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Diaspora Yeshiva Band

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The Diaspora Yeshiva Band ( Hebrew : להקת ישיבת התפוצות ) was an American-Israeli Orthodox Jewish rock band founded at the Diaspora Yeshiva on Mount Zion , Jerusalem , by baal teshuva students from the United States. In existence from 1975 to 1983, the band infused rock and bluegrass music with Jewish lyrics, creating a style of music it called "Chassidic rock" or "Country and Eastern". The band had an international following, having become famous after winning three Israel Chassidic Festivals, in 1977, 1978, and 1980 and produced many hit songs. They were very popular with Jewish Youth Groups and tourists in the early to mid-1980s, and became very well known in Jerusalem for their Saturday-night concerts at King David Tomb . DYB had a considerable influence on contemporary Jewish religious music , inspiring later bands such as Blue Fringe , 8th Day , Reva L'Sheva , Soulfarm , the Moshav Band , and Shlock Rock . Fifteen years after it disbanded, band leader Avraham Rosenblum revived the band under the name Avraham Rosenblum & Diaspora and produced several more albums.

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78-691: The Diaspora Yeshiva (ישיבת התפוצות) was founded in 1965 by Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein, an alumnus of the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva in Queens , New York, and a colleague of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach . It was originally named "Yeshiva Toras Yisrael", the name of its American charity, and with the influx of students from the Diaspora after it moved to Mount Zion, Jerusalem following the Six Day War in 1967, it became known as "Diaspora Yeshiva", which

156-927: A Bullfrog "? Well, it was the same sound, but they were singing about how wonderful God is". Shelley Lang, promoter The band members viewed their music as a means of expressing their newfound connection to God, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel in a medium that they were familiar with. Their arrangements reflected the musical trends of secular American culture in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band's repertoire included rock , soft rock , acid rock , country , bluegrass , blues , folk , jazz , klezmer , and Yiddish ballads. Strom describes their music as blending "a San Francisco rock 'n' roll sound with Israeli, Middle Eastern, and Hasidic music". Instrumentation included electric guitar , rhythm guitar , bass guitar , saxophone , fiddle , banjo , and drums . The band

234-546: A Christian rock band named Vision, touring with established Christian rocker Mylon LeFevre . During Vision concerts, Powell's trademark keyboard talent was often spotlighted and he spoke about his conversion to Christianity after the near-fatal plane crash. 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

312-599: A Jacksonville native and partner in Macon, Georgia-based Hustlers Inc.; along with Phil Walden 's younger brother, Alan , became the band's managers. Armstrong left Hustlers shortly thereafter to start his own agency. Walden stayed with the band until 1974, when management was transferred to Peter Rudge. 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

390-547: A band. Bassist Larry Junstrom rounded out the lineup. They soon approached guitarist Allen Collins to join the band just two weeks later, and he agreed to join. The band later rehearsed in Junstrom's carport after Burns' parents said the band was too loud. The band settled on the name My Backyard, later changed to Conquer the Worm for a day or two, then The Noble Five, and finally The One Percent by 1967. In 1968, Van Zant sought

468-734: A biopic film project was announced. The film was later titled Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash and released in June 2020. 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. Kijak was joined on stage by Johnny Van Zant and Gary Rossington at

546-617: A decade or more there, studying a traditional yeshiva curriculum focusing on Talmud , mussar ("ethics"), and halakha ("Jewish law"). The yeshiva is known for six primary characteristics that distinguish it from other schools: The network of affiliated schools was selectively built over many decades by Henoch, including, in 1964, the first Israeli branch. 40°43′23″N 73°49′2.03″W  /  40.72306°N 73.8172306°W  / 40.72306; -73.8172306 Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( / l ɛ n ər d ˈ s k ɪ n ər d / , LEN -ərd SKIN -ərd )

624-598: A falling out over the affections of Dale Krantz, whom Rossington married and with whom he formed The Rossington Band , which released two albums, Returned to the Scene of the Crime in 1986 and Love Your Man in 1988 and also opened for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour in 1987–1988. The other former members of Lynyrd Skynyrd continued to make music during the hiatus era. Billy Powell played keyboards in

702-477: A lineup that included bassist Leon Wilkeson , keyboardist Billy Powell , and guitarist Ed King . Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976. 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 ". After releasing five studio albums and one live album,

