Lynyrd Skynyrd 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 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, 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.
Ronald Wayne Van Zant was an American singer, best known as the founding lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of Johnny Van Zant, the current lead vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Donnie Van Zant, the founder and vocalist of the rock band .38 Special.
"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on the band's second album Second Helping (1974). It was written in response to Neil Young's 1970 song "Southern Man", which the band felt blamed the entire South for American slavery; Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the band's highest-charting single.
Edward Calhoun King was an American musician. He was a guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock and guitarist and bassist for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1987 to 1996.
"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 the song re-entered the charts in late 1976, eventually peaking at No. 38 in January 1977.
Larkin Allen Collins Jr. was an American guitarist, and one of the founding members of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He co-wrote many of the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.
John Roy Van Zant, also known as Johnny Van Zant, is an American singer and the current lead vocalist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He is the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd co-founder and former lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, and of the 38 Special founder Donnie Van Zant.
(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) is the debut studio album by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on August 13, 1973, by MCA Records. Recording took place in Doraville, Georgia at Studio One, following a lengthy period of rehearsals. Prior to the album's conception, many of its songs were already featured in Lynyrd Skynyrd's live repertoire. To promote it, the band released "Gimme Three Steps" and "Free Bird" as singles; these, along with "Simple Man" and "Tuesday's Gone", are among the band's best-known songs.
Gary Robert Rossington was an American musician best known as a founding guitarist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, with whom he performed until his death. Rossington was also a founding member of the Rossington Collins Band, along with former bandmate Allen Collins. Rossington was the last surviving founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the only original member left in the band at the time of his death.
Hot Apple Pie was an American country music band founded in 2002. The band consisted of Brady Seals, Keith Horne, Trey Landry (drums), and Mark Matejka (guitar). Matjeka was replaced in 2006 by Kevin Ray. Seals was initially co-lead vocalist and keyboardist of Little Texas until 1994. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2005, Hot Apple Pie released its self-titled debut album that year. This album produced three chart singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the No. 26-peaking "Hillbillies."
William Norris Powell was an American musician and the keyboardist of southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2009.
James E. Taylor High School is a public high school in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, in the Greater Katy area. The campus is located within the Nottingham Country subdivision, but is not within the Katy city limits. The school serves grades 9 through 12, and is part of Katy Independent School District.
Donald "Ean" Evans was an American musician who was the bassist for southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 2001 until his death. He joined the band following the death of Leon Wilkeson.
Rick Medlocke is an American musician, best known as the frontman/guitarist for the Southern rock band Blackfoot and a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. During his first stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1971 to 1972, he played drums and sang lead on a few songs that would initially be released on 1978's "First and... Last." Medlocke would rejoin Blackfoot in 1972 and later returned to Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996 as a guitarist with whom he continues to tour and record today.
Christmas Time Again is the eleventh studio album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 2000.
God & Guns is the thirteenth studio album by the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on September 29, 2009.
"Devil in the Bottle" is a song written by Bobby David and recorded by American country music artist T. G. Sheppard. It was released in October 1974 as his debut single and the first from his album T. G. Sheppard, and reached number one on the U.S. country singles chart. The single spent a single week at number one and a total of ten weeks on the chart. The single was released on the Melodyland Label, a country music, Motown subsidiary.
Live from Freedom Hall is a live album by the "post-crash" lineup of southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on June 22, 2010, after their eleventh studio album God & Guns. The set includes a CD with 15 live tracks and a DVD of that concert. This is the first Lynyrd Skynyrd album produced by Evan Haiman. Both Ean Evans and Billy Powell died before the release of this album, and it is also their last live album with the band.
Last of a Dyin' Breed is the fourteenth studio album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The album was announced on May 2, 2012, for release on August 21, 2012, and September 17 in the UK. It is the first Lynyrd Skynyrd album to feature Peter Keys on keyboards and Johnny Colt on bass and features guest guitarist John 5. It was also the final album to feature guitarist Gary Rossington before his death in 2023. The first single, "Last of a Dyin' Breed", was made available to purchase via iTunes on July 9, 2012.
