Vamos con otros
(voy traduciendo del tirón así que esperad un poco

) (Casi que me empollo como subirlo a la Wikipedia, menuda currada

)
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
[/size]
Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronunciado /leh-nerd skin-nerd/) es una banda de rock Sureño americano descrita por Stephen Thomas Erlewine de All Music Guide como "la banda de rock sureños definitiva, mezclando la potencia sobredimensionada del blues-rock con una imagen rebelde, sureña y un toque de Hard Rock."
La banda alcanzó el éxito en los años 1970s bajo el liderazgo del vocalista y principal compositor Ronnie Van Zant hasta su muerte, junto con otros miembros de la banda, en un accidente de avión en 1977.
Lynyrd Skynyrd entró en el Salón de la Fama del Rock and Roll el 13 de Marzo de 2006. Lynyrd Skynyrd fue uno de los grupos de Sourthern Rock con más éxito comercial y de crítica en los 70's. Su sonido único, con tres guitarras solistas, hizo que sus canciones "Free Bird" y "Sweet Home Alabama" fueran himnos americanos y básicos en la radio FM.
Los miembros iniciales eran: Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, Bob Burns, Billy Powell, Ed King, Artimus Pyle y Steve Gaines.
BackgroundLa banda, inicialmente llamada My Backyard, se creó en Jacksonville, Florida el verano de 1964 por un grupo de jóvenes amigos: Ronnie Van Zant (cantante), Allen Collins (guitarra), Gary Rossington (guitarra), Larry Junstrom (bajo), y Bob Burns (batería). Sus primeras influencias incluían bandas británicas como Free, The Yardbirds, y The Beatles, y música blues Sureña, Country y música del Oeste.
En los 60's, la banda cambió de nombre varias veces (destacando The Noble Five y One Percent) mientras tocaba en clubs y locales de Jacksonville. En 1968 ganaron el concurso local "Battle of the Bands", usando el dinero del premio para grabar las canciones "Need All My Friends" y "Michelle", la anteriore usada como su single de debut en la compañía de Jacksonville Shade Tree Records. También ganaron algunos concursos de rock psicodélico, estilo California, en el Sureste del país.
Los años de éxito, 1970-1977En 1970, la banda empezó a ensayar en la "Hell House", una granja aislada en Green Cove Springs, una pequeña ciudad en Clay County en las afueras de Jacksonville. Por aquel entonces, Billy Powell se unió como teclista. El nombre definitivo de la banda apareció aquí por primera vez, un tributo burlón al profesor de gimnasia de Rossington y Burns en el instituto Robert E. Leel, Leonard Skinner. Skinner se dedicaba a promover un estricto código, que no permitía a los chicos llevar el pelo largo (que llegara al cuello de la camisa) ni patillas. Algunos de los miembros de la banda fueron expulsados por tener el pelo demasiado largo. Después de ser castigados varias veces, los colegas de la banda tocaron en un show, todavía bajo el nombre de One Percent, pero Van Zant anunció en el escenario que se llamaban Leonard Skinner. El nombre pegó, transformándose en Lynard Skynard, y, finalmente, en Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Lynyrd Skynyrd continuó actuando en el Sur en los primeros 1970s, desarrollando su sonido y su imagen de blues-rock duro. En 1972, Leon Wilkeson sustituyó a Larry Junstrom en el bajo. Pero Wilkeson sorprendió a sus compañeros con el anuncio de que era "todavía demasiado joven y no estaba preparado para la carretera" y abandonó justo antes de que tuvieran que grabar su primer album(Wilkeson iba a reunirse con la banda en poco tiempo tras la invitación de Van Zant). ED King, guitarrista de Strawberry Alarm Clock fue invitado a unirse como bajista. Después de la grabación del disco, Van Zant le dijo a King que era "el peor bajista con el que había tocado en su vida". Sugirió a King que se dedicara a la guitarra para que pudieran reproducir la mezcla de tres guitarras del album de estudio. El sonido de esas tres guitarras se trasformó en su firma sonora. Van Zant se casó con su novia Judy Seymour en 1972.
El productor Al Kooper quedó impresionado con la banda en una actuación en un club de Atlanta llamado Funocchio's en 1972, y les hizo firmar con MCA Records. Él produjo su primer álbum en 1973, pronunciado Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (el título original era (pronounced'leh-'nerd'skin-'nerd)), que incluía la canción "Free Bird". "Free Bird" empezó a oirse en todo el país, alcanzando finalmente el nº 19 en la lista Billboard Hot 100. La canción se ha transformado un cliché del Rock and Roll y puede oirse en casi cualquier concierto, independientemente de quien toque.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly during 1973, due in large part to their opening slot on The Who's Quadrophenia tour in the U.S. During one of these shows, at the Cow Palace in California, The Who refused to go on after them, because the crowd was still calling for more. Their second album, 1974's Second Helping, was the band's breakthrough hit. It featured their most popular single "Sweet Home Alabama" (#8 on the charts in August 1974), an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man". Today, Young claims that he and Van Zant were not rivals, that they were actually fans of each other's music, and that they had talked of collaborations together. It is often assumed that Young's song "Powderfinger" was given to Lynyrd Skynyrd to perform, speculation Young does not deny. Unfortunately, the Skynyrd plane crash happened just months after that song was penned, leading Neil Young to perform the song himself on his 1978 album Rust Never Sleeps. Furthering the rumors of friendship, Young has occasionally included the chorus from "Sweet Home Alabama" at his own live concerts, including at Young's first live performance following Van Zant's tragic death. Finally, one of the last photos of Ronnie Van Zant prior to his passing features the frontman wearing a Neil Young t-shirt.[2]
Second Helping reached #12 in 1974, eventually going multi-platinum. In July 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the headline acts at The Ozark Music Festival, at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia Missouri. Some estimates have put the crowd count at 350,000 people which would make this one of the largest music events in history. The band also toured the UK in 1975 with Golden Earring and in 1976 with The Rolling Stones.
