Alabama 3 are an English band mixing rock, electronic, blues, country, gospel, and spoken word styles, founded in Brixton, London in 1995. Their track “Woke Up This Morning” was used for the show’s opening credits of the TV series The Sopranos. In the United States, the band is known as A3, to avoid legal conflict with the country music band Alabama. Every member of the group has an alias, the band’s founding members adopting the personas Larry Love (Rob Spragg) and The Very Reverend Dr. D. Wayne Love (Jake Black).
The band formed when Jake Black met Rob Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and they decided that a fusion of country music with acid house was a musical possibility. Other members of the band were added over time. Rob Spragg was at university with Piers Marsh, the harmonica player and synthesiser programmer for the band, while Orlando Harrison, the group’s current keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black. Prior to the formation of Alabama 3, and following the demise of The Jangletties, Black generated little or no recorded output for several years.
Starting their act under the alias the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (UK), the group eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and, after having been dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act, signed with One Little Indian Records in 1997 for the release of its debut album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane.
In August 2007, the group toured under the name of Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged, with Harpo Strangelove and Devlin Love, to promote its new album MOR (released 10 September 2007). Bassist John “Segs” Jennings left the band, saying he was “busy elsewhere and [he doesn’t] have the time.” The band’s sixth studio album, M.O.R. included a cover of Jerry Reed’s 1970s hit “Amos Moses” and features The Proclaimers on the track “Sweet Joy” plus piano parts on the country stomp version of the Gil Scott Heron song “The Klan”, written by Heron and Brian Jackson. In September and October 2007, the band toured the UK in support of M.O.R. with Irish band Republic of Loose supporting.
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Alabama 3 would like to offer their sincere condolences to the Earle family, after the desperately sad and untimely passing of Justin Townes Earle was announced.
We were fortunate to play on the same lineup as Justin last year and watched his set up the front with the crowd, enamoured by his gift for songwriting - music was in his DNA after all. He watched Alabama 3 play from the side of the stage and laughed hard when I was reprimanded for cursing during our set at a family festival. We had a good laugh backstage about it afterwards, behaving like two naughty school boys.
I was lucky to spend the day sitting on the grass with him chatting about his godfather Townes Van Zandt and run ins with his daddy along our career. Justin had just released his album The Saint Of Lost Causes and listening to it over the last year, I would often think of Jake. Jakeβs death was still raw in my heart when Justin and I crossed paths last year and as we shared stories about the greats who had left us...well itβs difficult to process that heβs no longer with us either.
I always thought weβd run into him again after that wonderful day we had with him last year. Thankfully our hug goodbye was long and meaningful.
RIP Justin Townes Earle. May you find peace in the company of the alumni of country legends who go too quick and leave us weeping into our whiskeys forever.
I was blessed to have seen him play at maverick festival in Suffolk last year. Many years ago I saw Steve Earle play in Camden he brought me to tears singing his song goodnight my little rock n roller dedicated to his son and played when he was on tour apart from him. Very sad that they had a broken relationship and I will be thinking of the family and friends RIP xx
May he rest in eternal peace! God bless him!! ππππ
Thanks for your words Rob. His dad is a hero, and his legacy will match his. All love, John from the Trinity pub.
Lovely words. We have lost a true song writing master RIP JTE. π
Love his music.....RIP Justin
So sad to hear this. A lovely tribute Rob. Sending all the love in this crazy year. Dan and Liv xx
Really moving tribute Larry x
Very sad news lads RIP Justin π
Too many wonderful people lost in the last 12 months.