The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass guitar) and Bob Burns (drums).
To date, the band has sold more than 28 million records in the United States. ==History== ===Early years (1964–1973)=== In Jacksonville, Florida, during the summer of 1964, Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, and Gary Rossington became acquainted while playing on rival baseball teams.
Bassist Larry Junstrom soon rounded out the lineup and the band settled on the name My Backyard, later changed to The Noble Five before becoming The One Percent by 1968. Still known as The One Percent in 1969, Van Zant sought a new name after growing tired of taunts from audiences that the band had "1% talent".
The band spent five years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding on "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1969.
Bassist Larry Junstrom soon rounded out the lineup and the band settled on the name My Backyard, later changed to The Noble Five before becoming The One Percent by 1968. Still known as The One Percent in 1969, Van Zant sought a new name after growing tired of taunts from audiences that the band had "1% talent".
At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird".
The more distinctive spelling "Lynyrd Skynyrd" was being used at least as early as 1970.
Skinner also allowed the band to use a photo of his Leonard Skinner Realty sign for the inside of their third album. By 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd had become a top band in Jacksonville, headlining at some local concerts, and opening for several national acts.
The band continued to perform throughout the South in the early 1970s, further developing their hard-driving blues rock sound and image, and experimenting with recording their sound in a studio.
At the same time, Mike Estes was replaced by Rickey Medlocke, who had previously played and recorded with the band for a short time in the early 1970s.
Despite the growing number of post-reunion albums that band had released up to this time, setlists showed that the band was playing mostly 1970s-era material in concert. The band released a Christmas album, entitled Christmas Time Again in 2000.
Lynyrd Skynyrd have used a Confederate flag since the 1970s and several criticisms have been raised against them because of this.
They continue to tour and record with co-founder Rossington (the band's sole continuous member), Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke, who first wrote and recorded with the band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996.
They continue to tour and record with co-founder Rossington (the band's sole continuous member), Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke, who first wrote and recorded with the band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996.
Some versions of the band's history state Burns briefly left the band during this time, although other versions state that Burns played with the band continuously through 1974. ===Peak (1973–1977)=== In 1972, the band (then comprising Van Zant, Collins, Rossington, Burns, Wilkeson, and Powell) was discovered by musician, songwriter, and producer Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears, who had attended one of their shows at Funocchio's in Atlanta.
Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001.
The band released their first album in 1973, having settled on a lineup that included bassist Leon Wilkeson, keyboardist Billy Powell and guitarist Ed King.
The band released their debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) on August 13, 1973.
The album featured the hit song "Free Bird", which received national airplay, eventually reaching No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly throughout 1973, largely due to their opening slot on the Who's Quadrophenia tour in the United States.
Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974.
Walden stayed with the band until 1974, when management was turned over to Peter Rudge.
Some versions of the band's history state Burns briefly left the band during this time, although other versions state that Burns played with the band continuously through 1974. ===Peak (1973–1977)=== In 1972, the band (then comprising Van Zant, Collins, Rossington, Burns, Wilkeson, and Powell) was discovered by musician, songwriter, and producer Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears, who had attended one of their shows at Funocchio's in Atlanta.
Their 1974 follow-up album, Second Helping, featuring King, Collins and Rossington all collaborating with Van Zant on the songwriting, cemented the band's breakthrough.
King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976.
(Young and Van Zant were not rivals, but fans of each other's music and good friends; Young wrote the song "Powderfinger" for the band, but they never recorded it.) During their peak years, most of their records sold over one million copies, but "Sweet Home Alabama" was the only single to crack the top ten. By 1975, personal issues began to take their toll on the band.
King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976.
King quit and returned home to Los Angeles, believing Van Zant had been responsible for his guitar roadie being in jail in the first place. Collins and Rossington both had serious car accidents over Labor Day weekend in 1976, which slowed the recording of the follow-up album and forced the band to cancel some concert dates.
With the birth of his daughter Melody in 1976, Van Zant was making a serious attempt to clean up his act and curtail the cycle of boozed-up brawling that was part of Skynyrd's reputation. The Street Survivors album of 1977 turned out to be a showcase for guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, who had joined the band just a year earlier and was making his studio debut with them.
After releasing five studio albums and one live album, the band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed, killing Van Zant, Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, and seriously injuring the rest of the band. Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with Ronnie's brother Johnny Van Zant as lead vocalist.
With the birth of his daughter Melody in 1976, Van Zant was making a serious attempt to clean up his act and curtail the cycle of boozed-up brawling that was part of Skynyrd's reputation. The Street Survivors album of 1977 turned out to be a showcase for guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, who had joined the band just a year earlier and was making his studio debut with them.
