Alabama's Jeff Cook Has Parkinson's Disease

(Radio.com) Jeff Cook, the fiddler and guitar player for the Country Music Hall of Fame group Alabama, has revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around four years ago.

While band members Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry have known for years, Cook revealed his decision to step back from touring with the group April 29 in a prepared statement to The Tennessean.

'This disease robs you of your coordination, your balance, and causes tremors," Cook wrote. '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. 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." Read more here.

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