It felt like time stopped in Huntsville when Mark Herndon walked back on stage with Alabama. For more than two decades the band had played without him their longtime drummer who had been part of the classic run that defined their sound. Yet on that summer night, August 23, 2025, the Orion Amphitheater lit up as he took his seat behind the kit in Huntsville AL with Mark Herndon.
The song was “Mountain Music” and from the first kick of the drum it felt like home again, the mix of nostalgia and adrenaline ran deep. Randy Owen’s voice carried the crowd while Herndon’s rhythm hit like muscle memory. There was pride in the music but also something softer a sense of forgiveness.
Alabama @ Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville AL with Mark Herndon
Fans knew they were witnessing something rare. People stood with their phones raised high but many dropped them just to clap and sing along. One man was heard saying, “It is magic all over again,” echoing the words Herndon himself later used. The cheers after his drum solo rolled like thunder across the amphitheater as if the audience wanted to hold the moment in place a little longer.
Looking back at Alabama’s history this reunion feels even more special when you think about the songs that made them famous. Their songs are full of memories and mix happy and sad feelings in ways that never get old. Feeling the excitement of a reunion in Huntsville and remembering their classic hits connects the past to today. It makes you think of The Closer You Get, one of their most famous songs.
Alabama – The Closer You Get (Official Video)
The night in Huntsville closed with “Mountain Music” and the energy of that reunion still hung in the air long after the final note. It felt like a full circle moment, a chapter rewritten in real time. Thinking about that power it is easy to drift back to the songs that first carried Alabama into the hearts of millions. One of those was The Closer You Get, a track that showed just how wide their reach could be.
What ties these moments together is Alabama’s gift for honesty wrapped in melody. Whether it is the raw joy of a long-awaited reunion or the soaring pull of a love song, they play with a heart that refuses to fade. Their music holds stories of family, forgiveness, and feeling alive. Follow Alabama on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube the next song might carry you back to a memory you had almost forgotten.