Freebird

After playing the southern states during the late 60s they released a second single, 'I've Been Your Fool', in 1971, after recording demos in Sheffield, Alabama. The bands were discovered in Atlanta by Al Kooper in 1972 while he was scouting for new talent for his Sounds Of The South label. Signed for , their ranks were swollen by the addition of Leon Wilkeson (b. 2 April 1952; bass), who replaced Jungstrom (who went on to work with Van Zant's brother, Donnie, in .38 Special ). Kooper produced the band's debut album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which also featured former Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King (originally standing in on bass for Wilkeson, who dropped out of the band for six months) and Billy Powell (b. 3 June 1952, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA; keyboards). Their three-guitar line-up attracted a great deal of attention, much of it generated through support slots with the Who, and the combination of blues, honky tonk and boogie proved invigorating. Their momentous anthem, 'Free Bird' (a tribute to Duane Allman ), included a superb guitar finale, while its gravity and durability were indicated by frequent reappearances in the charts years later.

In March of the following year, with production expertise from Tom Dowd. In September 1976 Rossington was injured in a car crash, while Steve Gaines (b. 14 September 1949, Seneca, Missouri, USA, d. 20 October 1977; guitar) became King's replacement. With their tally of gold discs increasing each year and a series of sell-out tours, the band suffered an irrevocable setback in late 1977.On 20 October, Van Zant, Gaines, his sister Cassie (one of three backing singers) and personal manager Dean Kilpatrick were killed in a plane crash en route from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rossington, Collins, Powell and Wilkeson were seriously injured, but all recovered. That same month the band's new album, Street Survivors, was withdrawn as the sleeve featured an unintentionally macabre design of the members surrounded by flames. With their line-up devastated, the band dispersed and the remaining members went on to join the Rossington Collins band (with the exception of Pyle). In 1987, the name Lynyrd Skynyrd was revived for a 'reunion' tour featuring Rossington, Powell, Pyle, Wilkeson and King, with Ronnie's brother Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Randell Hall (guitar). One of their performances was later issued as the live double set, Southern By The Grace Of God. Collins had earlier been paralyzed and his girlfriend killed during an automobile accident in 1986. When he died in 1990 from pneumonia, this only helped to confirm Lynyrd Skynyrd's status as a 'tragic' band. However, members continued to perform and record after disentangling themselves from legal complications over the use of the name caused by objections from Van Zant's widow. The most spectacular aspect of this was a 20th anniversary performance live on cable television in February 1993, with Rossington, Powell, Wilkeson, King and Johnny Van Zant joined by guests including Peter Frampton, Brett Michaels ( Poison ), Charlie Daniels and Tom Kiefer ( Cinderella ), the latter having also written new songs with Rossington. Pyle was conspicuous by his absence, having been charged with the sexual assault of a four-year-old girl the previous year. The Rossington led line-up, which also features Rick Medlocke (guitar, vocals; ex- Blackfoot ), Hugh Thomasson (guitar, vocals; ex- Outlaws ), and Michael Cartellone (drums; ex- Damn Yankees ), has continued to release worthy new recordings on the CMC International label into the new millennium, and remains a huge draw on the live circuit.In 1974 the band enjoyed their biggest US hit with 'Sweet Home Alabama', an amusing and heartfelt response to Neil Young who had criticized the south in his compositions 'Southern Man' and 'Alabama'. After the release of parent album Second Helping, drummer Bob Burns was replaced by Artimus Pyle (b. 15 July 1948, Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA). The band were by now renowned as much for their hard living as their music, and Ed King became the first victim of excess when retiring from the band in May 1975 (Van Zant's name was also regularly to be found in the newspapers, through reports of bar brawls and confrontations with the law). Gimme Back My Bullets arrived

Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (Sounds Of The South/MCA 1973), Second Helping (Sounds Of The South/MCA 1974), Nuthin' Fancy (MCA 1975), Gimme Back My Bullets (MCA 1976), One More From The Road (MCA 1976), Street Survivors (MCA 1977), Skynyrd's First And ... Last 1970-72 recordings (MCA 1978), Southern By The Grace Of God Tribute Tour 1987 (MCA 1988), Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (Atlantic 1991), The Last Rebel (Atlantic 1993), Endangered Species (Capricorn 1994), Southern Knights (CBH 1996), Twenty (CMC/SPV 1997), Lyve From Steel Town (CMC/SPV 1998), Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album (MCA 1998), Edge Of Forever (CMC/SPV 1999), Then And Now (CMC 2000), Christmas Time Again (CMC 2000), Collectybles (MCA 2000). Compilations Gold & Platinum (MCA 1979), Best Of The Rest (MCA 1982), Legend (MCA 1987), Anthology (Raw Power 1987), Skynyrd's Innyrds (MCA 1989), Definitive 3-CD box set (MCA 1991), The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd (MCA 1998), The Best Of Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Millennium Collection (MCA 1999), Solo Flytes (MCA 1999), All Time Greatest Hits (MCA 2000), Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Collection (Spectrum 2001). Videography Freebird: The Movie (Cabin Fever 1997), Lynyrd Skynyrd Live: The Concert Video (CMC Video 1998), Lyve From Steel Town (CMC Video 1998). Bibliography

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