In 1975, Burns left the band and was replaced by North Carolina drummer Artimus Pyle. The new lineup's first album, Nuthin' Fancy, was released, becoming their first Top Ten album. It features the hit song "Saturday Night Special" (#27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart). Guitarist Ed King left the band midway throughout the Nuthin' Fancy tour. The band decided to continue on as a 6-piece, with only two guitarists.
Gimme Back My Bullets followed in 1976, but didn't reach the same success as the previous two albums. In December 1975 backup singers Leslie Hawkins, Cassie Gaines and JoJo Billingsley (collectively known as the Honkettes) were added to the band. Guitarist Steve Gaines, brother of backup singer Cassie Gaines, replaced King in 1976, just in time to record the double-live album One More from the Road, the band's second Top Ten hit. At its peak, the band's unique triple guitar style included one slide and a rocking Gibson Explorer. Adding to the wall of sound was the melodic bass playing, the wild yet rhythmic percussion section, Van Zant's strong vocals, and the furious keyboard/piano playing of Powell.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's sixth album, Street Survivors, was released in October of 1977. It would be the final album released by the original line-up.
Plane crash, 1977Lynyrd Skynyrd's legend is grounded in a plane crash that occurred on October 20, 1977, three days after the release of Street Survivors. A chartered Convair 240 carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi. A damaged magneto in the right engine resulted in the plane literally running out of fuel. The resulting crash killed singer/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. Other band members were injured, some very seriously. Drummer Artimus Pyle crawled out of the plane wreckage with several broken ribs, yet ran nearly a mile to a farmhouse to try to get help. The farmer Johnny Mote, on first seeing the wild-haired blood- and mud-encrusted drummer babbling incoherently, greeted him with a (non-fatal) shotgun blast to his shoulder. Only when Mote realized that this person was connected with the plane crash he had just heard did he call for help. Allen Collins suffered two cracked vertebrae in his neck, and both Collins and Leon Wilkeson nearly had arms amputated as a result of crash injuries. Wilkeson suffered severe internal injuries and a punctured lung and had most of his teeth knocked out. Gary Rossington broke both of his arms and both of his legs in the crash, and took many months to recuperate. Leslie Hawkins sustained a concussion, broke her neck in three places and had severe facial lacerations.
Only pianist Billy Powell was relatively unhurt, but he nearly had his nose torn off and suffered severe facial lacerations. He later caused a controversy by giving a lurid account of Cassie Gaines' final moments on a VH1 Behind The Music special about the band, claiming that the backing singer's throat was cut from ear to ear and that she bled to death in his arms. Powell also claimed that Ronnie Van Zant's head had been smashed. Powell's version of events has been discounted by both Artimus Pyle and Judy Van Zant Jenness, who posted the autopsy reports on the band's website in early 1998 in order to set the record straight.
Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album, and was the #5 top selling album on the U.S. album chart. The single "What's Your Name" reached #13 on the single airplay charts in January of 1978. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the airplane tragedy. On the original pressing of the cover of Street Survivors was a photograph of the band engulfed in flames. MCA Records, out of courtesy and good judgment, withdrew the sleeve and replaced it with a cover of the band striking a similar pose against a plain black background.
Hiatus, 1977-1986Rossington and Collins formed The Rossington-Collins Band between 1980 and 1982, releasing two albums. Pyle formed The Artimus Pyle Band in 1982. Collins formed The Allen Collins Band in 1983. Tragedy struck the band again in 1986 when Collins crashed his car while driving drunk near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend and leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
Reunion years, 1987-presentIn 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited for a full-scale tour with crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle and former guitarist Ed King. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter. Due to Collins' paralysis, he was only able to participate as the musical director, choosing Randall Hall, his former bandmate in the Allen Collins Band, as his stand-in. Collins became stricken with pneumonia in 1989 and died on January 23, 1990.
