With the recently announced return of Alabama’s beloved live concert tradition June Jam, comes even bigger news. The lineup.
Videos by American Songwriter
The acclaimed country band – now made up of surviving members Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry – has invited their famous friends to the VFW Fairgrounds in Fort Payne, Alabama, for the June 3 celebration.
The event will see Alabama headline with Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Frontmen, Exile, Mark Wills, Neal McCoy, Dailey & Vincent, Home Free, The Malpass Brothers, and Dee Jay Silver making appearances. Randy Travis will also be gracing the lineup as a special guest. Additional guests will be announced later.
“I’m real thankful that the stars have lined up, and we can do it,” Owen detailed the event in conversation with People. “It’s sad that Jeff [Cook] won’t be part of it, but he’ll be part of it because his footprints are all over everything that we do.”
Their late bandmate and cousin Jeff Cook, who passed away on Nov. 7, 2022, will be honored with a public Celebration of Life ceremony the week of the event. Called their Fan Appreciation Week, other events will take place in the days preceding the concert, including a talent contest, a songwriters concert, and a special Jeff & Lisa Cook Foundation brunch titled “Fandemonium” at Owen’s farm.
Like the band, June Jam has a decades-old legacy. The inaugural event was held in 1982 and brought together some of the biggest names in country music for charity. By 1991, the event was one of the largest country music gatherings in the nation. Since its inception, the June Jam Foundation has raised more than $15 million for charities. This year’s June Jam marks the first since 1997.
“Speaking for myself, I wanted to leave something for the city to continue on after we’re going,” Owen told the outlet. “Jeff passed away, and the one thing we can give is our name to the June Jam that they can continue to hold. As long as there are people there in the city after we pass on, they still have a great function, a great festival. It can be a real positive for the city, the state, and the Southeast or the nation.”
Photo by Rick Diamond
