List of Lynyrd Skynyrd members

Three lineups of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1973 (top), 1977 (middle) and 2008 (bottom).

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1964, the group originally included vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom and drummer Bob Burns. The current lineup features Rossington, guitarist and vocalist Rickey Medlocke (from 1971 to 1972, and since 1996), lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant (since 1987), drummer Michael Cartellone (since 1999), guitarist Mark Matejka (since 2006), keyboardist Peter Keys (since 2009) and bassist Keith Christopher (since 2017). The band also tours with two backing vocalists, currently Dale Krantz-Rossington (since 1987) and Carol Chase (since 1996).

History

1964–1977

Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed under the name My Backyard in 1964, which was later changed to The Noble Five, and again to One Percent.[1] The group originally included vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom and drummer Bob Burns, all of whom were students at Robert E. Lee High School.[2] After performing live for several years, the band recorded for the first time in 1971, when Junstrom and Burns were replaced by Greg T. Walker and Rickey Medlocke, respectively.[3] The following year, Walker was replaced by the band's original choice of bassist Leon Wilkeson, and Medlocke moved to third guitarist as Burns returned on drums.[4] Medlocke had left by the end of the year.[5] Billy Powell had also been added as the group's first keyboardist, having worked as a roadie since 1970.[6]

Shortly before recording began for the band's debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), Wilkeson left Lynyrd Skynyrd and was replaced by Ed King.[7] Later during the sessions the bassist returned, with King subsequently taking up the role of third guitarist.[8] Burns remained for 1974's Second Helping, but left in January 1975 due to touring fatigue, with Artimus Pyle taking his place.[9] King left on May 26, 1975, two months after the release of Nuthin' Fancy.[10] He was replaced the following year by Steve Gaines, who was recommended by his sister Cassie Gaines after she had recently joined as one of the band's touring backing vocalists.[11][12]

On October 20, 1977 – three days after the release of the band's fifth studio album Street Survivors – a chartered plane on which the members and crew were travelling crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi.[13] Six people died in the accident, including band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines; many of the other passengers onboard were seriously injured, including Wilkeson who was left in a critical condition and reportedly declared dead three times.[14] The group disbanded after the crash.[13] In 1978, a collection of previously unreleased recordings from 1971 and 1972 was released as Skynyrd's First and... Last.[15] The following year, the surviving members (with the exception of Wilkeson) reunited at Volunteer Jam for a performance of "Free Bird" with Charlie Daniels and his band.[16]

1987 onwards

In July 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their reforming for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour,[17] with returning members Rossington, King, Wilkeson, Pyle and Powell joined by new lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie's younger brother.[18] Collins was unable to join the reunited group after a car accident the previous year which left him paralyzed from the waist down, choosing Randall Hall from his own eponymous band to take his place on guitar.[19] After the band's first post-reformation studio album Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991, Pyle left suddenly after a show in August,[20] with Kurt Custer taking his place.[18] Hall left in 1993 after the release of The Last Rebel,[21] later suing the remaining members of the band for $500,000.[22] Custer followed Hall out of the group the next year in order to focus on his solo career.[23]

Hall and Custer were replaced by Mike Estes and Owen Hale, respectively,[24] both of whom performed on the 1994 album Endangered Species.[25] King was forced to leave the band in 1996 due to health problems, with Hughie Thomasson brought in to take his place; Estes left around the same time, with former drummer Medlocke returning to the band on guitar as a result.[24] Hale left in late 1998 after the Twenty Tour;[26] he was replaced first by Jeff McAllister,[27] followed by Kenny Aronoff who played on Edge of Forever,[28] before Michael Cartellone took over in 1999 after the dissolution of the Damn Yankees.[29] On July 27, 2001, longtime bassist Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep of natural causes.[30] He was replaced by Ean Evans, who had earlier substituted for Wilkeson at several shows the previous year.[31]

Thomasson left Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2005 to reform his previous band Outlaws,[32] with his replacement Mark Matejka joining early the next year.[33] The band was forced to change its lineup twice in 2009 due to deaths in the group – first, longtime keyboardist Billy Powell died of a heart attack on January 28;[34] and later, bassist Evans died of cancer on May 6.[35] Peter Keys was later brought in to replace Powell,[36] while Evans was replaced by Robert Kearns.[37] Kearns remained until 2012, when he was replaced by former Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt.[38] Keith Christopher replaced Colt in mid-2017.[39]

