Lynyrd Skynyrd
8 vinyl records found
Lynyrd Skynyrd defined Southern rock in the 1970s, blending blues, country, and British rock influences into a distinctly regional sound. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, the band built a catalog of studio and live albums before a tragic 1977 plane crash altered their trajectory forever.
About Lynyrd Skynyrd
The band's story began in Jacksonville's early 1960s music scene, where future members performed in separate groups before converging through local competitions and collaborations. By 1964, Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Bob Burns, and Larry Junstrom were playing together, later joined by Allen Collins. They cycled through names like My Backyard and The One Percent before settling on Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1968, a stylized reference to Leonard Skinner, a high school teacher known for strict grooming policies. The group's sound crystallized in the late 1960s as they toured the southern United States, developing the regional rock identity that would define them.
Al Kooper signed the band to Sounds of the South in 1972 and produced their 1973 debut, which introduced "Free Bird" to national audiences. The lineup solidified around Leon Wilkeson on bass, Billy Powell on keyboards, and Ed King on guitar. Success accelerated with their second album in 1974, which included "Sweet Home Alabama," their biggest commercial hit and a response to Neil Young's "Southern Man." Touring peaks included opening slots on The Who's "Quadrophenia" tour. By 1975, drummer Artimus Pyle replaced Bob Burns, and Steve Gaines joined as guitarist in 1976. This version of the band recorded "Street Survivors," released days before the October 1977 plane crash that killed Van Zant, Gaines, and others.
The surviving members reunited in 1987 with Johnny Van Zant handling vocals, eventually welcoming back Rickey Medlocke in 1996. The band continued recording and touring through decades of membership changes, issuing fifteen studio albums before Gary Rossington's 2023 death. With over 38 million U.S. records sold and a 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Lynyrd Skynyrd remains central to Southern rock's identity. The Groove Hunter tracks 5 editions across their catalog, including "Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd," "Second Helping," "Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits," "One More From The Road," and "Street Survivors."