780-574: A long-time student of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim under Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz, Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein established the Diaspora Yeshiva according to the derech (way) of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, following in the footsteps of the Alter of Slabodka and Rabbi Yisroel Salanter , the founder of the Mussar movement , according to which the Diaspora Yeshiva continues to operate to this day, including that it

858-704: 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 . He was visibly suffering from Kathy's death; he excessively drank and consumed drugs. On January 29, 1986, Collins, then 33, crashed his Ford Thunderbird into a ditch near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts and leaving himself permanently paralyzed from

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936-554: A methodology based on Ramchal (see Torah study § The Luzzatto method ) – and emphasizes mussar , or character development. Its core programs range from three month introductory programs to six year programs, intermediate to advanced. Machon Roni , a women's Torah seminary , operates in parallel. It was established with similar goals to the yeshiva "to guide young Jewish women on their journey of teshuva". It has become "a leading seminary" for women seeking Jewish conversion . The Diaspora Yeshiva Band staged its first concert at

1014-463: A new name after growing tired of taunts from audiences that the band had "one percent talent". At Burns' suggestion, the group settled on Leonard Skinnerd , which was in part a reference to a character named "Leonard Skinner" in Allan Sherman 's novelty song " Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " and in part a mocking tribute to P.E. teacher Leonard Skinner at Robert E. Lee High School . Skinner

1092-486: 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. The band would later cease use of the Confederate flag starting with their 2019 tour. Original drummer Bob Burns died at age 64 on April 3, 2015; his car crashed into

1170-640: A performance at Carnegie Hall . It reunited again in 1996 with a show at The Town Hall in New York City . In 2014, Rosenblum, Simcha Abramson, Gedaliah Goldstein, Ruby Harris, and Menachem Herman performed at the HASC 27 concert at Lincoln Center. That same year, the group held another reunion concert at Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Baltimore, where Rosenblum is a member. In 1998 band leader Avraham Rosenblum and his son, drummer Moe Rosenblum, revived

1248-594: A rock guitarist who led his own bands in Philadelphia and New York in the late 1960s founded the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, along with Moshe Shur and Ben Zion Solomon. The band was conceived as an outreach tool to college and hippie students and, later, post-hippie seekers, using their Jewish rock music to draw hundreds of them into the milieu of Torah study . The yeshiva itself offers programs ranging from basic Judaism to advanced Talmud – employing

1326-403: A studio. Skynyrd crafted this distinctively "southern" sound through a creative blend of country, blues, and a slight British rock influence. During this time, the band experienced some lineup changes for the first time. Junstrom left and was briefly replaced by Greg T. Walker on bass. At that time, Rickey Medlocke joined as a second drummer and second vocalist to help fortify Burns' sound on

1404-495: 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. On January 25, 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their Last of

1482-450: A trio called Me, You, and Him. Later in the summer of 1964, teenagers Van Zant, Rossington, and Burns all became acquainted while playing on rival baseball teams. The trio decided to jam together one afternoon after Burns was injured by a ball hit by Van Zant. They set up their equipment in the carport of Burns' parents' house and played The Rolling Stones ' hit " Time Is on My Side ". Liking what they heard, they immediately decided to form

1560-576: Is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums). The band spent four years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding on "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1968. The band released its first album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) , in 1973. By then, they had settled on

1638-628: Is commonly used as a name for Kagan, after his book with the same title . Chofetz Chaim means "desires life" in Hebrew . The Yeshiva's first building was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn . In December 1955 it relocated to Forest Hills, Queens . Most recently, at the start of the 2003 academic year, the Yeshiva relocated to Kew Gardens Hills, Queens . After Leibowitz died in December 1941, he

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1716-410: Is more important to work on oneself and to become a mentch than it is to adopt a particular dress-code, so students are not required to wear black and white, but may come as they are and feel comfortable to grow at their own pace. Numerous students were professional or semi-professional musicians, and several musical collaborations were spawned in the yeshiva dorms. In 1975 student Avraham Rosenblum,

1794-552: The Beit Ha'Am hall in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem during Hanukkah 1975. After that, the band became well known for its weekly Saturday-night concerts held in a room adjacent to David's Tomb (located in the same courtyard as the yeshiva) on Mount Zion. These concerts attracted secular American, British, and French youth; yeshiva and seminary students; tourists, and Israeli soldiers. Band members continued to perform with

