Free As A Bird
Taking the world of rock and roll by storm in the 1960s and 1970s, Lynyrd Skynyrd revolutionized the Southern rock subgenre by drawing from blues, country, and even British rock to create their unique sound.
Although they continue to make music today, many agree that it just isn’t the same as when the band was at its peak—especially considering all the horrors they’ve faced since.
1. They Faced Each Other
Like countless other bands, Lynyrd Skynyrd wasn’t immune to interpersonal issues, but, before they even came together, two of the members found themselves pitted against each other. Back in their teen years, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was a member of a band called The Squires, while guitarist Allen Collins had joined The Mods. In a strange twist of fate, the two groups ended up dueling in a Battle of the Bands, which Allen’s band won.
This wouldn’t be the last time Ronnie crossed paths with a future bandmate—and the next would be just as competitive.
2. They Became Friends
Although Ronnie had already fallen in love with the world of music, it wasn’t the only interest in his life, as he was also into sports in high school, like a few other budding musicians. Not long after his Battle of the Bands in 1964, he met future drummer Bob Burns and future guitarist Gary Rossington while all three were playing baseball—on opposing teams.
It was only a matter of time before they connected over their music—and all it took was an injury.
3. They Jammed Together
Becoming better friends each time they met on the baseball diamond, the three boys especially hit it off after Ronnie accidentally sent a ball flying at Bob, injuring him. Keeping him company while he recovered, Ronnie and Gary spent an afternoon jamming out on their respective instruments, instantly realizing their potential. Getting together for more jam sessions in Bob’s parents’ garage, it didn’t take long before they decided to start a band.
Finally, they were able to round out their lineup—even if they still didn’t quite know their identity.
4. They Changed Their Name
After asking bassist Larry Junstrom to join the new band, Ronnie reconnected with Allen Collins and invited him as well, filling out the roster of founding members. All they needed was a name, but this was easier said than done, as they were very indecisive. Starting out as My Backyard, they went through a couple of name changes—including “Conquer the Worm”—before finally settling on The One Percent.
While this seemed like it would be the one that stuck—there was one problem.
5. They Were Laughed At
The band played at several venues across Jacksonville, Florida, for about a year under the name The One Percent—but this was more of a nuisance than an identity. Ronnie and the others grew irritated as it became common for hecklers to poke fun at their name, shouting that they only had “one percent talent”. Thankfully, Bob Burns suddenly had the perfect idea for their new name and suggested they call themselves Leonard Skinnerd.
While they were no strangers to ridiculous names, this one was actually an homage.
6. They Named It After Him
The name Leonard Skinnerd would eventually take on the more iconic spelling of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but both took inspiration from one man in particular, and it wasn’t out of admiration. While the band also claimed it was partly derived from the song “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” the main inspiration was a high school PE teacher whom a few of the band members had issues with—a man named Leonard Skinner.
Not only had they finally decided on what the world would know them by—they figured out how to change music forever.
7. They Found Their Sound
Even with some of their early hecklers, Lynyrd Skynyrd skyrocketed into local fame as they became one of Jacksonville’s favorite bands by the 1970s—and it wasn’t any mystery why. Combining some of the most popular genres of the time, they crafted a distinct image and sound that helped them revolutionize Southern rock.
Luckily for them, all their commitment and experience soon paid off.
8. They Made A Deal
The band hadn’t finished adding new members after all, as Larry Junstrom chose to quit, and they brought on bassist Leon Wilkeson instead—soon inviting keyboardist Billy Powell as well. This was just in time for their once-in-a-lifetime shot, since in 1972, music producer Al Kooper caught one of their shows and almost immediately signed them to his record label, Sounds of the South.
Something like this was what every burgeoning band dreamt of—but one of them couldn’t take it.
9. He Took A Break
While all the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were ecstatic about signing their first record deal, it was still a major change within a short period—and not everyone could handle it. While they worked on their debut album, Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd, Leon Wilkeson began to feel increasingly anxious about the band’s growing fame and took a step back from it all. Fortunately, this wouldn’t last forever, and he returned right after the album released in 1973.
Both Leon and the rest of the band had known he wouldn’t be gone forever—but they still had to find someone else.