The band was poised for their biggest tour yet, with shows always highlighted by the iconic rock anthem "Free Bird". ===Plane crash (1977)=== Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20, 1977, the band boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they were scheduled to appear at LSU the following night.
The single "What's Your Name" reached No. 13 on the single charts in 1978.
However, the group would restore the original image for the 30th anniversary deluxe edition of the album. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy, reuniting only on one occasion to perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" at Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam V in January 1979.
Pyle formed the Artimus Pyle Band in 1982, which occasionally featured former Honkettes JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins and released one MCA album, titled A.P.B. In 1980, Allen Collins's wife Kathy died of a massive hemorrhage while miscarrying their third child.
Pyle formed the Artimus Pyle Band in 1982, which occasionally featured former Honkettes JoJo Billingsley and Leslie Hawkins and released one MCA album, titled A.P.B. In 1980, Allen Collins's wife Kathy died of a massive hemorrhage while miscarrying their third child.
He formed the Allen Collins Band in 1983 from the remnants of the Rossington Collins Band and released one MCA studio album, Here, There & Back.
Due to founding member Allen Collins' paralysis from his 1986 car accident, he was only able to participate as the musical director, choosing Randall Hall, his former bandmate in the Allen Collins Band, as his stand-in.
After releasing five studio albums and one live album, the band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed, killing Van Zant, Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, and seriously injuring the rest of the band. Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with Ronnie's brother Johnny Van Zant as lead vocalist.
That the band chose to continue after the 1987 tribute tour caused legal problems for the survivors, as Judy Van Zant Jenness and Teresa Gaines Rapp (widows of Ronnie and Steve, respectively) sued the others for violating an agreement made shortly after the plane crash, stating that they would not "exploit" the Skynyrd name for profit.
As part of the settlement, Jenness and Rapp collect nearly 30% of the band's touring revenues (representing the shares their husbands would have earned had they lived), and hold a proviso requiring any band touring as Lynyrd Skynyrd to include Rossington and at least two of the other four surviving members from the pre-crash era, namely Wilkeson, Powell, King and Pyle. The band released its first post-reunion album in 1991, entitled Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991.
That lineup released a second post-reunion album, entitled The Last Rebel in 1993.
They continue to tour and record with co-founder Rossington (the band's sole continuous member), Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke, who first wrote and recorded with the band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996.
Later that year, Randall Hall was replaced by Mike Estes. ===Member changes and deaths (1996–2019)=== Ed King had to take a break from touring in 1996 due to heart complications that required a transplant.
Medlocke and Thomasson would also become major contributors to the band's songwriting along with Rossington and Van Zant. The first album with this new lineup, released in 1997, was entitled Twenty.
The band released another album, Edge of Forever in 1999.
Despite the growing number of post-reunion albums that band had released up to this time, setlists showed that the band was playing mostly 1970s-era material in concert. The band released a Christmas album, entitled Christmas Time Again in 2000.
Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001.
He was replaced in 2001 by Ean Evans. The first album to feature Evans was Vicious Cycle, released in 2003.
He was replaced in 2001 by Ean Evans. The first album to feature Evans was Vicious Cycle, released in 2003.
Members are also working on their fifteenth album. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lynyrd Skynyrd No. 95 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
The band also released a double collection album called Thyrty, which had songs from the original lineup to the present, and also a live DVD of their Vicious Cycle Tour and on June 22, 2004, the album The Vicious Cycle Tour. Mark "Sparky" Matejka, formerly of the country music band Hot Apple Pie, joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006 as Thomasson's replacement.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.
The band also released a double collection album called Thyrty, which had songs from the original lineup to the present, and also a live DVD of their Vicious Cycle Tour and on June 22, 2004, the album The Vicious Cycle Tour. Mark "Sparky" Matejka, formerly of the country music band Hot Apple Pie, joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006 as Thomasson's replacement.
They were inducted in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan on March 13, 2006 during the Hall's 21st annual induction ceremony.
On November 2, 2007, the band performed for a crowd of 50,000 people at the University of Florida's Gator Growl student-run pep rally in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ("The Swamp" football stadium).
This was the largest crowd that Lynyrd Skynyrd had played to in the U.S., until the July 2008 Bama Jam in Enterprise, Alabama where more than 111,000 people attended. On January 28, 2009, keyboardist Billy Powell died of a suspected heart attack at age 56 at his home near Jacksonville, Florida.