1872-565: The Rossington Collins Band , which released two MCA albums, Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere in 1980 and This Is The Way in 1981. Deliberately avoiding comparisons with Ronnie Van Zant as well as suggestions that this band was Lynyrd Skynyrd reborn, Rossington and Collins chose a woman, Dale Krantz, as the lead vocalist. However, as an acknowledgement of their past, the band's concert encore would always be an instrumental version of "Free Bird". Rossington and Collins eventually had

1950-602: The Heartbreakers to Israel and Egypt. Band leader Avraham Rosenblum was filmed accompanying Tom Petty , Benmont Tench , and Roger McGuinn at the Western Wall . The Diaspora Yeshiva Band released a total of six albums. They disbanded in 1983 as its members began pursuing both solo careers and careers in Torah learning and outreach . In December 1992 the band reconvened for a month-long reunion tour beginning with

2028-672: The Moshe Shur Band and Moshe Shur and Sons. Sons of original band member Ben Zion Solomon include Noah Solomon of Soulfarm , Yehuda Solomon of Moshav Band , and Nachman Solomon of Hamakor . The six founding members of the Diaspora Yeshiva Band were: Student-musicians who played with the band at different times between 1973 and 1986 include: Beryl and Ted Glaser, Shimon Green, Isser Blum, Amram Hakohen, Menachem Herman, Yochanan Lederman, Tzvi Miller, Yosil Rosenzweig, Chaim-Dovid Saracik , and Rabbi Moshe Shur. Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim (also known as

2106-638: The Rabbinical Seminary of America) is an Orthodox yeshiva based in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens , New York, United States. It is primarily an American, non-chasidic Haredi Talmudic yeshiva. The yeshiva is legally titled Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA) but is often referred to as just Chofetz Chaim as that was the nickname of its namesake, Yisroel Meir Kagan . It has affiliate branches in Israel and North America. The Yeshiva

2184-424: The South label, which was to be distributed and supported by MCA Records , and produced their first album. Wilkeson, citing nervousness about fame, temporarily left the band during the early recording sessions, playing on only two tracks. He rejoined the band shortly after the album's release at Van Zant's invitation and is pictured on the album cover. To replace him, Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined

2262-865: The Street Survivors Farewell Tour, which started on May 4, 2018. Supporting acts included Kid Rock , Hank Williams Jr. , Bad Company , the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band , .38 Special , Cheap Trick , Blackberry Smoke , the Randy Bachman Band, Blackfoot , Massive Wagons , and Status Quo . Concerts were usually on Fridays and Saturdays. 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

2340-690: The U.S. 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. Hannity had been actively promoting the God & Guns album, frequently playing portions of

2418-672: 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. No autopsy was carried out. 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. They toured Europe and

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2496-549: The article), and they reunited with former members Bob Burns (drums), Artimus Pyle (drums), and Ed King (guitar) for a performance of "Free Bird." 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

2574-439: The band amid flames, with Steve Gaines nearly obscured by fire. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve's widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with the album's back photo, a similar image of the band against a simple black background. However, the group would restore the original image for the 30th anniversary deluxe edition of the album. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after

2652-506: The band and played bass on the album (the only part that Wilkeson had not already written being the solo section in " Simple Man "), and also contributed to the songwriting and did some guitar work on the album. After Wilkeson rejoined, King stayed in the band and switched solely to guitar, allowing the band to replicate its three-guitar studio mix in live performances. The band released their debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) on August 13, 1973. It sold over one million copies and

2730-722: The band boarded a chartered Convair CV-240 bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana , where they were scheduled to appear at LSU the following night. After running out of fuel, the pilots attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg, Mississippi . Killed on impact were Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot John Gray. Other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew members suffered serious injuries. The accident came just three days after

2808-568: The band confirmed that they would continue as a band. There had previously been agreements about how many pre-crash members had to be in the band in order for it to be active and "legal", but this appears to be no longer applicable since Rossington's death. In November 2023, Dolly Parton released a cover of "Free Bird" on her rock album Rockstar ; this version also featured contributions from members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (including slide guitar from Rossington, recorded before his death), along with former drummer Artimus Pyle and his band, and even part of