10. They Kept Him On
While Leon had been taking some time off from the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd still needed a bassist and had to bring someone in—but this was no temporary position. Allowing Ed King to join, the band had to make a difficult decision once Leon actually returned, especially since they had already become fond of Ed. Ultimately, they decided to keep them both, and Leon resumed his position as bassist while Ed transitioned to guitar.
Now ready to take on the lifestyle of a rock star—Leon couldn’t have joined at a better time.
11. They Had Their Break
Although Leon had left before the release of the band’s debut album, he had already played on two of its songs—and came back in time to reap the rewards. The album was a massive hit, selling over one million copies and earning them a gold record, which is no surprise considering it featured one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s all-time classics, “Freebird”.
Fortunately for them, they weren’t a one-hit wonder—though someone may have wished they were.
12. They Answered Him
Lynyrd Skynyrd barely had any time to relax as they began work on their next album, Second Helping, releasing it in 1974, just a year after their first. Featuring another of their most iconic songs, “Sweet Home Alabama,” the album carried a bit of controversy as well, since the song was a direct response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man”.
This could have easily caused a very public conflict between them—but nothing would be further from the truth.
13. They Were Friends
Based on how they interacted with Neil Young, it would have been easy to assume the band was always at odds with the singer, especially Ronnie, as the lead vocalist. On the contrary, while they continued to trade insults professionally, Neil Young and Ronnie had a long-standing friendship and even worked together on occasion.
Unfortunately, things weren’t as peachy with other musicians—especially the ones in the band.
14. He Couldn’t Handle It
It seems Leon wasn’t the only one feeling the strain of the typical rock star’s lifestyle, as Bob Burns also found their fame far too overwhelming, eventually resulting in a mental breakdown. Since it certainly wasn’t helping that the rest of the band was already on the ropes and dealing with their own issues, he stepped away from the group too in 1975—but unlike Leon, this was for good.
As they soon discovered, these problems went beyond just their bandmates.
15. He Wasn’t Happy
The band hardly took anything seriously and did little to no preparation or practice as they began working on their third album, Nuthin' Fancy—but it paid off. The album took about 17 days to record, but still became an instant hit, even if one person remained unsatisfied. Producer Al Kooper had grown fed up with the band, so in 1975, he had a long talk with the members, and they all mutually agreed that his place was no longer with Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Still, their issues didn’t stop there—and in fact, they became infinitely more complicated.
16. They Were Taken In
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s problems were only growing messier with the passing months, and to make matters worse, they didn’t stay behind closed doors. One night in 1975, Ronnie was hanging out with Ed King’s guitar roadie when they ran into trouble with the law, resulting in a night in custody. With them indisposed, no one was there to take care of Ed’s guitar for that night’s performance, causing his strings to snap in the middle of the show.
While they would make it out of this jam—it was the last straw for one member in particular.
17. He Stormed Out
Understandably, Ed was furious with Ronnie for getting his roadie incarcerated and, as a result, messing up his performance—but Ronnie didn’t see it that way. Believing it wasn’t anything worth being upset about, Ronnie brushed Ed off and talked down to him in front of everyone, something Ed couldn’t get over. Deciding he had put up with enough, Ed quit the band and retreated back home to Los Angeles.
This was far from the last hardship they endured—though some were much more dangerous than others.
18. They Were Injured
Trying to keep at it and pump out their next album, Lynyrd Skynyrd took to the recording studio to work out the beginnings of Street Survivors in 1976—but it wasn’t smooth sailing. Allen Collins and Gary Rossington ended up in separate car crashes, but while both survived, neither walked away without severe injuries. As the two had to focus on recovery, the band had no choice but to cancel several performances and put the album on hold.
Having watched this decline for so long, the other band members couldn’t stay silent any longer.
19. They Wrote It For Him
While both car accidents had been terrifying, Gary’s turned out to be an even more dangerous situation, as it had been the result of his drinking and substance use. Wanting to snap him out of these habits, Ronnie and Allen wrote the song “That Smell” for the upcoming album, which highlighted the dangers of illicit substances.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one out of control—and it was time to grow up.
