ZZ Top Teams with Lynyrd Skynyrd for Spring Tour : March 29, 2011

The month of May is for southern rock and Texas-style boogie, as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top kick off their headlining tour in Kansas. The year 1974 was the very first t [...]

lynyrd skynyrd Biography

The American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed in 1964 in Jacksonville, Florida by Ronnie Van Zant, Garry Rossington and Allen Collins. In 1973, the band rose to prominence in the Southern portion of the U.S. and went on to achieve worldwide recognition. In 1977, three band members died in a plane crash along with one crew member. In 1987 the band was reformed and went on a reunion tour. In March 2006 Lynyrd Skynyrd became members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Al Kooper, the producer, songwriter and musician from the group Blood, Sweat and Tears discovered the band in 1972 and signed them with MCA Records. They released their self-titled debut album in 1973. “Free Bird,” Lynyrd Skynyrd's most well known hit single, was featured on the set. The song peaked in the No. 19 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. “Second Helping,” the band's followup album featured “Sweet Home Alabama,” which peaked in the No. 8 spot on the music charts. In 1974 the album peaked in the No. 12 spot and went multi-platinum eventually.

The band's next two albums “Nuthin' Fancy” (1975) and “Gimme Back My Bullets” (1976) were not as successful as their first two albums. “One More From the Road,” a double live album, was released in 1976. Lynyrd Skynyrd released “Street Survivors” in October 1977. Three days later, band members Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines and Ronnie Van Zant were killed in a plane crash along with Dean Kilpatrick, assistant road manager and the pilot and co-pilot of the band's chartered plane. Following the tragedy, Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded.

In 1987, the band reunited with five pre-crashh band members: Artimus Pyle, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, Gary Rossington and Ed King, along with Johnny Van Zant, the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant who became the band's primary songwriter and new lead singer. Since that time there have been multiple lineup changes. The band continues to tour and record.