Official members

Current members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simpleman 2011.png
 Gary Rossington
  • 1964–1977
  • 1987–present
 guitars all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases
Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd.jpg
 Rickey Medlocke
  • 1971–1972
  • 1996–present
  • guitars, vocals (1996–present)
  • drums, vocals (1971–1972)
Johnny-van-zant.jpg
 Johnny Van Zant 1987–present lead vocals all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Southern by the Grace of God (1988) onwards
Michael Cartellone.jpg
 Michael Cartellone 1999–present all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Edge of Forever (1999) onwards
Mark Matejka.JPG
 Mark Matejka 2006–present all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from God & Guns (2009) onwards
Peter Keys.jpg
 Peter Keys 2009–present keyboards all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012) onwards
Keith Christopher 2017–present bass none to date

Former members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Ronnie Van Zant 1964–1977
(his death)		 lead vocals all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Legend (1987)
Allen Collins 1964–1977
(died 1990)		 guitars
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973).png
 Bob Burns
  • 1964–1971
  • 1972–1975
    (died 2015)
 drums
  • (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973)
  • Second Helping (1974)
  • Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
  • Legend (1987)
Larry Junstrom bassist of .38 Special.jpg
 Larry Junstrom 1964–1971 bass "Need All My Friends" (1968)
Greg T. Walker of Blackfoot at Penns Peak.jpg
 Greg T. Walker 1971–1972
  • bass
  • backing vocals
 Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977).jpg
 Leon Wilkeson
  • 1972

  • 1973–1977
  • 1987–2001
    (his death)
  • bass
  • backing vocals
  • all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Edge of Forever (1999)
  • Vicious Cycle (2003)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Billy Powell.jpg
 Billy Powell
  • 1972–1977
  • 1987–2009
    (his death)
all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Live from Freedom Hall (2010)
Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973).png
 Ed King
  • 1972–1975
  • 1987–1996
    (died 2018)
  • guitars
  • bass (1972–1973)
  • backing vocals (1972-1975)
  • (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973)
  • Second Helping (1974)
  • Nuthin' Fancy (1975)
  • all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) to Southern Knights (1996)
Artimus Pyle - Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer.jpg
 Artimus Pyle
  • 1975–1977
  • 1987–1991
  • drums
  • percussion
 all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Nuthin' Fancy (1975) to Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991), except Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
Steve Gaines 1976–1977
(his death)
  • guitars
  • backing vocals
Randall Hall 1987–1993
  • Southern by the Grace of God (1988)
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991)
  • The Last Rebel (1993)
Kurt Custer 1991–1994 drums The Last Rebel (1993)
Skinny Molly en Barcelona.jpg
 Mike Estes 1994–1996 guitars, backing vocals
Owen Hale 1994–1998
  • drums
  • percussion
HughieThomasson06.jpg
 Hughie Thomasson 1996–2005
(died 2007)
  • guitars
  • backing vocals
 all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Twenty (1997) to Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour (2003)
Jeff McAllister 1998–1999 drums none
Cover_shot.png
 Kenny Aronoff 1999 Edge of Forever (1999)
Ean Evans - Lynyrd Skynyrd.jpg
 Ean Evans 2001–2009
(his death)
  • bass
  • backing vocals
 all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Vicious Cycle (2003) to Live from Freedom Hall (2010)
Robert Kearns of Lynyrd Skynyrd at Simpleman 2011 (2).jpg
 Robert Kearns 2009–2012 none
Johnny Colt 2012–2017
  • Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012)
  • One More for the Fans (2015)
  • Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd & Second Helping Live from Jacksonville at the Florida Theatre (2015)

Other contributors

Touring members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Cassie Gaines 1975–1977
(her death)		 backing vocals
  • One More from the Road (1976)
  • Street Survivors (1977)
JoJo Billingsley 1975–1977
(died 2010)
Leslie Hawkins 1975–1977
Lynyrd Skynyrd CIA Cardiff 2010 (7).jpg
 Dale Krantz-Rossington 1987–present all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Southern by the Grace of God (1988) onwards
Carol Bristow 1987–1988 Southern by the Grace of God (1988)
Debbie Bailey 1991–1994 none
Debbie Davis-Estes 1994–1996
  • Endangered Species (1994)
  • Southern Knights (1996)
Lynyrd Skynyrd CIA Cardiff 2010 (7).jpg
 Carol Chase 1996–present all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Twenty (1997) onwards

Live substitutes

Image Name Years active Instruments Notes
Tim Lindsey 1993-1994 bass Lindsey substituted for Wilkeson at several shows in 1993 during The Last Rebel Tour.[40]
Rick and Mac by Grifoto.JPG
 Rick Wills 1999 Wills substituted for Wilkeson at several shows in July 1999 during the Edge of Forever Tour.
Joey Huffman 2008 keyboards Huffman substituted for Powell at several shows in 2008 during the Rock & Rebels Tour.