20. He Wanted To Be Better
While Ronnie wanted Gary to turn his life around, he wasn’t doing much better, having fallen victim to the rock star lifestyle with the rest of his bandmates. However, a miracle happened in 1976 that made him rethink the trajectory of his life and swear to become a better man—his daughter, Melody, was born.
Before long, he had another glimpse of what their future might look like.
21. He Adored Him
After Ed King left Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie was happy to bring in guitarist Steve Gaines to record Street Survivors, and he instantly became obsessed with his playing. So musically talented was Steve that Ronnie took every opportunity to gush about the new member, even stating that they would “all be in his shadow one day”.
In fact, he was so impressed by him that he allowed him an unprecedented honor.
22. They Let Him Lead
Steve was such a breath of fresh air that, even though he was a brand-new addition to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie was more than eager to let him make his mark on their newest album. Not only did he allow a song written by Steve to be one of the tracks, but he also stepped down as lead singer for the first time—letting Steve join him as a co-vocalist on the song.
Sadly, the band was in for their worst misery yet—one they wouldn’t make it out of.
23. They Were On A Trip
In a little over a decade, Lynyrd Skynyrd had hit its stride, and the future was looking bright, but unbeknownst to them, everything was about to fall apart in the worst way possible. The band had just released an album, Street Survivors, and on October 19, 1977, they played a show in Greenville, South Carolina.
They stayed overnight in SC, likely basking in the glory of their achievements. The next day, they had plans to fly out for a show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They’d never get to play it.
24. They Were Due In LA
After a nearly full day in South Carolina, Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a Convair CV-240 bound for Louisana. They played cards to pass the time while Ronnie Van Zant stretched out on the floor to catch some shut-eye after presumably celebrating a little too hard the night before. But towards the end of the flight, the pilots made a terrifying discovery—the plane was out of fuel.
25. They Tried To Make A Plan B—And C
Flying over Mississippi, the two pilots tried to aim for airport in Pike County, but when it became clear they wouldn’t make it, they prepared to make an emergency landing in a field. As the plane shuddered through the air, Lynyrd Skynyrd slowly became aware that something wasn’t quite right. An eerie silence spread throughout the cabin, and some passengers began to pray.
The pilots were trying hard to keep things in control—but it was a very risky move.
26. They Hit A Tree
At about 6:52pm, the plane skimmed along the treeline and hit a large tree and coming apart in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Guitarist Gary Rossington recalled hearing the sounds of the trees hitting the plane, and it sounding like baseball bats were striking the plane’s exterior. He was knocked out—and when he woke up, nothing was ever the same again.
27. The Aftermath Was Horrifying
When Rossington woke up, he wasn’t on the plane anymore. He was outside, laying on the ground, underneath what had been the plane’s door. Between different bandmates, the accounts of the aftermath of the crash differed—and each story was more horrifying than the last.
28. They Knew It Was Coming
Drummer Artimus Pyle remembered that as the plane shook, he went to the cockpit to ask the pilots what was happening. One of them, showing obvious signs of fear, asked him to return to his seat and buckle up. After the crash, Pyle and two other survivors ran to a nearby farm for help—and what they found was even more terrifying.
29. He Was Threatened
Pyle, who had two broken ribs, waved down a farmer—only to have a shotgun pulled out and pointed at him. He even fired a shot into the air. The farmer thought that Pyle and the two other survivors were escaped convicts. They were eventually able to convince him they were survivors of a plane crash, and that they needed help.
30. They Were Rescued
As emergency crews approached the site where the wreckage was spread across the ground, they realized they were in for a serious challenge. The forest was incredibly dense, and there was a 20-foot-wide, waist-deep muddy creek to cross. People who lived in the surrounding areas came out and did their best to help with highway traffic and communicating with emergency services via CB radio.
The lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s band members and the flight crew were hanging in the balance.
31. The Toll Was Serious
One of the band members with the most serious injuries was keyboard player Billy Powell. His nose was very nearly torn off, and he had deep lacerations in his leg. But although he had been thrown around pretty badly, he still remembered what had happened in those final moments as the plane went down—and what he shared was bloodcurdling.
