Sweet Home Alabama

Background:

American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, now consisting of vocalist/songwriter Johnny Van Zant, guitarist Gary Rossington, keyboardist Billy Powell, bassist Ean Evans, guitarist Rickey Medlocke, drummer Michael Cartellone and Mark Matejka, enjoyed their first national success with the hit single “Free Bird,” spawned from their debut album, the double-platinum “Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd” (1973). The group received even more of a victory with the second and multi-platinum album “Second Helping” (1974), which featured another popular hit, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Following the platinum album “Nuthin' Fancy” (1975), which marked the group's first Top 10 hit, and guitarist Ed King's departure, Skynyrd released the 1976 album “Gimme Back My Bullets,” which only went gold. However, they soon rebounded with “One More From the Road,” a live album that received triple-platinum certification and became their next Top 10 hit. Prior to the 1977 widely-published plane crash that killed original vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, Skynyrd released “Street Survivors” (also 1977), which later became one of the group's major hits. It marked the final album by the “classic” line-up, which included Ronnie, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Artimus Pyle, Leon Wilkeson and Steve Gaines (also killed in the accident).

After a ten-year hiatus, Lynyrd Skynyrd was reunited in 1987 and began recording in 1991. Since then, they have released six studio albums of new material, including “Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991” (1991), “The Last Rebel” (1993), “Endangered Species” (1994), “Twenty” (1997), “Edge Of Forever” (1999), “Christmas Time Again” (2000) and “Vicious Cycle” (2003).

Lynyrd Skynyrd was named one of “Rolling Stone” magazine's “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004. They have also been voted one of VH1's “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.” In 2006, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

My Backyard

Childhood and Family:

In Jacksonville, Florida, high school friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington established the band My Backyard in 1964. A few months later, the threesome added bassist Larry Junstrom and drummer Bob Burns to their original line-up. Keyboardist Billy Powell joined the group in 1970 that soon morphed to Leonard Skinnerd, a taunting tribute to high school gym teacher Leonard Skinner, who was known for punishing pupils with long hair. They changed the spelling of their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1972. It was also in 1972 that bassist Leon Wilkeson briefly joined the group as a replacement for Larry Junstrom. Ed King replaced Wilkeson on bass for Skynyrd's debut album, but he then switched as the group's guitarist. Wilkeson returned to the group at Van Zant's request.

A year after the release of their second album, in 1975, Burn quit the group and was replaced by Kentucky-born drummer Artimus Pyle. Ed King followed in the footsteps of Burn by leaving the group later that same year. He was replaced by guitarist Steve Gaines in 1976. Gaines is the brother of Cassie Gaines, one third of The Honkettes, Skynyrd's back up singers recruited in late 1975.

It was in 1977 that Skynyrd had to deal with a major loss following a plane crash in a forest near McComb, Mississippi, that killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant and the Gaines brothers, among others and seriously injured other members like Allen Collin, Leon Wilkeson and Gary Rossington. After the tragedy, Skynyrd took nearly a decade off, during which time the surviving members founded their own groups. Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle and former guitarist Ed King rejoined in 1987 for an all-out tour with Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, taking over as a new lead singer and main songwriter. Allen Collin, who was in a car accident in 1986, chose Randall Hall as his backup. Collin died in 1990 of pneumonia.

In July 2001, bassist Leon Wilkeson passed away of liver/lung disease. He was replaced by Ean Evans.

Free Bird

Career:

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, Lynyrd Skynyrd first performed as My Backyard and in 1968, the group won a local Battle of the Bands competition, which led to several Southeast dates as opening acts for the rock group Strawberry Alarm Clock. They went on to play throughout the South in the early 1970s, but did not receive their first taste of fame until 1972 when they landed the opening slot for Bob Dylan. It was also in 1972 that Skynyrd was spotted by producer/musician/songwriter Al Kooper while performing at a club in Atlanta. Impressed by their music, Kooper signed them to MCA Records and produced the group's debut album, “Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd,” which was recorded after ex-Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined the group. Released in 1973, the album produced such hits as “I Ain't the One,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “Simple Man” and “Tuesday's Gone,” but it was the popular single “Free Bird” that really brought the group national recognition. A Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song is now still regarded as a Rock and Roll anthem. Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd went double-platinum in the U.S.

Thanks to the success of “Free Bird” and a high-profile opening slot at The Who's 1993 Quadrophenia tour, Skynyrd's fan base increased rapidly. Their growing status was further verified the following year with the release of the sophomore effort “Second Helping” (1974). Containing the hit single, “Sweet Home Alabama,” the album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard album chart and went on to become multi-platinum album. Other singles released from the album were “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” “Call Me the Breeze” and “Don't Ask Me No Questions.” Later that same year in July, Skynyrd headlined The Ozark Music Festival at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri.

After Burns' departure in 1975, Skynyrd launched their third studio album, “Nuthin' Fancy,” with new drummer Artimus Pyle. The first single “Saturday Night Special,” which targeted the topic of gun control, was used for the soundtrack of the motion picture “The Longest Yard” (1974). Although “Nuthin' Fancy” marked the group's first Top 10 hit, the album only went platinum. In support of the album, Skynyrd embarked on the Nuthin' Fancy tour. It was in the middle of the tour that guitarist Ed King decided to leave the group and the forth album, “Gimme Back My Bullets” (1976), was recorded without King. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album received smaller success than its predecessors and only went gold.

Skynyrd followed “Gimme Back My Bullets” with a first live album called “One More From the Road” in September 1976. The album, which featured the group's new guitarist Steve Gaines and The Honkettes as their backup vocals, became Skynyrd's next Top 10 hit and was certified triple-platinum by RIAA. Skynyrd's sixth studio album, “Street Survivors,” was released on October 17, 1977, three days before the tragic plane crash that killed vocalist Ronnie VanZant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie. The tragedy and ensuing press helped “Street Survivors” become one of the group's biggest hits by achieving No. 5 on the Billboard chart and earning double-platinum certification.

After a very long break, they released “Skynyrd's First And...Last,” a collection of their early demos, in 1978, and a double-album compilation, “Gold & Platinum,” in 1979 and “The Best of the Rest,” a collection of unreleased demos, in 1982. In the early 1980s, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins founded The Rossington-Collins Band, which produced two albums, and drummer Artimus Pyle followed their footsteps by forming The Artimus Pyle Band in 1982. After the break up of The Rossington-Collins Band, Collins founded The Allen Collins Band in 1983.

Ten years after the tragedy, in 1987, crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle and ex-guitarist Ed King re-established Lynyrd Skynyrd with vocalist Johnny VanZant and guitarist Randall Hall added to the lineup as the lead singer/songwriter and the guitarist, respectively. They performed in a reunion tour and released the double-live album, “Southern by the Grace of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour-1987.” Due to a 1986 car accident, Allen Collins participated in the group as the musical director until his death in 1990.

The reformed group entered the studio in 1991 and released the album “Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991” (1991), under Atlantic Records. They went on to produce such albums as “The Last Rebel” (1993, Atlantic), “Endangered Species” (1994, Capricorn), “Twenty” (CMC, 1997), “Edge Of Forever” (1999, CMC), “Christmas Time Again” (CMC, 2000) and “Vicious Cycle” (Sanctuary, 2003). In 2001, Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room because of lung/liver illness.

Despite frequently changing of members, Lynyrd Skynyrd has remained active. Recently, they could be seen in a Super Bowl party in 2005 and performed at the Music Relief Concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A double-CD compilation called “Gold,” the reissue of the 1998 “Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd,” was released in 2006.

Skynyrd's new studio album is expected to be released in early 2009.

Awards:
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