Since the mid-1970s, Alabama have been a fixture in country music. And while the band has earned numerous hit records and No. 1 songs, the country trio -- Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen -- say that their longevity is partially thanks to their loyal fans ... and their children and grandchildren.

"You see kids who weren’t even born when our songs were big hits, so you know that the music was passed down generations, from their folks to them," Gentry tells The Boot. "There’s no better feeling than knowing that your music is timeless and stands up year after year."

Adds Owen, "It's incredible. It's the greatest thing."

Alabama have amassed numerous ACM Awards, CMA Awards and Grammy Awards throughout their career and are also members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the "Wasn't Through Lovin' You Yet" singers say that the accolades, both big and small, are all significant.

"I don’t want to diminish some of them. We've been so blessed," Owen says. "Artist of the Decade, all of the Entertainer awards that we won ... In today’s world, it’s almost hard to believe that it actually happened."

Cook, Gentry and Owen, Alabama's three founding members, have all remained in the band since its inception. It's a feat that's almost unheard of in the music industry, but it's one they say has contributed greatly to their success.

"I think strong personalities is what makes any band," Gentry says. "I’d rather have people that have a firm opinion on what they want and how they want to do it.

"The success speaks for itself," he adds. "It wasn’t one of us; it was all of us together, hav[ing] done something incredible in our lives that none of us ever could have dreamed about."

Alabama released their first new album in 14 years, Southern Drawl, in late 2015. The record is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

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