Lynyrd Skynyrd
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Lynyrd Skynyrd Biography
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. 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 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. 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
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 Skynyrd began recording in 1991,
and for the remainder of the decade, the band toured frequently,
putting out albums occasionally. The reunited 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 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. The DVD/CD Lyve: The Vicious
Cycle Tour followed a year later, 2006 saw the release of Face to Face,
and 2007 brought Paper Sleeve Box and Lyve from Steel Town. ~ Stephen
Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewine