Historic festival returns to Fort Payne, AL
Alabama is reviving the group’s legendary June Jam. The live concert event will take place in Fort Payne, AL at the VFW Fairgrounds on June 3rd, marking 26 years since it was last held. The legendary country group will headline and close the festival with special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.
Alabama Fan Club presale ticket purchases are available via Ticketmaster. Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Wednesday, March 1st at 10 am CST and at the Alabama Fan Club & Museum in Port Payne.
“Our wishes are that Fort Payne will take June Jam and it will go on forever,” explains Alabama lead singer Randy Owen. “We lost Jeff and when me and Teddy are gone, hopefully the city will continue with the June Jam. We want this to continue to help the city, the town, the state, and just help people in general.”
Alabama’s Fan Appreciation Week will also take place in the days preceding June Jam. The week will include a public Celebration of Life for the late Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry’s talent contest, a songwriters concert, a brunch at Cook Castle for the Jeff & Lisa Cook Foundation, and “Fandemonium” at Owen’s farm. The week’s full schedule of events will be announced at a later date.
June Jam was created by Fort Payne’s sons, Alabama, and brought some of the biggest names in country music together for charity. More than 30,000 fans attended the first June Jam benefit concert in 1982. By 1991, June Jam brought 67,000 fans to Fort Payne, making it one of the biggest country music events in the nation. The June Jam Foundation has raised over $15 million for charities. Previous performers include Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, The Judds, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson and many more.
On Tuesday, February 7th, Alabama was honored in their hometown of Fort Payne, receiving the V.I. Prewett Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce. The honor recognized the band for its decades of giving back to the local community. It was at the banquet that Alabama revealed the return of June Jam.
“It is really something special when you get honored by your hometown,” says Gentry. “We are humbled by the award and are proud to have been born and raised in Fort Payne. Can’t wait for June Jam!”
Lisa Cook was on-hand at the awards banquet to accept the honor on behalf of her late husband and ALABAMA co-founder, Jeff Cook, who passed away last November.