Liverpool had the Beatles. California had the Beach Boys. And Alabama had, well, Alabama.

In the 1980s, the Fort Payne band took the nation by storm, breaking every record, winning every award, and selling out every arena. They also became famous for giving back to the region. The annual June Jam concert raised more than $15 million for schools and charities.

Amid all that success, something has been missing for the past 22 years.

For a while it was unnoticed, until it became a news story, and eventually a lawsuit. It was similar to a nasty divorce case.

The band's drummer, Mark Herndon, was dismissed with no fanfare. Suddenly, the quartet was a trio, and Herndon was missing from the band's website, as if he had never existed.

Here's some history for those who may have missed this phenomenon. The core trio of cousins, Randy Owen, Jeff Cook, and Teddy Gentry, had built up a regional following (as “Wild Country”) during the 1970s. Widespread success had eluded them, although they had regular gigs in South Carolina. In 1979, Herndon, who was in a Myrtle Beach band, was hired to play the drums as an employee, not a full-fledged band member.

The following year, the band signed with RCA, and their album “My Home's in Alabama” exploded on country radio. Some say Herndon was simply in the right place at the right time, while others say his energetic drumming, teen-idol good looks, and trademark bandanna gave the band sex appeal.

Alabama soon crossed over to top-40 radio. I worked at Chattanooga's KZ-106, and songs like “Love in the First Degree” and “Feels So Right” soon joined the Rolling Stones and Journey on our playlist.

In early 1983, tickets went on sale for an Alabama concert at our local arena.  Within an hour all 11,000 seats were sold. The promoters added a second show, and quickly sold that one out too.

The hits continued, but the goodwill ended with Herndon's dismissal. Everyone kept quiet for five years, until the band sued Herndon over tour merchandising payments. Herndon fought back and won the suit, but the damage was done.

In 2015, Herndon wrote a book about his time with the band, and some were hoping for a tell-all. But instead, he took the high road, preferring to focus on the good times. Although he had carved out a side career as a pilot, he kept a toe in the music business along with his wife, singer Leah Seawright.

Still, he couldn't escape his past fame. Everywhere he went, it was “Why did you leave Alabama?” or “When are you going to rejoin Alabama?” He had no answers, because there was no communication between the two sides. Just, as he called it, “a great big hole in my heart.”

Only two original band members remained following the death of Jeff Cook in 2022. Earlier this year, Teddy Gentry reached out to Herndon, asking if he'd like to make an appearance during a future concert. “It would be good for the fans,” Gentry told him. Herndon agreed, but there was no follow-up.

Then came Saturday, August 23, 2025. Around noon, Gentry called. “We're playing in Huntsville tonight. I'll have a guy at the gate. Bring your sticks, just in case.”

Herndon told his wife, “I'm not sure about this.” She said, “Are you kidding? I'll grab your bandanna and shades. You get the drum sticks. Let's go!”

Herndon said he was whisked backstage, and was told to be ready for the encore song, “Mountain Music.” He said, “I hope I remember how to play it.” In the darkness of a song transition on stage, the band's drummer stepped down, and Herndon slid into position.

The lights came on, and Randy Owen told the crowd, “Mark Herndon is here!” Eight thousand people cheered. Alabama fan Lacey Smith told me, “It sounded so right. Mark's drumming gave us all a sudden boost of energy.”

Afterward, Owen spoke to Herndon for the first time in 22 years. “Just like nothing ever happened,” Herndon said. "It's the power of forgiveness. No more unfinished business. I felt God smiling on us all.”

Like the song says, it feels so right.

David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com.