<P> The band's blend of traditional country music and Southern rock combined with elements of gospel, and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their success . They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and "sets" inspired by rock concerts into their shows . The band has over 30 number one country records on the Billboard charts to their credit and have sold over 75 million records, making them the most successful band in country music history . AllMusic credited the band with popularizing the idea of a country band and wrote that "It's unlikely that any other country group will be able to surpass the success of Alabama ." </P> <P> 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 . 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 . Gentry and Owen played in numerous groups during the 1960s, ranging from pop to bluegrass . Cook joined the band in 1969 forming the group Young Country, which first jammed together around Christmas . Cook also played in numerous bands and was a rock and roll disk jockey . The three cousins all shared vocal duties, with another cousin, drummer Jackie Owen, completing the group's first lineup . 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 . Despite this, all were busy with prior commitments to pursue music: Owen still in high school, Cook working for Western Electric, and Gentry laying carpets full - time . The band grew further inactive when Cook went to college and Owen into the military . </P> <P> The group became a professional band in 1972, adding drummer Bennett Vartanian and changing their name to Wildcountry . During this time, the group accepted a position playing at the nearby Canyonland theme park . 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 . After a while, with opportunities for the band slimmed, a discouraged Cook took a government job in Anniston, Alabama . Owen was studying English at Jacksonville State University, and Cook had an electronics job . The trio shared at $56 - a-month apartment in Anniston, working to keep the band afloat with night and weekend gigs . The group decided to become professional musicians in 1973, and began performing at bars throughout the Southeast . In March, the band relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, performing six nights a week at a club named The Bowery for tips . They made their best money performing cover songs of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Merle Haggard . The group could not secure a record contract and began to self - finance recordings . The group borrowed $4,000 from a Fort Payne bank to record and release their own albums to sell at shows . Vartanian dropped out of the group, and following a rotation of four more drummers, they settled on Rick Scott in 1974 . </P> <P> 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, issuing their debut single, "I Want to Be with You Tonight", in 1977 . GRT was more interested in the band as songwriters, and convinced the group to change their name to the Alabama Band, later shortened to Alabama . The song only reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and GRT declared bankruptcy the following year . Due to a hidden clause in their contract, Alabama was forbidden from recording with another label . For the next two years, the band raised money to buy out their contract and they began recording again in 1979 . Following self - recorded efforts Wildcountry (1976) and Deuces Wild (1977), Alabama Band No. 3 became the band's third album, and the band performed over 300 shows on the road that year . 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 . It received the attention of Dallas - based MDJ Records, who signed the band . 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 . "I Wanna Come Over", became their first radio hit, reaching the top 40 in the Billboard country chart . </P>

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