Old Dominion Pays Tribute To Alabama With Uplifting Performance Of “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)”
Old Dominion paid tribute to the legendary country music group Alabama during a CMT Giants special that aired on Thursday evening (August 15). The members of Old Dominion were just a few of the many artists who honored Alabama during the program. Other participants included Blake Shelton, Jamey Johnson, Jason Aldean, and Brad Paisley.
The CMT Giants special was filmed in January 2024 at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Nashville’s Belmont University. Alabama’s Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry attended the event and watched all of the performances from the audience.
Sadly, one member of Alabama was missing during the celebratory event. Founding member Jeff Cook passed away in 2022. Because of this, the CMT Giants special also served as a tribute to him.
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Old Dominion had the honor of performing one of Alabama’s biggest and most meaningful hits, “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler).” Written by Dave Loggins, Alabama recorded the song in November 1983 and released it a few months later, in January 1984.
“Roll On” reached the #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart in the U.S. and also topped the country chart in Canada.
Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey Explains What “Roll On” Means To Him
“Roll On” tells a story about a trucker who hits the road for long stretches at a time. While the work is hard, and he misses his family, he puts in the work to provide for them and give them the best life possible.
At one point, the trucker’s wife receives news there’s been a terrible accident, and she doesn’t hear from her husband for a while. But just when it seems like all hope is lost, he calls home, much to his family’s relief.
Growing up, the message of “Roll On” resonated with Matthew Ramsey, the lead singer of Old Dominion. Before the CMA Award-winning group performed during CMT Giants, Ramsey shared a story about his childhood:
“As a kid, my dad worked for the railroad, and he was gone a lot. And my brother, and myself, and my mom were at home and we missed him, and we were worried about him…he was out there doing what he needed to do to put food on our table, and he missed us. And we used to sing this song together.”
Addressing Alabama’s Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry in the audience, Ramsey said:
“That [song] taught me at an early age that even though you’re gone, you’re not absent with someone, especially your children. And I can’t express to you what a gift that lesson was as we were faced with the challenge of being a successful band while trying to be successful fathers. So thank you so much for this song.”
From there, Ramsey and the other members of Old Dominion moved into an inspiring and uplifting performance of “Roll On.” They had the entire crowd on their feet, clapping and singing along.
Check out the video below to watch Old Dominion honor Alabama on CMT Giants with “Roll On.”