Nearly five decades after Randy Owen’s voice helped put Fort Payne on the world stage, a new documentary is bringing his story back home.

“My Home’s in Alabama: The Randy Owen Story” premiered Saturday, Aug. 8, on Alabama Public Television, offering an intimate look at the life of the Country Music Hall of Fame member and ALABAMA co-founder whose journey began in the small DeKalb County community of Adamsburg.

Produced by Jacksonville State University’s Longleaf Studios, the documentary traces Owen’s path from a farm boy growing up in northeast Alabama to the unmistakable voice behind one of country music’s most successful bands. Rather than focusing solely on chart-topping hits and awards, the film explores the faith, family and community that have shaped Owen throughout his life.

“I never imagined a kid from Fort Payne, Alabama would one day stand here, guitar in hand,” Owen says in the documentary.

The film combines sweeping views of Alabama with personal reflections from Owen and conversations with family, friends and fellow artists. It also features appearances by ALABAMA co-founder Teddy Gentry, singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson, country star Riley Green and others who share their perspectives on Owen’s influence both on and off the stage.

Those themes are woven throughout the documentary, which focuses on the people and places that continue to define Owen decades after ALABAMA became a household name.

As the band’s lead singer, Owen helped deliver enduring hits including “Mountain Music,” “My Home’s in Alabama,” “Feels So Right,” “Love in the First Degree,” “Song of the South,” “Tennessee River,” “Dixieland Delight” and “The Closer You Get.” Along the way, ALABAMA earned 43 No. 1 singles and became one of country music’s most influential acts.

Owen is also a Jacksonville State alumnus and serves on the university’s Board of Trustees, making Longleaf Studios a fitting producer for a documentary centered on one of Alabama’s best-known musical figures. The documentary was first screened during the grand opening celebration of the Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts before its statewide television premiere.

The documentary is available to watch through Alabama Public Television, including on the free PBS Video App on supported devices and through Alabama Public Television’s website.

For generations of fans, Randy Owen’s music has helped tell Alabama’s story. Now, through his own words, “My Home’s in Alabama” offers a closer look at the man behind the songs, the music that made him famous and the Alabama hometown that never stopped shaping him.

This story originally appeared on 256 Today.

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