32. He Remembered His Friends’ Final Moments
Powell recalled that Ronnie Van Zant had not been wearing a seat belt—and as the plane broke apart, he said that the Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman had gone flying through the air, and that his head had hit a tree. Van Zant died in the crash—though in the chaos of the accident, rescue, and transport to different hospitals in the area, his bandmates weren’t immediately aware. Rossington, for example, didn’t find until days later.
And he wasn’t the only who didn’t survive the crash.
33. There Was A Serious Toll
In the end, the crash took the lives of Van Zant, his bandmate Steve Gaines, Steve’s sister Cassie (who also performed with the band), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and the two pilots: Captain McCreary and First Officer William John Gray. And as more details about those fateful days came out, a number of stories about the near-misses that surrounded the incident only made things even more chilling.
34. She Was Scared
Tragically, it was later revealed that Cassie Gaines hadn’t wanted to fly with the band in the plane, and had asked to travel with the equipment in a truck instead. Ultimately, it had been Van Zant who had persuaded her to join the rest of the band on the plane. One of her fellow back-up singers, JoJo Billingsley, was supposed to be on the plane—but thanks to an ongoing substance misuse problem, had ended up in hospital in Mississippi.
Billingsley missed the flight—but that’s not the craziest part.
35. She Knew It Would Happen
Billingsley reported that before anything had ever happened, she’d had a nightmare about the band being in a plane crash. She phoned guitarist Allen Collins and pleaded with him not to travel in the specific Convair they’d been using for the tour. While many had wondered when the band’s penchant for drinking and substance misuse might come back to bite them—few could have predicted the way things ended on that October evening.
36. There Were Heartbreaking Details
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s tourmates at the time of the crash, rock band Nazareth, had also expressed their concerns about the airworthiness of the Convair—even jokingly calling it the “Gaffa Tape Express” before the accident. In an even more fateful twist, the band had planned to stop using the plane after that final flight between Greenville and Baton Rouge. Once they had arrived in Baton Rouge—if they ever arrived in Baton Rouge—they were going to upgrade to a Learjet, more befitting of their rising status in the music world.
Of course, they never made it…and now, the National Transportation Safety Board had to look into what happened on that fateful final flight.
37. There Was An Investigation
During the NTSB investigation, they actually found no issues with the right engine’s ignition magneto, fuel cross-feed, and fuel dump valves. But upon interviewing the survivors about other flights on the craft, they received reports that passengers had seen flames from the right engine. Ultimately their report said that it was caused by a “an engine malfunction of undetermined nature”. But, as we’ll see, more reports about the readiness of the craft came out even later—and they were terrifying.
Of course, while the band had been taking the world by storm before the crash—it was nothing compared to what happened next.
38. Their Fame Skyrocketed
Naturally, once news broke of the horrific plane crash, it rocked the music world to its core and resulted in a media frenzy—and a bittersweet reaction. While Street Survivors would likely have been popular on its own, the crash caused a surge among fans and pushed the album to No 5 on the Billboard 200.
Still, the horrific circumstances of the crash meant they had to make some unexpected changes.
39. They Changed The Cover
Although Lynyrd Skynyrd’s label already had everything in place for the release of Street Survivors, this horrific tragedy forced them to make a last-minute change. Acting as quickly as possible, they switched to using the album's back photo for the cover, since the original depicted the band surrounded by fire—which could be taken as an unfortunate reference.
Even though the band was more famous than they had ever been, it just wasn’t the same.
40. They Called It Quits
Their newest album could have launched the remaining band members into even greater stardom, but with everything that happened, it didn’t seem right. Although the members would perform together once more in 1979, they ultimately decided it was time to pull the plug, disbanding Lynyrd Skynyrd not long after.
However, while they dissolved the band, they hadn’t completely stopped making music.
41. They Wanted To Be Different
Even though they thought disbanding Lynyrd Skynyrd was the right thing to do, several former band members still wanted to work together, namely Leon Wilkeson, Allen Collins, Billy Powell, and Gary Rossington. Not wanting to besmirch the legacy of their late bandmates, they intentionally made this new group different from Lynyrd Skynyrd, specifically by bringing on a female lead singer named Dale Krantz.
Unfortunately, it seemed the members hadn’t had their last taste of loss.
