Lynyrd Skynyrd

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Formed:
1964, over 48 years ago.
Names:
Alternative names: Lynard Skynard.
Snapshot:
A Group with 94 releases, and credited once on others' music. 28 members.

Biography

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It’s hard to know whether Lynyrd Skynyrd were more famous for their driving three-guitar southern rock and the seminal track “Freebird”, or for their fluctuating line-up and tragic history.

Lynyrd Skynyrd began in the 60s, when Ronnie Van Zant and some of his friends pulled together a band to merge their homeland Southern blues with British influences from Free and The Yardbirds, to produce their own distinctive sound.

Their golden period was in the 1970s. Their first album, 1973’s pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd, contained the “Freebird” track beloved of rockers and parodists everywhere, and perennial favourite “Sweet Home Alabama”. They followed that in 1974 with Second Helping, their best selling album to date.

They released four further well-received albums including One More from the Road, but in 1977 disaster struck to rip a hole in the classic line-up. Ronnie Van Zant, the lifeblood of the group, was killed in a tragic plane crash along with two further band members. Other members of the band were seriously injured and the band broke up after the accident.

In the long period after the crash, surviving members formed the Rossington-Collins Band, The Artemis Pyle Band and the Allen Collins Band.

In 1987 the surviving members of the band reformed, initially for a one off concert, bringing in Ronnie Van Zant’s brother Johnny as lead singer and songwriter. Since that time Skynyrd have continued to tour, gather acclaim and awards and they have, thus far, released several post-crash albums.

Pictures

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Al Kooper in Control Room, Studio I - May 6, 1973 Getty Images

Al Kooper in Control Room, Studio I - May 6, 1973

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lynyrd Skynyrd Backstage Getty Images

Lynyrd Skynyrd Backstage

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd Getty Images

Photo of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Music

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Genres

Southern Rock, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Album-Oriented Rock (AOR), Blues Rock, Country Rock, Rock. Vote on Genres

Discography

95 releases – 94 under their own name and 1 credit on others' music Edit
1

Members

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Carol Chase

current & founder member
  • backing vocals

Dale Krantz Rossington

current & founder member
  • backing vocals

JoJo Billingsley

founder member
  • backing vocals

Leslie Hawkins

current & founder member
  • backing vocals

Gary Rossington

current member
  • lead guitar:
    • 1965-

Johnny Van Zant

current member
  • lead singer:
    • 1987-

Rickey Medlocke

current member
  • drums, guitar, backing vocals:
    • 1996-

Michael Cartellone

current member
  • drums, percussion:
    • 1999-

Mark Matejka

current member
  • guitar, backing vocals:
    • 2006-

Peter Pisarczyk

current member
  • keyboards:
    • 2009-

Robert Kearns

current member
  • bass guitar:
    • 2009-

Billy Powell

  • piano, keyboards:
    • 1972-2009

Ean Evans

  • bass guitar, backing vocals:
    • 2001-2009

Hughie Thomasson

  • guitar, vocals:
    • 1996-2005

Leon Wilkeson

  • bass, backing vocals:
    • 1972-2001

Owen Hale

  • drums, percussion:
    • 1994-1998

Ed King

  • guitar, synthesizer, mandolin, bass guitar:
    • 1972-1996

Mike Estes

  • guitar:
    • 1993-1996

Kurt Custer

  • drums:
    • 1990-1994

Randall Hall

  • guitar, backing vocals:
    • 1987-1993

Artimus Pyle

  • drums, percussion:
    • 1974-1991

Cassie Gaines

founder member
  • backing vocals:
    • unknown-1977

Ronnie Van Zant

founder member
  • vocals:
    • 1964-1977

Steve Gaines

  • guitar, vocals:
    • 1976-1977

Allen Collins

  • lead guitar, vocals:
    • 1965-1977

Bob Burns

founder member
  • drums:
    • 1964-1974

Greg T. Walker

  • bass guitar:
    • 1970-1972

Larry Junstrom

founder member
  • bass guitar:
    • 1964-1970

In the News

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Inspirational Teacher Dies

Sep, 22 2010

The gym teacher and basketball coach who inspired one of the most distinctive rock band names ever has died, at the age of 77. He had suffered from Alzheimers for several years. Leonard Skinner was a teacher of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Bob Burns at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida in the early 1960s. Mr. Skinner was well-known for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair, so after he sent Rossington to the principal's office for just that crime, the friends decided to lampoon him in their band name. Mr. Skinner took it in good humor, and even allowed a picture of his 'Leonard Skinner Realty' sign, with his phone number, to be included in an inside-sleeve photo for the band's third album Nuthin' Fancy. Shortly after, Skinner told Florence Times Daily: "I started getting calls to the phone by my bed at four o'clock in the morning from California and Pennsylvania. I'd say 'Skinner residence' and they'd ask, 'Who's talking?' When I'd say 'Leonard Skinner,' they'd say 'Far out.'"

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