Jeff Cook (Alabama), Rick Derringer and Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane) will join forces in Bradenton for Del Couch Music Education Foundation fundraiser

Rick Derringer

Jeff Cook

Jeff Cook, Rick Derringer and Marty Balin will be forming an exciting, unlikely supergroup on May 4 at the Bradenton Municipal Auditorium to raise funds for the Palmetto-based Del Couch Music Education Foundation.

Cook — co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and fiddler for Country Music Hall of Fame act Alabama — played a benefit for Music Education last June. He's currently taking part in Alabama's highly anticipated reunion tour.

Derringer, who has a home in Manatee County, is a Grammy Award-winning producer, singer, songwriter and guitar hero best known for hits such as "Hang on Sloopy" and "Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo." Derringer recently returned from world tour with Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band .

Marty Balin

Marty Balin is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act Jefferson Airplane.

Cook and Derringer with be sitting in with Balin's band, Couch said during a recent visit to Herald headquarters.

The Billy Rice Band will also perform plus Music Education student standouts such as 10-tear-old Jack Castro.

Kojak's Palmetto Ribhouse is catering the event.

Details: 6-11 p.m. May 4, Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 Barcarrota Blvd.
Bradenton. Tickets: $50.00 at the door includes buffet dinner. Information: 941-545-4379 or http://couchmusiceducationfoundation.org.

UPDATED 6/2: Alabama founding member talks tour, new album for 2012

UPDATED 6/2: Here's full interview/story with Alabama founding member Jeff Cook, performing June 4 in Bradenton..

Alabama, the most successful band in country music history, ended its Farewell Tour in Bismarck, N.D., on Oct. 16, 2004.

But the group famous for such smashes as "Mountain Music," "Tennessee River" and "Love in the First Degree" could be returning to the road in 2012.

"We're talking about doing maybe 20 shows next year," Alabama co-founder, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Cook said by phone this morning. "I never felt it was right that a band called Alabama should end their career in Bismarck, North Dakota. It should have ended in Birmingham or Huntsville."

There are also talks of a new Alabama album.

"I feel sure that if we do dates we’ll have a recording to go with it," Cook said.

Jeff Cook/www.jeffcook-agb.com

On June 14, the Country Music Hall of Famers headline BAMA RISING: A Benefit Concert for Alabama Tornado Recovery at the 17,000-seat Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) in Birmingham.

In addition to Alabama, the 16 confirmed acts include Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Sheryl Crow, Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans, Kellie Pickler, Martina McBride and Darius Rucker.

"We started talking about the tour of 20 shows and the promoter said, 'Let's see what you’re made of,'" Cook said. "We spearheaded this fund-raising event and it sold-out in 15 minutes."

In March,  Paisley released the single "Old Alabama." The bridge of the song is the chorus from Alabama's 1982 hit "Mountain Music." Rather than sample the original, Paisley had Alabama members Randy Owen, Cook and Teddy Gentry join him in the studio. They're also featured in the official video.
 

Alabama joined Paisley to perform the song at the ACM Awards on April 3.

"Old Alabama" is currently No. 1 on Billboard's Country Songs chart.

Jeff Cook & The Allstar Goodtime Band perform June 4 at the Renaissance on 9th in Bradenton on June 4 to benefit the Del Couch Music Education Foundation.

The rest of my interview with Cook will appear in an upcoming edition of the Bradenton Herald —and linked to here — in advance of the concert.