50+ years in and Alabama in no hurry to stop

Their hair is whiter, they may move a little bit slower but they sound as perfect as they did when they first exploded onto the music scene, and would change country music forever, over 50 years ago. It was clear that the cousins from Alabama still had that connection with fans and the fans with them as they took to the stage at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa last night.

The Bellamy Brothers let their love flow to the crowd as they warmed up the arena for their country music brethren. Performing their biggest hits “Redneck Girl”, “If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?” and, of course, “Let Your Love Flow”. The small crowd that came for the opening act welcomed them with open arms, singing along and cheering loudly for the Florida based duo.

Alabama took to the stage shortly after 8 and initially I was shocked at how old Randy Owen appeared. He moved very slowly around the stage as if he had limited mobility but by the second song “If you’re gonna play in Texas (you gotta have a fiddle in the band)” the entertainer broke through and breathed some life into the show.

It was a night of memorable hits and unforgettable performances and the sound was as immaculate as it is on their recordings. Of course since we last saw Alabama they had to say farewell to founding member Jeff Cook who passed away last November. Jeff played guitar, fiddle, piano, mandolin and other instruments for the group so you could imagine that his loss only 10 months ago was a big loss for a group with 50+ years of making music together under their belt. But with 50 years comes experience and knowledge of the business so Randy and Teddy quickly filled the void left by Jeff’s passing so that the legacy he helped create could live on.

The incredibly talented Megan Mullins Owen who was already performing with Randy, and is married to Tyler Owen who happens to be Randy’s nephew, joined the band on fiddle and mandolin and boy let me tell you she was the perfect addition. A singer / songwriter herself she gets the business, she’s related through marriage and man can she play the fiddle. The crowd was given a taste of her skills when Randy and Teddy took a break and turned the stage over to her. During the band intros, unquestionably, Megan got a larger and longer ovation than any of the other members. Talk about a stamp of approval.

In all Randy and Teddy might be getting a bit more grey up top and they might not have the mobility that they had 50 years ago but the music still speaks for itself and that’s what we were there to see. One of my favourite moments of the night was when Randy came over to my section and waved to the crowd. Watching his face light up the room when everyone waved back was clear evidence of the respect that the Alabama band has given and earned from their fans over the past 50 years. Even after the last song, “I’m in a Hurry (and I don’t know why)”, Randy and Teddy stayed out on the stage tossing out t-shirts into the crowd taking in as much of the moment as they possibly could.

Over the course of their 50+ year career I’ve been lucky enough to see Alabama twice and I truly hope this wasn’t the last. Many more generations deserve to witness the greatest country music band ever. But if it was the last time I want to thank Randy, Teddy and all of the members, past, present and future, of Alabama for the incredible gift they’ve given us.

No question there were “Angels Among Us” at Canadian Tire Centre last night, it was a show that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

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