A rock group from the United States called Lynyrd Skynyrd was founded in Jacksonville, Florida. The band’s original line-up included Ronnie Van Zant on lead vocals, Gary Rossington on guitar, Allen Collins on guitar, Larry Junstrom on bass guitar, and Bob Burns on drums (drums). Before settling on “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in 1969, the band spent five years performing in small venues under several aliases and with many lineup changes. After deciding on a lineup that comprised guitarist Ed King, pianist Billy Powell, and bassist Leon Wilkeson, the band issued its debut album in 1973. In 1974, Burns resigned and Artimus Pyle took his place. King departed in 1975, and Steve Gaines took his place in 1976.
With songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird,” the group helped popularize Southern rock during its heyday in the 1970s. The band’s career was abruptly ended on October 20, 1977, when their chartered jet crashed, killing Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines while critically injuring the rest of the group. The band had previously released five studio albums and one live album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was placed No. 95 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004. On March 13, 2006, Lynyrd Skynyrd was admitted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group has sold over 28 million records in the country thus far.
