Alabama will hold its June Jam concert festival for the 18th time this weekend in its hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama. At 74, the band’s frontman Randy Owen readily admits he’s ready to slow down in most areas of his life — but he hopes June Jam is a tradition his hometown carries on long after he’s gone.
“Me and Teddy did it because we thought we could help our community and it would be good for country music,” Owen told PEOPLE. “It’s a true story – do something for the community and we’ll be able to help a few things that make life worthwhile and help people.”
Alabama’s June Jam XVIII takes place Saturday, June 1, at the VFW Fairgrounds in Fort Payne, Alabama. In 2023, the group re-established their popular country music festival for the first time in 26 years. Fans packed the festival grounds, and merchandise sold out in minutes. This year’s event promises to be just as popular. The lineup includes Old Dominion, Shenandoah, Lee Greenwood, Montgomery Gentry including Eddie Montgomery, Mark Wills, Exile, John Berry, Taylor Hicks, The Malpass Brothers, The Castellows, Jeff Bates, Worth the Wait and more.
As in years past, June Jam will benefit those in need and disaster relief in and around Alabama.
“Our wishes are for the city to continue doing June Jam after Teddy and I have crossed over to the sunny side,” the singer said.
Owen described Fort Payne as “a neat place to live and go to school” and compared it to the set of a Hallmark movie.
“I just pulled out of Fort Payne a few minutes ago and construction workers are working on the site,” he said. – Everyone waved at me when I passed.
Alabama is reviving its legendary June Jam Festival, planning a public memorial service for guitarist Jeff Cook the same week
If Fort Payne is the town that made Alabama, Alabama is the band that made Old Dominion.
Members of Old Dominion know they wouldn’t have their careers without Alabama. And that’s just one of the reasons country music’s most popular contemporary band will be heading south on Saturday to play June Jam.
The former Alabama management company runs Old Dominion, which had hit songs including “Hotel Key,” “One Man Band” and “Break Up with Him.”
“I’m sure things that we don’t even realize happened to us were modeled by the people who helped them get to where they are,” said Old Dominion’s Geoff Sprung.
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Old Dominion.
Mason Allen
“They paved the way,” added Old Dominion’s Trevor Rosen. “They changed the perception of what it meant to be a band in country music. There hadn’t been a successful band in country music so people suddenly realized it was possible.”
Old Dominion lead singer Matthew Ramsey said the group tries to follow Alabama’s creative roadmap as closely as possible.
“They created their own track and landscape in which they worked,” Ramsey said. “They weren’t trying to chase what anybody else was doing. They were just doing what they were doing, and nobody could touch it. That’s what we try and do: ignore the temptation to chase what we think radio wants or what people We want and stay true to ourselves, and we’ve managed to create our own thing.”
Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey recalls turning off the water in the band’s early days as they won the 2024 ACM Awards.
Owen is excited about the band’s hometown show on Saturday. He’s looking forward to playing Alabama hits ‘Mountain Music,’ ‘Tennessee River,’ ‘Feels So Right’ and more. He said it’s just a matter of “getting on stage and doing it.”
“We can’t wait to see the fans who made it all possible,” he said.
The Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame group has been a country music staple for more than five decades and icons of the genre for nearly as long. The group included Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Owen until Cook died after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2022. Now Gentry and Owen tour the country, maintaining the band’s rich legacy.
The band, who are also cousins, had 43 No. 1 hits, including “Mountain Music,” “Roll On,” “Dixieland Delight” and “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle In The Band )” and sold more than 80 million albums – enough to be the most successful band in country music history. Owen and Gentry decided to continue playing shows – with Cook’s blessing – after his death.
In addition to playing June Jam, Alabama will also be hitting the stage in various states this summer during their ALABAMA 2024 ROLL ON II North American tour. Stops include shows in South Carolina, Georgia, North Dakota, Canada and elsewhere.
“With all the things going on in the world with our friends and everything, I’m just proud to be alive and proud to still be able to play music,” Owen said.
ALABAMA 2024 ROLL ON II North American Tour Dates:
June 1 – June Jam XVIII – Fort Payne, Al
June 13 – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park – Wilmington, Nc
June 15 – Southeastern Bbq Showdown at Segra Park – Columbia, Sc
June 22 – Long Leaf Country Music Festival – Gay, Ga
June 27 – Prairie Knights Casino and Resort – Fort Yates, Nd
June 29 – Dauphin’s Countryfest – Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada
July 19 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, Tn
July 25 – Ohio State Fair – Columbus, Oh
July 27 – The Amp At Log Still – Gethsemane, Ky
August 8 – Freeman Art Pavilion – Selbyville, De
August 10 – Atlantic Union Bank After Hours at Servpro Pavilion – Doswell, Va
August 17 – Missouri State Fair – Sedalia, Mo
August 30 – Kickoff Jam – Panama City Beach, Fl
September 11 – Pechanga Resort Casino Summit – Temecula, Ca
September 13 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys – Stateline, Nv
September 18 – Washington State Fair – Puyallup, Wa
November 8 – amphitheater of St. Augustina – St. Augustine, Fl
November 9 – amphitheater of St. Augustina – St. Augustine, Fl
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Source: HIS Education