.com and the VBC Box Office, 700 Monroe St. Country singer Lee Greenwood, of “God Bless the U.S.A” fame and a Grammy winner for his 1983 single “I.O.U.,” is the support act.
Alabama last performed at the Von Braun Center in 1989, according to a VBC rep. The group also did concerts there in ‘86, ‘85, ‘84, ‘83 and ‘82.
Starting out in the early ‘70s as a band called Wildcountry before changing their name about five years in, Alabama became crossover superstars during the 1980s. During the ‘80s, Alabama had 10 straight albums go platinum or multiplatinum, including iconic LPs like “The Closer You Get …” and “Roll On.”
In addition to Owen and Gentry, founding members included their cousin Jeff Cook, a guitarist and fiddle player. The group’s classic lineup also included drummer Mark Herndon. The band parted ways with Herndon in the early 2000s. In late 2022, Cook died at age 73. His passing shook the country community and beyond.
Earlier this year, Alabama rebooted their June Jam hometown destination concert. June Jam’s original run went from 1982 to 1997. In addition to Alabama, performers at past June Jams included the likes of Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, The Judds, Charley Pride, Steve Earle, Clint Black, Charlie Daniels Band and Glen Campbell. The 2023 June Jam, as always headlined by Alabama, also boasted performances by the likes of Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, The Oak Ridge Boys and Exile.
2023 is shaping up to be a historic year of country concerts at the Von Braun Center. In April, the VBC hosted a star-studded tribute concert to legendary singer George Jones featuring Wynonna Judd, Brad Paisley and others. In October, the Huntsville venue will be the site of a tribute to country crooner Randy Travis.
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