42. He Lost Someone
While Allen had certainly survived the plane crash and managed to recover, he still had to live with the grief of losing his friends—but even then, tragedy wasn’t done with him. He and his wife, Kathy, had been expecting the birth of their third child in 1980, but tragically, this ended in a miscarriage and caused a fatal massive hemorrhage for her.
Regrettably, more personal problems were still inevitable—especially with romance in the air.
43. They Had A Love Triangle
With their new lead singer, the former bandmates officially formed the Rossington Collins Band, but they were still far from the perfect bunch. After a year or so, tensions rose between Gary and Allen—as both developed feelings for their new singer, Dale Krantz. This rivalry came to a head when, in 1982, Gary and Dale married, pushing Allen out of the group and forming the Rossington Band instead.
44. He Had An Accident
Sadly, life just kept throwing hardships at one band member in particular. Although Allen eventually became involved with a woman named Debra Jean Watts, he never truly got over the loss of his wife, and instead, drowned his sorrows with excessive drinking and substance use. This was a recipe for disaster, and on one terrible day in 1986, he drove his car straight into a ditch near his house. The crash was severe enough to take the life of his only passenger, Debra, and paralyze him from the chest down.
Meanwhile, the end of Lynyrd Skynyrd turned out to be much less final than expected.
45. They Got Back Together
After a decade following the plane crash, the surviving members realized they didn’t want to say goodbye to their iconic band forever, reuniting as Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987. Although this iteration featured five previous members, including former bandmates Ed King and Artimus Pyle, they now had Ronnie Van Zant’s brother, Johnny, taking the helm as lead vocalist. But there was a strange twist.
46. He Still Took The Stage
Allen had lost so much due to his most unhealthy habits, but as he had managed to avoid any charges following his car crash, his bandmates wanted to hammer in the impact of his choices even more. As a cautionary tale to their fans, the band would bring out Allen to explain what had happened to him during each show, right up until he passed from pneumonia in 1990.
Sadly, they would lose other members in far worse ways.
47. He Was Found In His Room
As the band continued to evolve with the years, the pre-crash members found it harder and harder to keep their spots in the group—and their situation was about to become even more grim. In the summer of 2001, the band’s long-time bassist, Leon Wilkeson, succumbed to the chronic liver disease he was living with and tragically perished in his hotel room.
48. He Suffered Heart Issues
Of the pre-crash members, keyboardist Billy Powell was one of the few still performing with the band, but time would catch up with him all the same—and Lynyrd Skynyrd would have one more funeral to attend. In 2009, Billy’s body was sadly discovered in his home, and while there was no autopsy to confirm it, the suspected cause of his demise was a heart attack.
In the years that followed, they suffered even more losses—and the shadow of that fateful 1977 plane crash still hung over their legacy.
49. Another Band Nearly Took Their Place
After the 1977 accident that took the lives of multiple Lynyrd Skynyrd members, it was revealed that another famous rock band had nearly rented the plane in their place: Aerosmith. Some members of the band’s flight crew had checked out the exact Corvair for their Draw the Line tour—ultimately rejecting it not just because of the condition of the aircraft, but also because of its crew. Reportedly, Aerosmith's assistant chief of flight operations, Zunk Buker, had spotted the two pilots involved in the crash drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel’s together while he did the inspection.
Though Steve Tyler and Joe Perry had pushed to rent that exact plane, Buker had shut the deal down—potentially saving their lives.
50. They Were One Of A Kind
At the height of their fame, Lynyrd Skynyrd were one of the most exciting acts in rock—and most of all, they were unapologetically and authentically themselves, for better or for worse. Ronnie Van Zant, in particular, cultivated a reputation as one of rock’s wildest frontmen, and never was that more apparent than when Lynyrd Skynyrd opened for the Rolling Stones.
51. They Left A Mark
Before the show, Mick Jagger told the band that the ONE thing they couldn't do was go out on the iconic Rolling Stones tongue. Van Zant, never one to follow the rules, ushered his bandmates out onto the tongue for "Free Bird" in the middle of their set. They ended up going long, too.
Needless to say, they never performed with Jagger or the Stones ever again.
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