by CoffeeBean » Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:45 pm
Was this person excluded from the bands induction into the Country Hall of Fame? Into the Opry Hall of Fame (if there is one)? Something similar? (I'm thinking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame might not be appropriate for these guys.) From an award reception, yes (see below)
Is the group Alabama? It is!
** SPOILER **
The country group Alabama was formed by 3 cousins, and this trio is considered to be the only "real" members of the band. When they signed on with a major record label (RCA, I believe), they were told that a drummer needed to be added to the group in order to satisfy the company's demands. So a drummer named Mark Herndon became part of the group in photos, stage appearances, etc. But to the group's fan base and to the 3 other members, he wasn't considered a true group member. Herndon stayed part of the group until the 90's, still appearing in photos, music videos and stage appearances. But the relationship between him and the original members was strained, they still didn't consider him part of the group (nor did the fans of the group).
So recently I visited a theater named for the group, and inside there is a portion that is a sort of museum. This part includes numerous photos of the group, many of them include Herndon. As I saw these photos, I remembered that there was a time when photos of the group showed only 3 members, so I looked up the group's history and learned about this "unofficial" fourth member. I read that people who consider themselves "true fans" of Alabama never include Herndon's name when they talk about the group, and when they see photos showing the group with four members, they will comment that one of them was never part of the group.
Two years ago, the group was recognized during an awards show. As they took the stage to receive the award, a photo of the group was displayed on the wall behind the stage. This was a photo that had originally included Herndon, but had been obviously cropped so that he was not visible and only the original three members appeared.