In the Summer of 1964, a group of young teenage boys were playing baseball together. From this sprang one of the most legendary, influential bands in rock history. One day, a group of boys were playing baseball. A young Ronnie Van Zant was dreaming of a pro-ball career as a center-fielder. He made it as far as the American Legion team, the next step would have been AA, or minor league ball!! Gary Rossington, the chubby little second baseman was also looking forward to a career in pro-ball. He dreamt of being a New York Yankee. Allen Collins, however, always dreamed of being a rock star. He began his amazing guitar skills with his step-mother who taught him a few chords, but otherwise, he was self-taught. In my opinion, he was the best guitarist of all times, especially with the guitar solo in Freebird. Gary Rossington was also an extremely good guitarist (which can also be proven by listening to Freebird.)

Ronnie’s singing career began as a young child when he and his brothers sang in the bathtub. He also learned to play the piano and guitar. Gary learned his guitar skills by watching bands play on television. His first attempt at this was by watching The Rolling Stones on television. He, just like Allen, was also self-taught.

The band was originally called My Backyard. It was then changed to The Noble Five. Ronnie also stated that they were more influenced by the British Invasion, not Southern Rock bands (which was an image made up by the record companies, but they kept it anyhow.) Skynyrd had never originally intended to become Southern Rock icons.

The original Skynyrd line-up consisted of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Bob Burns (drummer), and Larry Junstrom. They practiced at whomever’s mother would let them, usually Bob’s. Their first gig was at Ronnie’s brother-in-law’s part-store’s Christmas party. They were paid ten dollars, but each paid a quarter for gas. This left them with a grand total of $1.75 per person!! This, however, happened in December of 1964, not long after they began playing together.

After this performance, they began to get more and more gigs. They played everywhere from teen parties, to church socials!! Their name also changed many times, most usually lasting only a day or two. The longest one before Lynyrd Skynyrd was One Percent. They got this name from watching a movie about the Hell’s Angels, and their motto was "One percent of the world is bikers."

During these early years, the boys met people who would be very important later in the careers of Lynyrd Skynyrd such as Billy Powell, and Ronnie’s future wife, Judy.

Judy remembers meeting Ronnie in 1969 through Gary when the band was still known as One Percent. The couple were married two years later.

While the boys were in high school, they went through alot of trouble trying to be like their British role-models. They grew their hair out long, which then was only about to their eyebrows. Allen hated his father for years because his father took him to get a haircut one day after a complaint from the school. The other boys went to a different school from Allen. Gary was consistently plagued by one certain coach Leonard Skinner, whom gave him numerous detentions for his hair being long. After so many of these problems, Gary simply dropped out of school. One night soon after, Ronnie jokingly said they were changing the name of the band from One Percent to Leonard Skinner, and asked for audience approval. Since many of them went to school with them, they all cheered, so the name was changed. They later changed it to Lynard Skynard so they could not get in trouble, and later settled on Lynyrd Skynyrd. My little FYI, I think I may be related to Coach Skinner because my uncle (by marriage) is from Florida, and his last name is Skinner. I tried to get to him to ask him, but him and my aunt live in Montana, and I never get to talk to them, but I’m going to write him a letter, so I’ll let you know when I find out.

Now that we have a little background on the band as a whole, let’s look at the most important (in my opinion) founding father, Ronnie Van Zant.

Ronnie was born to Lacy and Marion Van Zant on January 15, 1948. He grew up in a tough home, on a tough street, in a tough part of Jacksonville, Florida. He, however, held his own and was very often the boy on the baseball or football field that was beating on everyone else. Ronnie also loved to fish. He always came back from his tours, then went fishing after Skynyrd became famous.

Even though Ronnie came across as rough, he was a very kind, compassionate man. He would always run out to greet Allen Collins’ mother with a hug and a kiss on the cheek when she would come home after her job, during which she let the boys practice in her living room.

Ronnie and Judy Seymour were married on November 18, 1972 in Georgia. Not only had Ronnie gotten married, but so had many of the other members. They knew they had to make it big soon, or give up their dream so they could support their families. Their dream finally became a reality in 1973 when they were found by Al Kooper, a well-known record-scout. They produced the album Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd which contained many of their most famous hits, "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", and the rock anthem for their generation, this generation, and many generations to come, the most extraordinary example of guitar handling, the ever-popular, "Freebird."

In 1976, after a few years of fame, Ronnie began to re-evaluate his priorities as his health worsened because of the grueling touring and his daughter, Melody, was born. He also wrote some very good songs, and these were released on the album "Street Survivors."

