Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American Southern rock band, described by All Music Guide's Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "the definitive Southern rock band, fusing the overdriven power of blues-rock with a rebellious, Southern image and a hard rock swagger." http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:51u67uu0h0jd~T1 The band reached prominence during the 1970s, under the leadership of vocalist and primary songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, until his death in 1977.

History

The formative years, 1964-1969

The band, first called My Backyard, was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in the summer of 1964 by teenage friends Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins (guitar), Gary Rossington (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums). Their early influences included British Invasion bands such as Free, The Yardbirds, and The Beatles, as well as Southern blues and country & western.

Related Topics:
Jacksonville, Florida - 1964 - Ronnie Van Zant - Allen Collins - Gary Rossington - Larry Junstrom - Bob Burns - British Invasion - Free - The Yardbirds - The Beatles - Southern - Blues - Country & western

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During the 1960s, the band changed names several times (most notably The Noble Five and One Percent) while playing local dances and clubs in Jacksonville. In 1968 they won a local Battle of the Bands contest, using the prize money to record the songs "Need All My Friends" and "Michelle", the former released as their debut single on Jacksonville-based Shade Tree Records. They also won the opening slot on several Southeast shows for California-based psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1968 - California - Psychedelic rock - Strawberry Alarm Clock

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The classic years, 1970-1977

In 1970, the band began constant rehearsals at "Hell House", an isolated farm in Green Cove Springs, a small city in Clay County on the outskirts of Jacksonville. Roadie Billy Powell joined as keyboardist around this time. The final band name also came about, inspired as a mocking tribute to Rossington's and Burns' gym coach at Robert E. Lee High, Leonard Skinner. Skinner would strictly enforce the school's dress code, which did not allow boys to have long hair touching the collar or sideburns below the ears. After being punished several times, the bandmates played a show, still as One Percent, but Van Zant jokingly announced from the stage that they were now called Leonard Skinner. The name stuck, soon becoming Lynard Skynard, and finally Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Related Topics:
1970 - Green Cove Springs - Clay County - Jacksonville - Billy Powell - Robert E. Lee High - Leonard Skinner

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Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to perform throughout the South in the early 1970s, further developing their hard-driving, blues-rock sound and image. In 1972, Leon Wilkeson replaced Junstrom on bass. Wilkeson left just before recording there first alblum. Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King was called in to fill the role as bass player. After the alblum was completed, Van Zant informed King that he was the worst bass player he had ever heard. He suggested he move to guitar so they could reproduce the studio alblums 3 guitar sound. Soon the band's triple-guitar attack became a signature sound. Van Zant married girlfriend Judy Seymour in 1972.

Related Topics:
1972 - Leon Wilkeson - Strawberry Alarm Clock - Ed King - Judy Seymour

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Producer Al Kooper was impressed with the band during a performance at an Atlanta club called Funocchio's in 1972, and signed them to MCA Records. He produced their first album, 1973's Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which featured the song "Free Bird", a tribute to recently deceased Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. "Free Bird" began to receive national airplay, eventually reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The song has also become the subject of a Rock and Roll cliché, which is the shouting of a request to hear the song at almost any live concert, regardless of the performer. This practice has become so commonplace at live concerts it has largely evolved into a parody of itself.

Related Topics:
Al Kooper - Atlanta - Funocchio's - 1972 - MCA Records - 1973 - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd - Free Bird - Duane Allman - The Allman Brothers Band - Billboard Hot 100 - Rock and Roll - Cliché - Parody

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Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly during 1973, due in large part to their opening slot on The Who's Quadrophenia tour in the U.S.. Their second album, 1974's Second Helping, was the band's breakthrough hit. It featured their most popular single "Sweet Home Alabama" (#8 on the charts in August 1974), an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man". The belief that Van Zant and Young were rivals is incorrect; they were actually fans of each other's music and talked of collaborations together. Young has covered Lynyrd Skynyrd songs at his own live concerts as a tribute to Van Zant. Second Helping reached #12, eventually going multi-platinum. The band also toured the U.K. in 1975 with Golden Earring and in 1976 with The Rolling Stones.

Related Topics:
1973 - The Who - Quadrophenia - U.S. - 1974 - Second Helping - Sweet Home Alabama - August - Neil Young - Southern Man - U.K. - 1975 - Golden Earring - 1976 - The Rolling Stones

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In 1975, King and Burns left the band, and Burns was replaced by Artimus Pyle. The new lineup's first album, Nuthin' Fancy, was released, becoming their first Top Ten album. It features the hit song "Saturday Night Special" (#27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). Gimme Back My Bullets followed in 1976, but didn't reach the same success as the previous two albums. Guitarist Steve Gaines, brother of backup singer Cassie Gaines, replaced King in 1976, just in time to record the double-live album One More From the Road, the band's second Top Ten hit.

Related Topics:
1975 - Artimus Pyle - Nuthin' Fancy - Billboard Hot 100 - Gimme Back My Bullets - 1976 - Steve Gaines - Cassie Gaines - One More From the Road

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Lynyrd Skynyrd's sixth album, Street Survivors, was released in October of 1977. It would be the final album released by the original line-up.

Related Topics:
Street Survivors - October - 1977

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The tragic plane crash, 1977

Lynyrd Skynyrd's legend is grounded in a tragic plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. A plane carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. The crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. The other band members were injured. The original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band standing in flames; the flames were removed after the crash in honor of the deceased.

Related Topics:
October 20 - 1977 - Greenville, South Carolina - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Gillsburg, Mississippi - Ronnie Van Zant - Steve Gaines - Cassie Gaines

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Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. Street Survivors became a huge hit soon after, and the single "What's Your Name" reached #13 on the charts in January of 1978.

Related Topics:
January - 1978

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Hiatus, 1977-1986

Rossington and Collins formed The Rossington-Collins Band between 1980 and 1982, releasing two albums. Pyle formed The Artimus Pyle Band in 1982. Collins formed The Allen Collins Band in 1983. Tragedy struck the band again in 1986 when Collins crashed his car while driving drunk near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend and leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Related Topics:
The Rossington-Collins Band - The Artimus Pyle Band - 1982 - The Allen Collins Band - 1983 - 1986 - Jacksonville

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The reunion years, 1987-present

Rossington, Powell, King, and Wilkeson reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987 with Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, taking over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter. Due to Collins' condition, he was only able to participate as the musical director. He became stricken with pneumonia in 1989 and died on January 23, 1990.

Related Topics:
1987 - Johnny Van Zant - Pneumonia - 1989 - January 23 - 1990

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The reunited band was meant to be a one-time tribute to the original lineup, captured on the double-live album Southern By The Grace Of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - 1987, but because of an overwhelmingly positive reaction by fans, the band decided to stay together and record new material. The reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd has gone through several lineup changes and continue to record and tour today. Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, died of lung and liver failure on July 27, 2001. Ronnie Van Zant's widow, Judy Van Zant, currently owns and operates Freebird Live, one of Jacksonville's premier live music venues, located just 1 block from the ocean in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Related Topics:
Southern By The Grace Of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - 1987 - Leon Wilkeson - 1972 - July 27 - 2001 - Ronnie Van Zant - Judy Van Zant - Freebird Live - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

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