Introduction:
When Jeff Cook passed away on November 7, 2022, Randy Owen quietly said, “I hurt in a way that’s hard to explain.” And he meant it — for more than fifty years, Jeff wasn’t merely the man onstage beside him; he was family. They had shared everything: long nights on the road, laughter spanning empty arenas, and a bond built on trust that only comes around once in a lifetime.
Jeff was far more than the lead guitarist of Alabama — he was its heartbeat. He could pick up any instrument and make it sing whether fiddle, mandolin, or electric guitar. 
Yet what Randy misses most isn’t simply the music. It’s the harmony — that pure, effortless sound that only Jeff could deliver, the sound that transformed three small-town boys into one of the greatest country bands the world has known.
They sang of faith, love, and home — timeless themes that never fade. Perhaps that’s why their songs still strike so deeply. When Randy steps on stage to perform “My Home’s in Alabama,” there’s a moment of silence before the first note, a glance toward the empty space where Jeff once stood. The lights are gentler, the crowd a little hushed. But once the music begins, you can almost feel Jeff’s presence — somewhere in the melody, somewhere in the harmony.
Randy once said, “I wish we could sing My Home’s in Alabama one more time.”
Maybe, in some way, they still do — every time that song plays, every time a fan turns the volume up, every time a voice cracks on that final note. Because brothers like Randy and Jeff don’t truly say goodbye. They just keep singing — one in the light, one echoing in the heart — both forever home beneath those same southern skies.