2886-441: The band did four autograph signings throughout the southeast. Lynyrd Skynyrd used a Confederate flag from the 1970s until the 2010s, and several criticisms have been raised against them because of this. 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

2964-490: The band during the same year, with Custer becoming the band's sole drummer. That lineup released a second post-reunion album, entitled The Last Rebel in 1993. Later that year, Randall Hall was replaced by Mike Estes. In 1994, Owen Hale replaced Kurt Custer on drums. Ed King had to take a break from touring in 1996 due to heart complications that required a transplant. In his absence, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson . The band did not let King rejoin after he recovered. At

3042-404: The band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996. Over the years, other founding members of the band have died either during—or after—their time in the band. In January 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced its farewell tour , and continued touring until 2022. Members were still working on the band's fifteenth album at the time of Rossington's death in 2023, after which no founding members remained in

3120-471: 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. Lynyrd Skynyrd was among hundreds of recording artists whose original master recordings were believed to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire . Though it is not known with certainty which, if any, of

3198-513: The band parted ways by mutual agreement after the tracking was completed, with Kooper mixing the album while the band left for the tour that had precipitated the constricted recording schedule. Though the album fared well, it ultimately had lower sales than its predecessors. Midway through the Nuthin' Fancy tour, guitarist Ed King abruptly left the band after a falling out with Van Zant. King's guitar roadie and Van Zant were arrested together and spent

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3276-415: The band under the name Avraham Rosenblum & Diaspora and produced the album Jerusalem is Calling . Moe went on to produce The Diaspora Collection (2000), a digitally-remastered double-CD of Diaspora Yeshiva Band hits, and Kedem (2003), an album featuring solo material by Avraham Rosenblum. "They started putting their music talents together in a religious way ... You remember that song " Jeremiah Was

3354-460: The band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed , killing Van Zant, Steve 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. They continued to tour and record with co-founder Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke , who first wrote and recorded with

3432-426: The band's master recordings were lost in the blaze, Lynyrd Skynyrd was among the artists listed in an internal Universal Music Group document listing the artists whose master recordings the company believed had been lost and subsequently spent tens of millions of dollars trying to replace. Rossington, the last founding member of the band, died on March 5, 2023, leaving no original members left alive. In April 2023,

3510-469: The band, and the drums on the album were played by session drummer Kenny Aronoff . Michael Cartellone became the band's permanent drummer on the subsequent tour. Despite the growing number of post-reunion albums that the 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,

3588-530: The band. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lynyrd Skynyrd No. 95 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. As of 2023, the band has sold more than 28 million records in the United States. AllMusic called them "the definitive Southern rock band". Allen Collins received his first guitar in 1963 and

3666-430: 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. Publicly and privately, Ronnie Van Zant marveled at

3744-461: The chest down. In 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited for a full-scale tour with five major members of the pre-crash band: crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle, along with guitarist Ed King, who had left the band two years before the crash. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny , took over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter. Due to founding member Allen Collins' paralysis from his 1986 car accident, he

3822-530: The drums. Medlocke had grown up with the founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and his grandfather, Shorty Medlocke , was an influence in the writing of " The Ballad of Curtis Loew ". 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. Kooper signed them to his Sounds of

3900-490: The general media followed, increasing name recognition and visitors to the Saturday-night concerts. The band was invited back for the 1978 Chassidic Song Festival, and won first prize again for its entry " Malchutcha " (Your sovereignty). The band embarked on its first North American concert tour in 1979, visiting 26 cities. It went on to tour the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South Africa on five additional tours. The band

3978-828: The group No. 95 on their list of the " 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ". On November 28, 2005, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Lynyrd Skynyrd would be inducted alongside Black Sabbath , Blondie , Miles Davis , and the Sex Pistols . They were inducted in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan on March 13, 2006, during the Hall's 21st annual induction ceremony. The inductees included Ronnie Van Zant , Allen Collins , Gary Rossington , Ed King , Steve Gaines , Billy Powell , Leon Wilkeson , Bob Burns , and Artimus Pyle . On April 4, 2017,

