Jeff Cook, guitarist and co-founder of the band Alabama, dead at 73

Jeff Cook, one of the original members of the country band Alabama, has died, according to the group’s representative, Don Murry Grubbs. He was 73.

Cook died at his vacation home in Destin, Florida on Monday “with his family and close friends by his side,” according to a press release and a statement posted to the band’s social media accounts. Cook, the statement added, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012.

A guitarist and co-founder of Alabama, Cook also played fiddle and other musical instruments for the band. He is “credited for introducing the electric double neck guitar to country music,” the statement said.

He was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in 2019 and is also a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Fiddlers Hall of Fame.

Over the course of his country music career as part of Alabama, Cook sold 80 million albums and charted 43 No. 1 hits.

The band enjoyed 13 Grammy nominations and two wins – back-to-back trophies in 1983 and 1984 for best country performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Mountain Music” and “The Closer You Get,” respectively.

Cook, a native of Fort Payne, Alabama, is survived by his wife of 27 years Lisa Cook, his mother Betty and his brother David, among other family members.