Jeff Cook, one of the founding members of the country group Alabama, has died. The man was 73.
Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017: A representative for the band said he died at his home in Florida.
Tritt called Cook a great guy and a great bass fisherman.
According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Cook, along with cousins Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, had eight No. 1 songs on the country charts. The pop hits "Love In The First Degree" and "feels so right" were part of that run.
"Jeff Cook, and all of the guys in Alabama, were so generous withwisdom and fun when I got to tour with them as a young artist." Someone who looked like me was shown a kid in a T-shirt that country music could be real. I grew up in East Tennessee and it gave me the desire to chase this dream.
The band won five Entertainer of the Year awards from 1981 to 1985 and had a three-year run as Entertainer of the Year from 1982 to 1985. He didn't tour with Alabama in the last year.
Cook was a member of the Allstar Goodtime Band. He collaborated with William Shatner. He became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
His wife is one of the survivors.
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