They appeared at the Kaaboo Texas festival on May 11, 2019. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Lynyrd Skynyrd among hundreds of recording artists whose original master recordings were believed to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
This was the largest crowd that Lynyrd Skynyrd had played to in the U.S., until the July 2008 Bama Jam in Enterprise, Alabama where more than 111,000 people attended. On January 28, 2009, keyboardist Billy Powell died of a suspected heart attack at age 56 at his home near Jacksonville, Florida.
He was replaced by Peter Keys. On March 17, 2009, it was announced that Skynyrd had signed a worldwide deal with Roadrunner Records, in association with their label, Loud & Proud Records, and released their new album God & Guns on September 29 of that year.
in 2009 with Keys on keyboards and Robert Kearns of the Bottle Rockets on bass; bassist Ean Evans died of cancer at age 48 on May 6, 2009.
Scottish rock band Gun performed as special guests for the UK leg of Skynyrd's tour in 2010. In addition to the tour, Skynyrd appeared at the Sean Hannity Freedom Concert series in late 2010.
The inductees included Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Ed King, Steve Gaines, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, Bob Burns, and Artimus Pyle. ===Tributes=== In 2010, another country tribute album was produced, primarily by Jay Joyce, titled Sweet Home Alabama – The Country Music Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL), September 20, 2010. "Photos: Remembering Leonard Skinner, namesake of Jacksonville rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd".
The band continued to tour throughout 2011, playing alongside ZZ Top and the Doobie Brothers. On May 2, 2012, the band announced the impending release of a new studio album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, along with a North American and European tour.
The band continued to tour throughout 2011, playing alongside ZZ Top and the Doobie Brothers. On May 2, 2012, the band announced the impending release of a new studio album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, along with a North American and European tour.
On August 21, 2012, Last of a Dyin' Breed was released.
While promoting the album on CNN on September 9, 2012, members of the band talked about its discontinued use of Confederate imagery.
In September 2012, the band briefly did not display the Confederate flag, which had for years been a part of their stage show, because they did not want to be associated with racists that adopted the flag.
However, after protests from fans, they reversed this decision, citing it as part of their Southern American heritage and states' rights symbolism. Original drummer Bob Burns died aged 64 on April 3, 2015; his car crashed into a tree while he was driving alone near his home in Cartersville, Georgia.
From 2015 through 2017, the band had periods of being sidelined or having to cancel shows due to health problems suffered by founding member Gary Rossington. Former member Ed King, who had been battling cancer, died in his Nashville, Tennessee home on August 22, 2018 at 68 years of age. ===Farewell tour and upcoming fifteenth album (2018–present)=== On January 25, 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, which started on May 4, 2018.
From 2015 through 2017, the band had periods of being sidelined or having to cancel shows due to health problems suffered by founding member Gary Rossington. Former member Ed King, who had been battling cancer, died in his Nashville, Tennessee home on August 22, 2018 at 68 years of age. ===Farewell tour and upcoming fifteenth album (2018–present)=== On January 25, 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, which started on May 4, 2018.
In January 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced its farewell tour, and continue touring as of October 2019.
From 2015 through 2017, the band had periods of being sidelined or having to cancel shows due to health problems suffered by founding member Gary Rossington. Former member Ed King, who had been battling cancer, died in his Nashville, Tennessee home on August 22, 2018 at 68 years of age. ===Farewell tour and upcoming fifteenth album (2018–present)=== On January 25, 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, which started on May 4, 2018.
The film was later entitled The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash and released in June 2020. ===Film=== On March 13, 2018, filmmaker Stephen Kijak premiered his documentary called, "If I Leave Here Tomorrow" at the Stateside Theater during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
In January 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced its farewell tour, and continue touring as of October 2019.
On January 8, 2020, Rossington stated in an interview that while they would no longer be touring, they will continue to play occasional live shows. On March 19, 2019, Johnny Van Zant announced that the band intended to go into the studio to record one last album after completing the tour with several songs ready or "in the can".
They appeared at the Kaaboo Texas festival on May 11, 2019. On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Lynyrd Skynyrd among hundreds of recording artists whose original master recordings were believed to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
On January 8, 2020, Rossington stated in an interview that while they would no longer be touring, they will continue to play occasional live shows. On March 19, 2019, Johnny Van Zant announced that the band intended to go into the studio to record one last album after completing the tour with several songs ready or "in the can".
The film was later entitled The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash and released in June 2020. ===Film=== On March 13, 2018, filmmaker Stephen Kijak premiered his documentary called, "If I Leave Here Tomorrow" at the Stateside Theater during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
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