Alabama Co-founder Jeff Cook Dies with Wife by His Side — They Housed Orphaned Kids Worldwide

• ALABAMA co-founder Jeff Cook died at 73 at his beach home.

• Jeff Cook and his wife of 27 helped orphaned kids find homes.

• Jeff Cook reached many achievements in his life.

Jeff Cook, the founding member, and guitarist of the group ALABAMA, has passed away at 73. He was at his home when he passed and had close friends and family by his side when he took his final breaths.

Cook had Parkinson's disease from 2012 until this week, when he lost the battle in Destin, Florida. He achieved many things during his life and will be fondly remembered by fans and colleagues alike.

Cook did well at everything he was part of, and even his illness ensured that he could face it with a

. Parkinson's has not been ruled the official cause of his death, but he did stop touring with ALABAMA in 2018 due to debilitating

.

What Were Cook's Dreams and Achievements with His Wife?

On June 9, 1995, Cook married the love of his life. Her name is Lisa Williams, and the pair were together for 27 years before Cook passed away on Monday, November 7, 2022. The couple built a beautiful life together that consisted of helping others.

Cook and Lisa lived in "Cook Castle," a home that Cook built for them in Fort Payne. Alongside the house was Cook Sound Studios, which Cook created to help musicians bring their music to life and share it with the world.

The family asked that money be donated to his and Lisa's foundation instead of flowers.

However, simply helping musicians share their music was not enough for Cook, and he had the desire to help more people. This led to him and Lisa embarking on a philanthropic venture together.

The Jeff and Lisa Cook Foundation was formed in conjunction with The Jeff and Lisa Cook Children's Home. The organizations see to it that orphans have safe places to live and grow up while orphaned.

The couple started in the Philippines with their organization but eventually moved worldwide. Cook was also fond of bass fishing and took great pride in being named a "Fishing Ambassador" in Florida.

He is fondly remembered by Lisa, his mother, brother, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and the many nieces and nephews he and Lisa had. The family asked that money be donated to his and Lisa's foundation instead of flowers.

How Did Jeff Cook Reach Success?

Cook took an interest in music from a young age. At 13, he had begun playing lead guitar and keyboard and was on the fast track to becoming a master at each. By age 14, he was working as a disc jockey at one of Fort Payne's local radio stations, but his expertise would not stop there as he explored his passions more and more.

Cook later owned radio and TV stations because of his love of broadcasting. When Cook graduated high school, he went to the Gadsden State Community College to obtain a degree in Electronic Technology.

Cook's fellow band members credited him with bringing the energy to the stage.

The guitarist loved the fact that music allowed him to explore two of his passions; music and electronics. He rose to fame shortly after this and became the person who introduced the double-neck electric guitar to country music.

While he was an accomplished guitarist, he could also play many other instruments, and some even believed that he would be able to play any instrument set in front of him. He is best known for his role in ALABAMA.

During his time with the band, they sold over 80 million albums worldwide. Some of their best-known songs are "Dixieland Delight," "Tennessee River," and "If You're Going to Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)."

ALABAMA was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 but also had many other achievements. They won multiple CMA awards, and Cook's fellow band members credited him with bringing the energy to the stage.