Ronnie Van Zant
Acting
Biography
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.
Known For
No description available.
Rockpalast
On November 122014, an extraordinary collection of artists came together at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA to perform the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, one of the most influential bands of our time. The unique concert featured incredible performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd, including an unforgettable rendition of Travelin' Man, performed as a duet between Johnny Van Zant and his late brother Ronnie, who appeared via archival video.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans
The story of Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Greatest American Rock Band Ever. We fly beyond Free Bird to celebrate the life & times of leader Ronnie Van Zant, from boogie-woogie beginnings in Jacksonville’s Shantytown to a tragic end in a Mississippi swamp.
If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd
This music documentary tracks the meteoric rise of classic rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as the bands' tragic downfall.
Gone with the Wind: The Remarkable Rise and Tragic Fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd
On August 21st, 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd took the stage at Knebworth Park in England as part of a daylong festival that also included among others Todd Rundgren's Utopia, 10cc and headliners The Rolling Stones. With Ronnie Van Zandt's all-in vocals and their famed triple guitar attack featuring Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Steve Gaines, Lynyrd Skynyrd delivered an electric performance in front of a crowd estimated between 150,000 and 200,000, which has gone down as one of the band's greatest performances.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Live at Knebworth '76
See classic live performances, interviews and vintage footage of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band.
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird, The Movie & Tribute Tour
Bob Harris presents a concert by the southern rockers, recorded in Shepherd's Bush, London for Old Grey Whistle Test on November 11th, 1975.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Old Grey Whistle Test
Lynyrd Skynyrd took to the stage at Winterland Arena in San Francisco, CA on March 7th, 1976, while the band was in the midst of promoting their new album 'Gimme Back My Bullets.'
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Live at Winterland 1976
By the time Lynyrd Skynyrd played this sold-out show at San Francisco's Winterland ballroom on April 7th, 1975, they had become the unmistakable kings of Southern Rock. Spearheaded by charismatic frontman, Ronnie Van Zant, the group had taken southern boogie from the swamps and brought it to the masses. There is an enormous amount of energy and power in the multiple guitar mix of the band, and that is clearly apparent when they launch into solos on these songs. The group was coming off two hugely successful albums, its debut (pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd) and 1974's Second Helping, and they had recently replaced original drummer Bob Burns with Artimus Pyle. It was recorded during the band's tour promoting their 1975 album, Nuthin' Fancy, and it features Lynyrd Skynyrd at the top of their game. It was also one of the last shows featuring their original three-guitar lineup, as Ed King left the band midway through the tour.