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4056-540: The group even after they had married and begun studying in kollel . The band released its first album in 1976. In 1977 they were invited to compete in the Chassidic Song Festival, an Israeli competition that ran from 1969 to 1984 and broadcast on national television. Diaspora Yeshiva Band was the first yeshiva band to perform at the largely secular music event, and won first prize for its song " Hu Yiftach Libeinu " (He will open our hearts). Interviews in

4134-486: The late Ronnie van Zant's vocal track from the original recording of "Free Bird" (with the permission of Ronnie van Zant's widow). A similar version was featured on a Pyle-led tribute album of re-recorded collaborations with other musicians on Skynyrd songs, and Skynyrd also plans (as of 2023) to release their own similar version; however, according to Parton, only her version was allowed to use Ronnie van Zant's original vocal track. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked

4212-491: The later Israeli charity registration as "Yeshivat Hatfuzot Toras Yisrael" reflects. The current Rosh Yeshiva is Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein. Diaspora Yeshiva was established as an outreach yeshiva for baalei teshuva . Unlike traditional rabbinic academies, the yeshiva reached out to young Jewish men who had never been exposed to traditional Torah or Talmud study. It offered introductory and intermediate courses together with acclimation to an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. As

4290-471: The multiple talents of Skynyrd's newest member, claiming that the band would "all be in his shadow one day". Gaines' contributions included his co-lead vocal with Van Zant on the co-written "You Got That Right" and the rousing guitar boogie "I Know a Little", which he had written before he joined Skynyrd. So confident was Skynyrd's leader of Gaines' abilities that the album (and some concerts) featured Gaines delivering his self-penned bluesy "Ain't No Good Life" –

4368-467: The night in jail. With his guitar roadie unavailable, King played that night's show with old strings that broke and caused his performance to be substandard, and Van Zant subsequently belittled him in front of his bandmates. 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

4446-560: The only song in the pre-crash Skynyrd catalog to feature a lead vocalist other than Ronnie Van Zant. The album also included the hit singles " What's Your Name " and "That Smell". The band was poised for their biggest tour yet, with shows always highlighted by the iconic rock anthem "Free Bird". Following a performance at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina , on October 20, 1977,

4524-449: The original lineup to the present, and also a live DVD of their Vicious Cycle Tour. On June 22, 2004, the album Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour . Thomasson left the band in 2005 to reform The Outlaws , and Mark "Sparky" Matejka , formerly of the country music band Hot Apple Pie , joined in 2006 as his replacement. On March 13, 2006, Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (also discussed later in

4602-407: The other four surviving members from the pre-crash era, namely Wilkeson, Powell, King and Pyle. Following this rule, the band would have been forced to retire in 2001, but they have still continued to tour for another two decades. The band released its first post-reunion album in 1991, entitled Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 . By that time, the band had added a second drummer, Kurt Custer. Artimus Pyle left

4680-470: 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

4758-435: The recording of the follow-up album and forced the band to cancel some concert dates. Rossington's accident inspired the ominous Van Zant/Collins composition " That Smell " – a cautionary tale about drug abuse that was aimed towards him and at least one other band member. Rossington has admitted repeatedly that he was the "Prince Charming" of the song who crashed his car into an oak tree while drunk and stoned on Quaaludes . With

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4836-466: The release of the group's fifth studio album Street Survivors . Following the crash and the ensuing press, Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album and reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 , their highest position on the chart. The single "What's Your Name" reached No. 13 on the single charts in 1978. The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of

4914-508: 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. The result was a major retooling of the band's 'guitar army'. 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. By that time, Hale had left

4992-438: The songwriting, cemented the band's breakthrough. Its single " Sweet Home Alabama ", a response to Neil Young 's " Southern Man ", reached #8 on the charts that August. 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"

5070-491: The track "That Ain't My America" on his radio show. The tour is titled "Rebels and Bandoleros". 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. In celebration,

5148-528: The tragedy, reuniting only on one occasion to perform an instrumental version of "Free Bird" at Charlie Daniels ' Volunteer Jam V in January 1979. Collins, Rossington, Powell, and Pyle were joined by Daniels and members of his band. Leon Wilkeson, who was still undergoing physical therapy for his badly broken left arm, was in attendance, along with Judy Van Zant, Teresa Gaines, JoJo Billingsley, and Leslie Hawkins. Rossington, Collins, Wilkeson and Powell formed