Timeline

Bibliography

  • Ribowsky, Mark (April 1, 2015), Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, ISBN 978-1569761465, retrieved November 13, 2017

References

  1. ↑ Eriksson, Daniel (October 11, 2012). "10 Things You Might Not Know About Lynyrd Skynyrd". Gibson. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  2. ↑ Bever, Lindsey (April 6, 2015). "A Lynyrd Skynyrd saga: The band loses another member, drummer Bob Burns, to tragedy". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  3. ↑ Ribowsky 2015, pp. 52–54
  4. ↑ Ribowsky 2015, p. 56
  5. ↑ Ribowsky 2015, p. 62
  6. ↑ Laing, Dave (January 30, 2009). "Obituary: Billy Powell". The Guardian. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ Houston, Todd (April 18, 2017). "Rockford Rocked: Classic rocker Ed King sounds off". Rock River Times. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  8. ↑ Buskin, Richard (January 2008). "Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Sweet Home Alabama': Classic Tracks". Sound on Sound. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  9. ↑ Mendoza, Menchie (April 6, 2015). "Lynyrd Skynyrd Original Drummer Robert Burns Jr. Passes Away Due To Car Crash". TechTimes. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  10. ↑ James, Gary. "Interview With Ed King". classicbands.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  11. ↑ Tortorici, Frank (September 9, 1998). "Lynyrd Skynyrd's Steve Gaines". MTV. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  12. ↑ Graff, Gary (May 27, 2015). "Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington Recalls When 'Free Bird' Took Flight at Atlanta's Fox Theatre". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Geller, Wendy (October 19, 2012). "35 Years After Tragedy, Lynyrd Skynyrd Still Carries On". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  14. ↑ Uhelszki, Jaan (October 8, 2016). "Lynyrd Skynyrd: A Southern Ghost Story". Classic Rock. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Skynyrd's First And...Last - Lynyrd Skynyrd: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (August 13, 2015). "Daniels celebrates 40 years of Volunteer Jam". USA Today. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  17. ↑ Moleski, Linda (July 25, 1987). "Leppard Sets World Tour; Skynyrd In Tribute Dates" (Scan). Billboard. Vol. 99 no. 30. New York City, New York: Billboard Publications. p. 25. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  18. 1 2 Giles, Jeff (June 10, 2016). "The Story of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Unlikely Return with 'Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  19. ↑ Giles, Jeff (January 29, 2016). "The Day Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist Allen Collins Was Paralyzed in a Car Accident". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  20. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (June 19, 2017). "Lynyrd Skynyrd Sue Former Drummer Over Biopic Plans". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  21. ↑ Ribowsky 2015, p. 243
  22. ↑ Bell, June D. (June 6, 1997). "Guitarist: Lynyrd Skynyrd pushed me out". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  23. ↑ Molet, John. "Kurt Custer's interview". Road to Jacksonville. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  24. 1 2 Ribowsky 2015, p. 244
  25. ↑ "Endangered Species - Lynyrd Skynyrd: Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ Bachman, Kara Martinez (February 29, 2016). "Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer cutting tracks, living dreams in Mandeville studio". The Times-Picayune. Advance Publications. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  27. ↑ Swenson, John (December 5, 1998). "Lynyrd Skynyrd: The Billboard Interview – Tales of Southern-Rock Survival" (Scan). Billboard. Vol. 110 no. 49. New York City, New York: Billboard Publications. p. 67. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  28. ↑ Nichols, Geoff (July 13, 2009). "6 career defining records of Kenny Aronoff". MusicRadar. Future plc. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  29. ↑ Catlin, Roger (May 9, 2014). "Michael Cartellone: Sweet home art gallery". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  30. ↑ Jeckell, Barry A. (July 30, 2001). "Skynyrd's Leon Wilkeson Dies". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  31. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (August 1, 2001). "Lynyrd Skynyrd Name New Bassist For Tour". MTV. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  32. ↑ Flippo, Chet (September 11, 2007). "Southern Rock Pioneer Hughie Thomasson Dies in Florida". CMT. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  33. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  34. ↑ Gilbert, Calvin (January 28, 2009). "Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell Dead at 56". CMT. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Lynyrd Skynyrd Bassist Donald "Ean" Evan Dies At 48". Billboard. May 8, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  36. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 28, 2015). "Six Years Ago: Lynyrd Skynyrd Pianist Billy Powell Dies". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  37. ↑ Ribowsky 2015, p. 248
  38. ↑ "Black Crowes Star Johnny Colt Joins Lynyrd Skynyrd". Contactmusic.com. May 3, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  39. ↑ "The Yayhoos Head Out On First Tour In Almost A Decade This August". BWW Music World. Wisdom Digital Media. July 11, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  40. ↑ Szaroleta, Tom (May 3, 2012). "Lynyrd Skynyrd welcomes new bass player, plans new album". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
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