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69-457: " Free Bird ", also spelled " Freebird ", is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd , written by guitarist Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant . The song was released on their 1973 debut studio album . Released as a single in November 1974, "Free Bird" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on November 23 at No. 87 and became the band's second Top 40 hit in early 1975, peaking at No. 19 on January 25. A live version of

138-594: A Bob Dylan concert on June 9, 2016 in Berkeley, California, shouted during the last encore for "Free Bird" to be played, and Dylan and his band unexpectedly obliged, performing an instrumental snippet of the song as the closing track of the show. The song has sold 2,111,000 downloads in the digital era, as of 2013. Studio version Live version Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( / l ɛ n ər d ˈ s k ɪ n ər d / , LEN -ərd SKIN -ərd )

207-546: 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

276-599: 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

345-547: 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

414-734: 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

483-598: 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

552-496: A fourteen-and-a-half-minute rendition of the song. It has become something of a humorous tradition for audience members at concerts to shout "Free Bird!" as a request to hear the song, regardless of the performer or style of music. For example, during Nirvana 's 1993 MTV Unplugged in New York show, a shout-out for "Free Bird!" eventually resulted in a lyrically slurred, if short, rendition of " Sweet Home Alabama ". An attendee of

621-477: 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,

690-704: 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

759-463: 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

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828-486: 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

897-403: 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

966-495: 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

1035-450: 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

1104-576: 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

1173-500: Is dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman by the band in their live shows. During their 1975 performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test , Van Zant dedicated the song to both Allman and Berry Oakley , commenting, "they're both free birds". During the 1987–1988 Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour , the band played "Free Bird" as an instrumental. Johnny Van Zant first sang the song on its Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 Tour in Baton Rouge , where

1242-565: 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

1311-424: 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

1380-865: 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

1449-690: 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

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1518-672: 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

1587-549: 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

1656-439: 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

1725-506: 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

1794-722: 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

1863-568: 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

1932-441: 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

2001-490: 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

2070-404: 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

2139-525: The band had been headed in 1977 when several members were killed in a plane crash. Upon the single release, Record World said that the band "sees this country-tinged tune soar to further feather their hit nest." "Free Bird" is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and at number 407 in Rolling Stone ' s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . In 2009, it

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2208-471: 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

2277-513: 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

2346-460: 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

2415-426: 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,

2484-469: 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,

2553-530: 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

2622-430: 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

2691-461: 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

2760-530: 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

2829-828: 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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2898-486: 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

2967-482: The melody and lyrics in three or four minutes. The guitar solos that finish the song were added originally to give Van Zant a chance to rest, as the band was playing several sets per night at clubs at the time. Soon afterward, the band learned piano-playing roadie Billy Powell had written an introduction to the song; upon hearing it, they included it as the finishing touch and had him formally join as their keyboardist. In subsequent interviews, Gary Rossington stated that

3036-471: 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" –

3105-467: 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

3174-560: 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,

3243-449: 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

3312-407: 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

3381-470: 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

3450-442: The question and it eventually became the opening line of "Free Bird." Also, in an interview filmed during a fishing outing on a boat with Gary Rossington, an interviewer asked Ronnie Van Zant what the song meant. Van Zant replied that in essence, that the song is "what it means to be free, in that a bird can fly wherever he wants to go." He further stated that "everyone wants to be free...that's what this country's all about." The song

3519-537: The record company executives initially felt the song was too long and "wouldn't get any airplay", and that it "needed to be shortened to 3 or 3-1/2 minutes for radio". Also, the band was told, "Why would you ruin a pretty song like that with a wild "LSD-type" ending?" Rossington stated that the band refused to change the length of the song and that "we weren't changing our ways, hell no". Allen Collins 's girlfriend, Kathy, whom he later married, asked him, "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" Collins noted

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3588-435: 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

3657-466: 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

3726-508: 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

3795-481: The song re-entered the charts in late 1976, eventually peaking at No. 38 in January 1977. "Free Bird" achieved No. 3 on Guitar World's list of greatest guitar solos of all time in 2010 and 2016, while placing at No. 8 in their rankings by 2022. It is Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature song , the finale during live performances, and their longest song, often going well over 14 minutes when played live. "Free Bird"

3864-438: 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"

3933-491: 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,

4002-548: The tracks in the order of appearance of the original concert. The deluxe edition, released in 2001, was remixed entirely, remastered, and, aside from the undubbed version of Free Bird (which was released here for the first time),contained additional performances from the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The overdubbed version of Free Bird (which was part of the original release) was moved to the bonus tracks on disc 2. The bonus tracks are also available separately on

4071-473: 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

4140-573: The world premiere to speak to fans about the film. One More from the Road The original 14 tracks include a cover of Jimmie Rodgers ' " T for Texas " and an 11:30 version of " Free Bird ". The first CD release, in 1986, was a single disc omitting two tracks, "T For Texas" and "Travelin' Man", due to time constraints. The second CD release, in 1996, was a two-disc set with all 14 songs plus three bonus tracks: " Sweet Home Alabama ", "Gimme Back My Bullets" and " Simple Man ". The two-disc set put

4209-619: 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

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4278-445: 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

4347-534: 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

4416-585: Was named the 26th best hard rock song of all time by VH1 . In 2008, the 1973 recording of "Free Bird" from the Lynyrd Skynyrd (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd) album on MCA Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. On Skynyrd's first live album, 1976's One More from the Road , Van Zant can be heard asking the crowd, "What song is it you want to hear?" The calls for "Free Bird" led into

4485-403: 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,

4554-468: Was once the most requested song on FM radio, and remains a staple on classic rock stations . According to guitarist Gary Rossington , for two years after Allen Collins wrote the initial chords, vocalist Ronnie Van Zant insisted that there were too many for him to create a melody in the belief that the melody needed to change alongside the chords. After Collins played the unused sequence at rehearsal one day, Van Zant asked him to repeat it, then wrote out

4623-509: 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

4692-512: 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

4761-433: 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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