Ronnie Van Zant
He was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Van Zant aspired to be many things before finding his love for music. Notably, Ronnie was interested in becoming a boxer(as Muhammad Ali was one of his idols) and in playing professional baseball. Ronnie also tossed around the idea of becoming a stock car racer. He would say that he was going to be the most famous person to come out of Jacksonville since stock car racer Lee Roy Yarbrough. Van Zant formed Skynyrd late in the summer of 1964 with friends and schoolmates Allen Collins (guitar), Gary Rossington (guitar), Larry Junstrom(bass), and Bob Burns (drums). Lynyrd Skynyrd's name is a mock tribute to a gym teacher the boys had in high school, Leonard Skinner, who disapproved of male students with long hair. The band's national exposure began in 1973 with the release of their debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), which has a string of hits and fan favorites including: "I Ain't the One", "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man," and their signature song, "Free Bird", which he later dedicated to the late Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band. Van Zant died on October 8, 1977 from a plane crash that killed bandmate Steve Gains among other people part of the band. Other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and road crew suffered serious injuries.
If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd
as Himself (archive footage)The story of Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Greatest American Rock Band Ever. We fly beyond Free Bird to...
Movie pageLynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans
as Self (Archive)On November 122014, an extraordinary collection of artists came together at the Fox Theatre in...
Movie pageLynyrd Skynyrd: Live at Knebworth '76
as SelfOn August 21st, 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd took the stage at Knebworth Park in England as part of a...
Movie pageLynyrd Skynyrd: The Old Grey Whistle Test
as HimselfBob Harris presents a concert by the southern rockers, recorded in Shepherd's Bush, London for...
Movie pageFreebird: The Movie
as HimselfSee classic live performances, interviews and vintage footage of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band.
Movie pageGone with the Wind: The Remarkable Rise and Tragic Fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd
as HimselfThis music documentary tracks the meteoric rise of classic rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as the...
Movie pageLynyrd Skynyrd: Live at Winterland 1976
as himselfLynyrd Skynyrd took to the stage at Winterland Arena in San Francisco, CA on March 7th, 1976,...
Movie pageLynyrd Skynyrd : Live at Winterland 1975
as himselfBy the time Lynyrd Skynyrd played this sold-out show at San Francisco's Winterland ballroom on...
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