Alabama is the most successful band in country music history and Randy Owen has been in the band since it formed in 1969. Later this year, he will receive the BMI Icon Award at the BMI Country Awards later this year.
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The BMI Country Awards will take place at BMI’s Nashville office on November 19. President and CEO Mike O’Neill will co-host the event with the vice president of creative Clay Bradley. They will also award Songwriter of the Year, Country Song of the Year, and Country Publisher of the Year along with honoring Owen for his songwriting and other contributions to country music.
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“Randy Owen’s impact on country music is immeasurable and his songwriting has left an undeniable mark on the genre,” Bradley said in a statement. “His talents have solidified Alabama as one of the most successful country bands of all time and his memorable melodies and relatable lyrics continue to influence countless artists that follow in his footsteps. We are honored to present him with this year’s BMI Icon Award.”
The BMI Icon Award Is Another in a Long Line of Honors for Randy Owen and Alabama
Randy Owen and other members of Alabama are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Outside of BMI Awards, they’ve taken major genre honors in the past. For instance, they won the CMA Entertainer of the Year three years in a row. The band has also won two Grammys and a dozen ACM Awards. The band’s members are also members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musician’s Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
The band had notched 43 No. 1 singles since their formation in the late ‘60s. Owen penned many of their most memorable hits including “Tennessee River,” “Mountain Music,” “Song of the South,” and “Close Enough to Perfect,” among others.
Since 1974, Owen has received more than 25 BMI Million-Air awards, the 2000 BMI President’s Award, and the 1989 Country Song of the Year award for “Fallin’ Again.”
Previous Winners of the BMI Icon Award include Toby Keith, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon, and many more.
Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
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