Alabama guitarist and fiddle player Jeff Cook revealed on Tuesday, April 11, that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease four years ago and plans to step away from touring with the country rock band.
“This disease robs you of your coordination, your balance, and causes tremors,” Cook, 67, said in a statement to USA Today‘s The Tennessean. “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. 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.”
Though the musician will stop touring as of April 29, he is set to play a concert with the band’s vocalist Randy Owen and bassist Teddy Gentry in Orange Beach, Alabama, on May 27, as well as a fan event in June. He also plans to join the band for various tour dates when he feels up to it.
“We could hire 10 people, but we can’t replace Jeff Cook in the group Alabama,” Gentry, 65, said, adding that Cook’s microphone will be on stage regardless. “Like Jeff said, when this is all you’ve ever known and you love the music, you want to see it go on as long as possible. Alabama has surpassed what any of us ever dreamed of, but I still love to play more or as much as I did [yesterday], and I know Jeff does, too.”
The Tennessean noted that Cook struggled to open a bottle of water after he read his statement aloud. Owen, 67, reached across the table, removed the lid and handed the bottle back to his longtime bandmate.
Some fans had speculated that Cook’s behavior was due to a substance abuse problem. Owen and Gentry, who knew about the diagnosis all along, struggled to keep their pal’s secret. “That’s the part that hurts so bad, for people to think that he’s intoxicated or something. He’s not,” Owen said. Gentry added, “I did tell one guy one time it was none of his damn business. I couldn’t help it.”
For now, the band hopes Cook will be able to rejoin the tour on a regular basis. “Whenever he can come be there, he will,” Owen said. “And I think he will. I believe he will. I don’t see the future, but I feel the future.”
