Two years ago, March 5, Gary Rossington died; the last surviving member of the original band. Skynyrd remains first or second (depending how I feel that day) of my all-time favorite bands. I count myself very fortunate to have seen them live touring this album in a 250 seat concert bar. I’ve seen some great shows, that’s probably the best.

I guess the Allman Brothers are considered the first Southern Rock band, and they were outstanding. Perhaps Eat a Peach belongs on the masterpiece albums list, but for me…it was Skynyrd. “Simple Man” may be the best example of Southern Rock in existence.

left to right, Leon Wilkeson (seated), Billy Powell (seated), Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington (seated), Bob Burns, Allen Collins and Ed King.

Leon Wilkeson played bass, but actually left the band prior to the recording session. Ed King, on the far right in the photo, became the band’s bass player. Billy Powell was keyboards; Ronnie Van Zant, lead vocals; Gary Rossington (who is the most recent band member to die), lead guitar, Bob Burns, drums; Allen Collins, lead guitar.

Later, Ronnie Van Zant decided that the band would be better served if Ed King also moved to guitar, creating Skynyrd’s signature “3 lead guitar sound.” Van Zant talked Wilkeson into re-joining the band as bass player, that’s why he’s in the cover photo.

A couple years later, Ed King departed and was replaced by Steve Gaines. He and his sister Cassie, who sang backup with the band, were both killed in the plane crash that took Ronnie Van Zant’s life.

One of my all-time favorites too.

Right there with you with the Allman Bros and don't forget about other similar greats like Marshall Tucker, Little Feat to name a couple.

It's sad that so many of these guys are departing us now but at least their music lives on.

Cheers to them,.

I always loved the backstory to the band's name:


For many years, Skinner was a gym teacher at his alma mater, Robert E. Lee High School. Before coaching at Robert E. Lee, he taught at Glynn Academy in Glynn County, Georgia. He was also a basketball coach at Stillwell Jr. High in Jacksonville. Several members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, and Bob Burns, were students at Robert E. Lee in the 1960s. Skinner's strict enforcement of a policy against long hair inspired the members to name their band after him. Skinner maintained that he was merely enforcing the school policy. Several members of the band would try to slick their hair down with Vaseline, as students were required to shower after gym. At that point, it was readily revealed that their hair was longer than regulation. The group reportedly changed their name after Skinner sent Rossington and others to the principal's office for wearing their hair too long. Over time, Burns, Rossington, and other band members developed a series of running in-jokes about Skinner and ultimately decided to pay "tongue-in-cheek homage" to him by renaming themselves "Lynyrd Skynyrd".

I remember hearing on the radio that Skynyrd had a clause in their contract that if the venue misspelled their name, a donation was to be made to a charity. Supposedly some venues purposely did so to please the band.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I always loved the backstory to the band's name:

You Got that Right......

Grew up on Skynyrd, had all the albums, wore them out, imagine my parents grew tired of that, along with my other eclectic choices..

I have always loved Southern rock and Skynyrd was one of my favorites right up there with ZZ Top. I got to see the original band three times and the newer band with Johnny Van Zant three times, it was all good.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Right there with you with the Allman Bros and don't forget about other similar greats like Marshall Tucker, Little Feat to name a couple.

Agree, and would add The Outlaws.

38 Special and Molly Hatchet as well.

I had one of the original albums that came out right before the crash. It had the flames in the background. Some asshole stole it from me

quote:

Originally posted by hberttmank:
I also had one of the original albums of Street Survivors but it went down the road when I sold all my albums off a few years ago. I can't save everything.

Yep, since this turned out to be a Southern / country rock thread, some others bands I liked and saw and had albums by were
The Allman Brothers
Marshall Tucker band
Elvin Bishop
The Outlaws
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Wille Nelson
Charlie Daniels
Hank Williams Jr.
Waylon Jennings
Black Oak Arkansas
Jerry Jeff Walker
David Allan Coe
Pure Prairie League
Thirty Eight Special
Turkey Mountain Troubadours
I am sure I'm forgetting some here, but all my vinyl is gone. The line between southern and country got blurred a bit in the 70s, but it was all good to me.

Favorite Skynyrd song for me is ‘Call Me the Breeze’

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
Favorite Skynyrd song for me is ‘Call Me the Breeze’

They do a great job with a great JJ Cale song.

I think I’ll add, I said in the OP, Lynyrd Skynyrd put on the best live show I ever saw and remain my favorite band (no lower than second). I like many of the other bands mentioned, and have seen a lot of them live as well (you forgot Blackfoot), but for me there’s Skynyrd, the Allmans I guess, and then all the rest.

Better add this one too. I guess it’s probably my favorite.



Oh yeah, Whiskey Myers does a fantastic job of carrying on the torch, and is a helluva live band too.

I saw the band months before their plane crash in Anaheim CA with openers Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, and Foreigner. Out of all of the 70s American arena bands, Skynyrd was perhaps the most talented one. Unlike many of their peers, they had a knack of not sounding derivative with their songwriting; song after song, they didn't sound the same. Great band.

Playing for the British.

That’s Steve Gaines on the Strat in the perf that oddball posted above. He, along with his sister, Cassie, were killed in the plane crash that took Ronnie Van Zant’s life. I’m a bit surprised that Skynyrd had no backup singers at this show, I thought that by this stage they always toured with them.

I saw them in Memphis on July 4th, 1976. The lineup was Blue Oyster Cult, Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. My cousin and I were the first two into the stadium and onto the field when they opened the gates. We got just far enough back from the stage that we could see the back of the stage. One hell of a day (and night) at the stadium in Memphis TN.

I was a big fan of 'Skynyrd' back in the day as it were in HS thru college (mid to late 70' / early 80') and still am.

There are some good photos and history at this website -

https://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/history

I remember listening to a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute show on the radio many years ago, and someone that was either in the band or close to them was talking about their attempt to draw more fans and interest while they were 'bar touring' during their early years, and someone came up with the idea to rent a venue, maybe it was a stage at a fairgrounds, or a community park, or a grange or dirt oval race-track or something, and hold a FREE concert with FREE beer!!

And so they did.

Needless to say, they drew a huge crowd and got everyone drunk and in a good mood and rock'n and rolling, and the rest as they say, is history.

Might be trite, but this is my go to Skynyrd video. Great version of Free Bird plus all the hot, fit, natural chicas (3:52 ) who are grandmas or dead now.

Second Helping is my favorite album of theirs.

I saw Skynyrd in 1974 at D.U. arena (Denver University). It was a building that was an old military building and had zero acoustics. They made up for it by being loud enough to blow the roof off. Restroom facilities were severely lacking and people were pissing in the sinks corners, anywhere.

They put on a great show and I'll never forget it. I do believe I may have suffered hearing damage. My ears were still ringing three days later. Way too stupid to even think about hearing protection.

My favorite song on "Pronounced" is Things Goin On.

I also saw them with Marshall Tucker at Mile High Stadium in 1976.

Quick aside. Sandman, I saw Pink Floyd pre-touring Dark Side at D.U. Arena.