Editing Alabama (band) (section)

===1969–1979: Formation and early years===
[[Image:FortPayneAir.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Alabama formed in [[Fort Payne, Alabama]] (seen here in 1999).]]
Alabama was formed by guitarists Randy Owen and Jeff Cook, and bassist Teddy Gentry, three cousins born and raised near Fort Payne, Alabama, an area with strong country music roots.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Owen and Gentry grew up on separate [[cotton]] farms on [[Lookout Mountain]] (a plateau that stretches across northeastern Alabama, through northwest Georgia and into Tennessee), learning guitar together and singing in church before the age of six.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Gentry and Owen played in numerous groups during the 1960s, ranging from [[pop music|pop]] to [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Cook joined the band in 1969 forming the group Young Country, which first jammed together around Christmas.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Cook also played in numerous other bands and was a [[rock and roll]] [[disc jockey]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} The three cousins all shared vocal duties, with another cousin, drummer Jackie Owen, completing the group's first lineup.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The band's first performance was at a high school talent contest (playing a [[Merle Haggard]] song), for which they won first prize and tickets to the [[Grand Ole Opry]].<ref name="usatoday"/>{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Despite this, all were too busy with prior commitments to pursue music: Owen still in high school, Cook working for [[Western Electric]], and Gentry laying carpets full-time.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The band grew further inactive when Cook and Owen went to college.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}

The group became a professional band in 1972, adding drummer Bennett Vartanian and changing their name to Wildcountry.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} During this time, the group accepted a position playing at the now-defunct Canyon Land theme park near Fort Payne.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}}{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The park would bring in established stars, such as [[Jerry Wallace]], [[Bobby Bare]], and [[Narvel Felts]], and the band would back them, afterwards performing a one-hour dance set.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} After a while, with opportunities for the band slow to materialize, a discouraged Cook took a government job in [[Anniston, Alabama]]. Owen was studying English at [[Jacksonville State University]], and Cook had an electronics job.<ref name=billboard>{{cite magazine| last =Flippo| first =Chip| date =August 29, 1998| title =Alabama: The ''Billboard'' Interview| magazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =110| issue = 35| publisher =[[Prometheus Global Media]]| location =[[New York City]]| issn =0006-2510}}</ref> The trio shared a $56-a-month apartment in Anniston,<ref name="billboard"/> and worked to keep the band afloat with night and weekend gigs.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} The group decided to become professional musicians in 1973, and began performing at bars throughout the [[Southeast United States|Southeast]].{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} In March, the band relocated to [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]], performing six nights a week at a club named The Bowery for tips.{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}}<ref name="tenn"/> They made their best money performing [[cover (music)|cover]] songs of [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] and Merle Haggard.<ref name="usatoday"/> The group could not secure a record contract and began to self-finance recordings.<ref name="billboard"/> The group borrowed $4,000 from a Fort Payne bank to record and release their own albums to sell at shows.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Vartanian dropped out of the group, and following a rotation of four more drummers, they settled on Rick Scott in 1974.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}}

The group sent out demo tapes to record companies but received few responses until executives at [[GRT Records]] signed the band to a one-record contract,{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} issuing their debut single, "I Wanna Be with You Tonight", in 1977.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} GRT was more interested in the band as songwriters, and convinced the group to change their name to The Alabama Band, later shortened to just Alabama.<ref name="billboard1"/>{{sfn|McCall|Rumble|Kingsbury|2012|p=5}} The song only reached number 78 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Songs]] charts,<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|date=2008|pages=19–20|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}</ref> and GRT declared bankruptcy the following year. Due to a hidden clause in their contract, Alabama was forbidden from recording with another label.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} For the next two years, the band raised money to buy out their contract and they began recording again in 1979.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} Following self-recorded efforts ''Wildcountry'' (1976) and ''Deuces Wild'' (1977), ''Alabama Band No. 3'' (1979) became the band's third album, and the band performed over 300 shows on the road that year.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} The group hired independent radio promoters to receive radio play for the single "[[I Wanna Come Over]]", and they sent hand-written letters to program directors and DJs nationwide.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} It received the attention of [[Dallas]]-based MDJ Records, who signed the band.{{sfn|Stambler|Landon|2000|p=5}} Scott left the group at this time, and was replaced by Mark Herndon, a rock drummer later credited with bringing the band their signature sound.{{sfn|Erlewine|Woodstra|Bogdanov|Erlewine|1997|p=4}} "I Wanna Come Over", became their first radio hit, reaching the top 40 in the ''Billboard'' country chart.<ref name="billboard3"/>