Lynyrd Skynyrd was the definitive Southern rock band, fusing the overdriven
power of blues-rock with a rebellious Southern image and a hard rock swagger.
Lynyrd Skynyrd never relied on the jazzy improvisations of
the Allman Brothers. Instead, they were a hard-living, hard-driving rock &
roll band -- they may have jammed endlessly on-stage, but their music remained
firmly entrenched in blues, rock, and country. For many,
Lynyrd Skynyrd's redneck image tended to obscure the songwriting skills of
their leader,
Ronnie Van Zant. Throughout the band's early records,
Van Zant demonstrated a knack for lyrical detail and a down-to-earth honesty
that had more in common with country than rock & roll. During the height of
Lynyrd Skynyrd's popularity in the mid-'70s, however,
Van Zant's talents were overshadowed by the group's gritty, greasy
blues-rock. Sadly, it wasn't until he was killed in a tragic plane crash in 1977
along with two other bandmembers that many listeners began to realize his
talents.
Lynyrd Skynyrd split up after the plane crash, but they reunited a decade later,
becoming a popular concert act during the early '90s.
While in high school in
Jacksonville, FL,
Ronnie Van Zant (vocals),
Allen Collins (guitar), and Gary Rossington (guitar) formed My Backyard.
Within a few months, the group added bassist Leon Wilkeson and keyboardist
Billy Powell, and changed their name to
Lynyrd Skynyrd, a mocking tribute to their gym teacher Leonard Skinner, who
was notorious for punishing students with long hair. With drummer Bob Burns,
Lynyrd Skynyrd began playing throughout the South. For the first few years,
the group had little success, but producer
Al Kooper signed the band to MCA after seeing them play at an Atlanta club
called Funocchio's in 1972.
Kooper produced the group's 1973 debut, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which
was recorded after former
Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist
Ed King joined the band. The group became notorious for their triple-guitar
attack, which was showcased on "Free Bird," a tribute to the recently deceased
Duane Allman. "Free Bird" earned
Lynyrd Skynyrd their first national exposure and it became one of the
staples of album rock radio, still receiving airplay decades after its release.
"Free Bird" and an opening slot on
the Who's 1973 Quadrophenia tour gave
Lynyrd Skynyrd a devoted following, which helped their second album, 1974's
Second Helping, become its breakthrough hit. Featuring the hit single "Sweet
Home Alabama" -- a response to
Neil Young's "Southern Man" -- Second Helping reached number 12 and went
multi-platinum. At the end of the year,
Artimus Pyle replaced drummer Burns and
King left the band shortly afterward. The new sextet released Nuthin' Fancy
in 1975, and it became the band's first Top Ten hit. The record was followed by
the
Tom Dowd-produced Gimme Back My Bullets in 1976, which failed to match the
success of its two predecessors. However, the band retained their following
through constant touring, which was documented on the double live album One More
from the Road. Released in late 1976, the album featured the band's new
guitarist,
Steve Gaines, and a trio of female backup singers, and it became
Lynyrd Skynyrd's second Top Ten album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd released their sixth album, Street Survivors, on October 17,
1977. Three days later, a privately chartered plane carrying the band between
shows in Greenville, SC, and Baton Rouge, LA, crashed outside of Gillsburg, MS.
Ronnie Van Zant,
Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie, one of the group's backing vocalists,
died in the crash; the remaining members were injured. (The cause of the crash
was either fuel shortage or a fault with the plane's mechanics.) The cover for
Street Survivors had pictured the band surrounded in flames; after the crash,
the cover was changed. In the wake of the tragedy, the album became one of the
band's biggest hits.
Lynyrd Skynyrd broke up after the crash, releasing a collection of early
demos called Skynyrd's First and...Last in 1978; it had been scheduled for
release before the crash. The double-album compilation Gold & Platinum was
released in 1980.
Later in 1980, Rossington and
Collins formed a new band that featured four surviving members. Two years
later,
Pyle formed
the Artimus Pyle Band.
Collins suffered a car crash in 1986 that killed his girlfriend and left him
paralyzed; four years later, he died of respiratory failure. In 1987, Rossington,
Powell,
King, and Wilkeson reunited
Lynyrd Skynyrd, adding vocalist
Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Randall Hall. The band embarked on a reunion
tour, which was captured on the 1988 double live album Southern by the Grace of
God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour -- 1987. The re-formed
Lynyrd Skynyrd began recording in 1991, and for the remainder of the decade, the
band toured frequently, putting out albums occasionally. The reunited
Lynyrd Skynyrd frequently switched drummers, but it had little effect on their
sound.
During the '90s,
Lynyrd Skynyrd were made honorary colonels in the Alabama State Militia, due
to their classic rock staple "Sweet Home Alabama." During the mid-'90s,
Van Zant, Rossington, Wilkeson, and Powell regrouped by adding two Southern
rock veterans to
Lynyrd Skynyrd's guitar stable: former
Blackfoot frontman
Rickey Medlocke and ex-Outlaw
Hughie Thomasson. With ex-Damn
Yankee Michael Cartellone bringing stability to the drum chair, the
reconstituted band signed to CMC International for the 1997 album Twenty. This
lineup went on to release Lyve from Steeltown in 1998, followed a year later by
Edge of Forever. The seasonal effort Christmas Time Again was released in fall
2000. Although Wilkeson died one year later,
Lynyrd Skynyrd regrouped and recorded Vicious Cycle for a 2003 release. ~
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Lynyrd Skynyrd for your next corporate or private event.
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