Fred Hunter's Alabama

Throughout his career as a performer, songwriter, and recording artist, Fort Payne native Pierce Pettis has been inside the hurricane they call the music business. But he is also an outsider, never achieving the often sought-after goal of world fame — and for that, he is grateful.Through his work with Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, PolyGram Publishing, High Street Records, and Compa

Let me tell you, I would not have imagined when I left Fyffe High School in 1971 that five decades later I’d be sitting on my sofa watching a guy from Geraldine playing guitar with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the network’s New Year’s Eve special. Damon Johnson finds it equally unbelievable that he is THAT guy. “I’ve had a lot of memorable gigs in my life, Damons says. “I’ve pla

When I called Jerry Ellis a man of letters, he liked that so much he asked me to repeat it. But I really wasn’t kidding. The Fort Payne native and graduate of The University of Alabama has written nine books. His inaugural book, about walking the Trail of Tears, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. I will call this interview the tip of the iceberg because J

After winding up Alabama 117 from Valley Head in DeKalb County, you arrive at a four-way intersection in the town of Mentone. On your right is the most charming calling card you can imagine: the Mentone Inn, nestled against a backdrop of trees and lush landscaping, with an almost irresistible wrap-around porch. Stepping inside is like getting a big hug: the warmth, the relaxed atmo

Sometimes you don’t realize how much your senses absorb when you’re growing up, but you find out later how those experiences shaped you.Russell Gulley grew up on Southern gospel and shape note music. His mother was very conscious of how much music and art can enrich lives. Russell sought a career in rock and roll, but later paid his mother’s gift forward by bringing the arts

As a young DJ at his dream job in Myrtle Beach, Greg Fowler repeatedly read an ad encouraging people to visit The Bowery to hear a group who, at that time, was known as Wild Country. Little did he know that spark would change his life, eventually intertwining his path with that of the most successful band in country music history — ALABAMA.Read the accompanying story here, and wa

Beth Cowan Drake loves outdoor photography and astrophotography, and she loves inspiring other people to explore their world through the camera lens. Through her exemplary work and her incredibly popular Alabama The Beautiful Facebook group, Beth shines a spotlight on our beautiful state and the breathtaking skies above us.

Chance Gray definitely feels like he's home as merchandise manager for recording artist Jason Isbell. The Fyffe, Alabama, native travels the country and the world with whom he considers the greatest songwriter of our era. To get there, he paid his dues by working hard and proving his dedication to the job at hand for artists as varied as Larry the Cable Guy and Taylor Swift. Not on