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Before Alabama, bands were usually relegated to a supporting role in country music. In the first part of the century, bands were popular with audiences across the country, but as recordings became available, nearly every popular recording artist was a vocalist, not a group. Alabama was the group that restored made country bands popular again. Emerging in the late '70s, the band had roots in both country and rock; in fact, many of their musical concepts, particularly the idea of a performing band, owed more to rock and pop than hardcore country. However, there is no denying that Alabama is a country band - their pop instincts may come from rock, but their harmonies, songwriting and approach are indebted to country, particularly the Bakersfield sound of Merle Haggard, bluegrass, and the sound of Nashville pop. Their sleek, country-rock sound made the group the most popular country group in history, selling more records than any other artist of the '80s and earning stacks of awards.
First cousins Randy Owen (b. December 14, 1949; lead vocal, rhythm guitar) and Teddy Gentry (b. January 22, 1952; vocals, bass) form the core of Alabama. Owen and Gentry grew up on separate cotton farms on Lookout Mountain in Alabama, but the pair learned how to play guitar together; the duo also had sang in church together before they were six years old. On their own, Gentry and Owen played in a number of different bands during the '60s, playing country, bluegrass and pop on different occasions. During high school, the duo teamed with another cousin, Jeff Cook (b. August 27, 1949; lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, fiddle), to form Young Country in 1969. Before joining his cousins, Cook had played in a number of bands and was a rock & roll DJ. Young Country's first gig was at a high school talent contest, where they performed a Merle Haggard song; the band won first prize at the contest, a trip to the Grand Ole Opry. However, the group was fairly inactive as Owen and Cook went to college.

After Randy Owen and Jeff Cook graduated from college, they moved with Teddy Gentry to Anniston, Alabama, with the intention of keeping the band together. Sharing an apartment, the band practiced at night and performed manual labor during the day. They changed their name to Wildcountry in 1972, adding drummer Bennet Vartanian to the lineup. The following year, the band made the decision to become professional musicians, quitting their jobs and playing a number of bars in the South East. During this time, Wildcountry began writing their own songs, including "My Home's In Alabama." Vartanian left the band soon after they turned professional; after losing four more drummers, they added Rick Scott to the lineup in 1974.

Wildcountry changed their name to Alabama in 1977, the same year they signed a one-record contract with GRT. The resulting single, "I Wanna Be With You Tonight," was a minor success, peaking in the Top 80. Nevertheless, the single's performance was an indication that Alabam

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