On October 20, 1977, all of the hopes and dreams of Lynyrd Skynyrd were shattered in one brief moment. The small twin engine plane the band was taking to their next show had been having engine problems. The majority of the band didn’t want to board, but Ronnie said: "If it’s your time to go, you’re gonna go." and boarded the plane. The rest of the band followed their fearless leader while their families anxiously watched and waited.

The ride was going fairly smoothly, and the guys had settled into their normal in-flight routine, playing poker. All of the sudden, one of the engines went out. The pilot panicked and tried to change the remaining fuel to the remaining engine. In his panic, however, he ended up dumping the fuel. Moments later silence was heard. The rush of the wind was outside. They were going to crash.

The pilot tried a belly landing in a swamp in Mississippi, but it was to no avail. As the plane hit the ground, it was broken into three pieces: the wing, fuselage, and pilot’s cabin. The passengers were violently thrown from their seats. Killed on impact were: the pilot and co-pilot, guitarist Steve Gaines, manager Dean Kilpatrick, and Ronnie Van Zant. Artemis Pyle, drummer, was hurt badly, his ribs were sticking out of his skin, but he ran to get help through two miles of swamp muck and returned back to be with his friends. As it grew darker, the time grew shorter. Artemis and pianist, Billy Powell, held Cassie Gaines, Steve’s older sister, in their arms while she pleaded with them "Please don’t let me die. I don’t want to die." Finally, her time ran out, as she gurgled blood from a slit in her throat, the back-up singer died in the arms of her friends.

The remaining members had long stays in the hospital. Billy was a sort of hospital reporter, giving updates on his friends as he sat in the hospital with stitches in his face. Leon Wilkenson, bassist, received immediate amnesia after the wreck, which he still cannot remember. Allen Collins had a cracked neck, and Gary Rossington had many internal injuries as well as many broken bones.

The nation mourned the death of the Southern rock icon who will live on forever in the hearts of Skynyrd fans everywhere. Ronnie, however, would not have been surprised by his death. He frequently commented to his friends and family that he would not live to see thirty. To Artemis Pyle while on tour in Tokyo: "I know I won’t live to see thirty, and I’m going out with my boots on." (which means on the road.) His horrifying prophecy came true that fateful day, and put a great halt on the huge rock-phenomenon which was reaching amazing heights.

The fate of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band was dangling precariously in the air. In 1979, however, they decided to try it again, and played a tribute to their fallen bandmates. Although some of them were still stiff-fingered from the crash, making it hard to play, they performed an instrumental version of "Freebird." In the middle of the stage, where Ronnie used to sing, there was an empty microphone in his honor. At one point during the performance, one of the lighting technicians placed an empty spotlight on it. The entire audience was in tears.

After this performance, the band realized they still had the support of their loyal fans. They decided to try it again, but who would be their leader? They knew that anyone who was chosen would be unfairly compared to their fallen friend, but they had to look no farther than the house where it all began.

Johnny Van Zant, only sixteen when the older brother he idolized was killed, not only resembled big brother Ronnie, but also sounded like him! He became the new singer in the band his older brother helped to create and nourish.

Tragedy struck the band once again when another founding member was taken from them. Allen Collins had become very depressed after his wife died in 1980 from complications during the birth of their third child. He never fully recovered. One day, in 1986, he was driving drunk and fast with his girlfriend, and got in an accident. His girlfriend was killed, and he was paralyzed. Allen had always had a problem with drinking and driving (which was the basis of the song "That Smell".) When the newly re-incarnated Lynyrd Skynyrd, complete with Johnny as the front man, took the stage without him, Allen was devastated because he was not out there with them. He took the stage in his wheelchair, wishing his former bandmates well, and warned the audience about his drunken driving by introducing "That Smell."

In 1989 Allen developed pneumonia due to lung problems caused by his being paralyzed. On January 23, 1990, he died, taking another founding father away from the fans.

The new Skynyrd has made progress in these painful years. They have released new music, new albums, and have a new image, clean from the vices that used to plague them. Johnny even got to do something he had never been able to do. With digital re-masterization, Johnny sang along with Ronnie to "Travelin’ Man" on the album Twenty which commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the plane crash.

Skynyrd is still going strong. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The documentary Freebird: The Movie debuted there. It shows Skynyrd performances at their finest and also gives glimpses into the band by the band members. Ronnie asked the question : "If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me?" and the world answered him with a resounding YES!!! Lynyrd Skynyrd was, is, and always will be one of the most remembered, well-loved bands of all times.

here is a really kewl Skynyrd site....
this one is Skynyrd and Zeppelin