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Well-known musician and member of the Alabama band, Jeff Cook, recently passed away on November 7 at the age of 73. A representative for the band revealed that he died at his residence in Destin, Florida.
Singer and songwriter Travis Tritt paid tribute to Cook on social media and wrote:
“Sending out my deepest condolences to the family, friends and band mates of Jeff Cook from @TheAlabamaBand. Such a great guy an one heckuva bass fisherman. He will be truly missed.”
No funeral plans have been made yet and further details on the same shall be revealed soon.
Jeff Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017
Jeff Cook died on Monday from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2017 and his bandmates Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry were aware of the same.
Cook stepped back from touring in April 2017 when the disease began to affect his body. He wrote a statement to his fans that stated that the disease had a severe impact on coordination and balance and caused tremors.
The statement read:
“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 continued:
"Let me say, I’m not calling it quits but sometimes our bodies dictate what we have to do, and mine is telling me it’s time to take a break and heal.”
He read the statement to USA Today journalists and after he finished reading it, Randy Owen reached across the table and took the water bottle Cook was having trouble opening, popped the lid loose, and handed it back to him. Owen stated that it hurts since people think that Cook is intoxicated when he is not.
Cook realized there was something wrong when he was not able to cast his fishing lure accurately. This was followed by some issues with playing certain notes on the guitar. Randy and Teddy were concerned that Cook had suffered a stroke and Cook’s doctor hinted that he might have Parkinson’s disease. He then underwent a test and the results confirmed the same.
Jeff Cook was a guitarist for the Alabama band
Born on August 27, 1949, Jeff Cook graduated from Fort Payne High School and Jacksonville State University. He soon acquired a broadcast engineering license and started working as a disc jockey at a local radio station.
He was the co-founder of the band Wildcountry with Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry in 1972. He was a vocalist for the band and played various musical instruments. The band stopped performing in 2004 and Cook formed groups like Cook & Glenn and the Allstar Goodtime Band.
Jeff was also the founder of Cook Sound Studios, Inc. and the radio station WQRX-AM. He also operated a restaurant and marketed his sauce.
In addition to this, he endorsed the 2008 presidential candidacy of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019.
Jeff joined the Alabama band in 1969 and the group gained recognition for their singles like Love in the First Degree, Mountain Music, Song of the South, and more.
Cook is survived by his wife Lisa, mother Betty, and his brother David. The family has requested that his fans make donations in lieu of flowers to the Jeff and Lisa Cook Foundation.
