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The country music star Jason Aldean has broken his silence after the death of Jeff Cook, the co-founder of the country music supergroup Alabama. Cook sadly died on Monday at the age of 73 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Aldean Honors Cook

Aldean took to Twitter the day after Cook’s death to post a photo of them together. 

“So sad to hear of the passing of Jeff Cook,” Aldean wrote. “I spent a lot of my life listening to him play guitar, what an iconic sound he had. I got a chance to perform with him multiple times over the years and I will never forget it.”

“RIP Mr. Jeff, you are a legend to many of us and your influence will be felt forever in country music,” he later added in a second tweet. 

Related: Jason Aldean And Wife Torch Maren Morris In Hilarious ‘Stay Woke’ Newscast

More Tributes For Cook 

Other country music stars have paid tribute to Cook as well, with Travis Tritt describing him as “a great guy and one heckuva bass fisherman.”

“Jeff Cook, and all of the guys in Alabama, were so generous with wisdom and fun when I got to tour with them as a young artist,” Kenny Chesney said, according to Daily Mail. “They showed a kid in a T-shirt that country music could be rock, could be real, could be someone who looked like me.

“Growing up in East Tennessee, that gave me the heart to chase this dream,” he continued. 

The wife and son of Charlie Daniels, who died in 2020, honored Cook after his passing on the late singer’s account.

“Heaven gained another guitar/fiddle player today,” they wrote. “Mom and I were saddened to hear about the passing of @TheAlabamaBand’s Jeff Cook after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. Prayers for his family and many fans.”

Cook’s Music History – Parkinson’s Battle

Cook co-founded Alabama with his cousins Randy Owen and Travis Gentry in the 1970s, and they became hugely successful in the early 1980s, garnering a three-year run as CMA Entertainer of the Year from 1982-1985 and five ACM Award Entertainer of the Year trophies from 1981-1985. 

Alabama also scored 36 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and Cook and the rest of the members of the band were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. 

Check out one of Alabama’s iconic performances in the video below.

Cook’s Parkinson’s Battle

Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012, but he didn’t go public with his diagnosis until 2017. 

“This disease robs you of your coordination, your balance, and causes tremors,” Cook said at the time, according to People Magazine.

“For me, this has made it extremely frustrating to try and play guitar, fiddle, or sing. I’ve tried not to burden anyone with the details of my condition because I do not want the music to stop or the party to end, and that won’t change no matter what,” he added. “Let me say, I’m not calling it quits, but sometimes our bodies dictate what we have to do, and mine is telling me it’s time to take a break and heal.”

Find out more about this in the video below.

Related: Michael J. Fox Gives Sad Update About His Health After Battling Parkinson’s For Over 30 Years

Though Cook took a step back from touring with Alabama in 2017 following this announcement, he still performed with the band at times in the years since then. He most recently reunited with the band earlier in 2022 for a 50th-anniversary tour.

Cook is survived by his wife Lisa, who he was married to for 27 years, as well as his brother David and his mother Betty. He is also survived by millions of adoring fans who will dearly miss him, but he will always live on through the music he left behind. 

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