5226-619: Was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . 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 in 1973, thanks to their opening on the Who 's Quadrophenia tour in the United States. Their 1974 follow-up album, Second Helping , featuring King, Collins and Rossington all collaborating with Van Zant on

5304-570: Was considered an influential group in the history of contemporary Jewish religious music. Bands that name them as an inspiration include Blue Fringe , 8th Day , and Shlock Rock . Besides Rosenblum, other original band members who pursued solo careers include Ruby Harris, founder of the Ruby Harris Electric Violin Blues Band in Chicago, Adam Wexler , co-founder of Reva L'Sheva , and Rabbi Moshe Shur, founder of

5382-583: Was established in 1933 by Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz , a great-nephew of the Chofetz Chaim. Leibowitz was a disciple of Nosson Tzvi Finkel and he also studied under Naftoli Trop at the Yeshiva in Radun, Belarus . The yeshiva was named for Leibowitz's great uncle, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan , who had died that year. It is officially named Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen, but is often referred to simply as Chofetz Chaim ( Hebrew : חָפֵץ חַיִּים ), which

5460-445: Was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001. His death was found to be due to emphysema and chronic liver disease. He was replaced in 2001 by Ean Evans . The first album to feature Evans was Vicious Cycle , released in 2003. This album had improved sales over the other post-reunion albums, and had a minor hit single in the song "Red, White and Blue". The band also released a double album called Thyrty , which had songs from

5538-421: Was highly popular on college campuses in the early to mid-1980s. In the 1980s, Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle came to study in the Diaspora Yeshiva for several years. He played with a later band and bequeathed his drum set to the yeshiva. In 1987 the Diaspora Yeshiva Band performed and were interviewed on MTV 's Musical Passport series, Rock Israel , as part of the coverage of the visit of Tom Petty and

5616-534: Was later in a band called The Mods in Jacksonville, Florida . The Mods membership included J.R. Rice and Larry Steele. In early 1964, Ronnie Van Zant joined another local band, The Squires, that he soon renamed to Us. That year, at a local 'Battle of the Bands', Us performed against The Mods and won the competition. Van Zant, however, left Us shortly afterward. In the early summer of 1964, bassist Larry Junstrom , drummer Bob Burns , and guitarist Gary Rossington formed

5694-519: Was noted for its guitar harmonies and "virtuoso" instrument playing. The lyrics, in contrast, expressed Jewish values. Lyrics were both original and drawn from the Torah and Book of Psalms . The band sang in Hebrew , Yiddish , and English . Their on-stage presence also belied the traditional rock band image: they sported full beards, payot , and tzitzit , and dressed in the dark-colored attire typical of yeshiva students. The Diaspora Yeshiva Band

5772-403: Was notorious for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair. Rossington dropped out of school, tired of being hassled about his hair. The more distinctive spelling "Lynyrd Skynyrd" was adopted at least as early as 1969. By 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd had become a top band in Jacksonville, headlining at some local concerts, and opening for several national acts. Pat Armstrong,

5850-509: Was only able to participate as the musical director, choosing Randall Hall, his former bandmate in the Allen Collins Band, as his stand-in. In return for avoiding prison following his guilty plea to DUI manslaughter, Collins would be wheeled out onstage each night to explain to the audience why he could no longer perform (usually before the performance of " That Smell ", the lyrics of which had been partially directed at him). Collins

5928-512: Was stricken with pneumonia in 1989 and died on January 23, 1990, at age 37. The reunited band was intended to be a one-time tribute to the original lineup, captured on the double-live album Southern by the Grace of God : Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987 . 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

6006-401: Was succeeded as head by his son, Henoch Leibowitz , a role held in the 21st century by Dovid Harris and Akiva Grunblatt. The yeshiva houses a boys' secondary school or Mesivta , Yeshiva Preparatory High School, headed for many years by Rabbi Zechariah Fendel, an undergraduate yeshiva, and a rabbinical school that grants Semicha (ordination). Rabbinical students at the yeshiva often spend

6084-433: Was the only single to crack the top ten. By 1975, personal issues began to take their toll on the band. In January, drummer Burns left the band after suffering a mental breakdown during a European tour and was replaced by Kentucky native and former US Marine Artimus Pyle . The band's third album, Nuthin' Fancy , was recorded in 17 days. Unhappy with the band's lack of preparation for the album's recording, Kooper and

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