The reunited band was meant to be a one-time tribute to the original lineup, captured on the double-live album Southern By The Grace Of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - 1987, but because of an overwhelmingly positive reaction by fans, the band decided to stay together and record new material. The reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd has gone through several lineup changes and continues to record and tour today. Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, died of lung and liver failure on July 27, 2001. Ronnie Van Zant's widow, Judy Van Zant, currently owns and operates Freebird Live, one of Jacksonville's premier live music venues, located just 1 block from the ocean in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
On November 28, 2005, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that Lynyrd Skynyrd would be inducted alongside Black Sabbath, Blondie, Miles Davis, and the Sex Pistols. They were inducted in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan on March 13, 2006. Lynyrd Skynyrd had been nominated 7 times.
In 2006, Lynyrd Skynyrd added Mark Matejka, formerly of the Charlie Daniels Band and Hot Apple Pie to the band's line-up, following the 2005 departure of Hughie Thomasson, who left to rejoin the reunited Outlaws.
Freebird... The MovieIn 1996, Freebird... The Movie was released [3], consisting of backstage and home footage of the band, live concert performances of the original line-up, including the stellar Knebworth festival performance.
TriviaRonnie Van Zant, the singer, once said that he would never see his 30th birthday. He died just a few months short of turning 30.
Leonard Skinner was the name of the gym teacher of the boys who went on to form the band. He once told them, "You boys ain't never gonna amount to nothin'."
Since the singer's interment in 1977, rumors have existed that Ronnie Van Zant was buried in a Neil Young T-shirt as a supposed curse against him, although truthfully there was no feud between the two (see above, band history). Some fans believe this rumor was the reason the gravesites of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines were broken into on June 29, 2000, in Orange Park, Florida. Others believe that this desecration was motivated by the 1986 Dead Kennedys track "A Commercial" [4] which mockingly referred to exhuming the bodies of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Van Zant's casket was dragged onto the grounds, but was not opened. Gaines' cremated remains, which were in a plastic bag in an urn, were scattered on the ground near his site. 99% of his ashes were recovered. The families decided to move their remains to an undisclosed location, leaving the mausoleums as memorials for fans to visit.
Southern Rock Opera is a critically-acclaimed 2001 double album by alt-country band Drive-By Truckers. A song cycle rather than a real opera, the album largely focuses on the rumors and beliefs surrounding Lynyrd Skynyrd but also deals with issues of race and politics in the U.S. South. Song titles include "Ronnie and Neil", "Birmingham", "Cassie's Brother", and "Greenville to Baton Rouge".
"Simple Man" was used as main theme for the Italian movie, Renegade (1987). It has also been used in a Busch beer commercial.
"Simple Man" was used in the sitcom My Name Is Earl as the soundtrack for a scene of despair. "Tuesday's Gone" and "Gimme Three Steps" was also used in the sitcom.
The Songs "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama" are both featured in the film "Forrest Gump."
In the film Con Air, "Sweet Home Alabama" plays over a scene in which Steve Buscemi's character defines irony as "a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash".
"Free Bird" was one of the featured songs in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It featured on Classic Rock radio station K-DST.
The film The Devil's Rejects, directed by Rob Zombie, uses "Free Bird" as the background for the last scene, as a family of criminals rides at a police road-block, firing weapons, in a last-ditch effort to go out fighting.
"Sweet Home Alabama" is featured in the opening scene of the 2003 version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and the characters mention that they are heading to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
The song Free Bird is featured on the soundtrack to the Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero 2
"Free Bird" was at one point used as the entrance theme of legendary professional wrestling stable The Fabulous Freebirds.
A part of "Tuesday's Gone" is used at the end of the Adam Sandler film "Happy Gilmore" over the credits.
Free Bird was played at a school dance in an episode of That 70s Show.
In episode 20 of season 4 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Giles sings Free Bird.
"Tuesday's Gone" is also featured in Dazed and Confused, at the end of an all night party.
Sixty minutes before the start of University of Alabama football games (played in Bryant-Denny Stadium) an announcer intones "This is Alabama Football" and a video begins detailing the history of the school's football program. The opening montage in the video is accompanied by Sweet Home Alabama.
Miembros de la BandaLynyrd Skynyrd Line-Ups My Backyard(1964 - 1970) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Larry Junstrom - bass
Bob Burns - drums
Lynyrd Skynyrd(1970 - 1971) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Greg T. Walker - bass
Rickey Medlocke - drums
(1971 - 1972) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
(1972 - 1973) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
(1973 - 1974) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Ed King - guitar/bass
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Bob Burns - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1974 - 1975) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Ed King - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1975 - 1976) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1976 - 1977) Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Allen Collins - guitar
Steve Gaines - guitar, vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1987 - 1990) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Randall Hall - guitar, backing vocals
Ed King - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1990 - 1991) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Randall Hall - guitar, backing vocals
Ed King - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Artimus Pyle - drums
Kurt Custer - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1991 - 1993) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Randall Hall - guitar, backing vocals
Ed King - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Kurt Custer - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1993 - 1994) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Ed King - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1994 - 1996) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Ed King - guitar
Mike Estes - guitar
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Owen Hall - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1996 - 1998) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Hughie Thomasson - guitar, backing vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Owen Hall - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1998 - 1999) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Hughie Thomasson - guitar, backing vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Jeff McAllister - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1999) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Hughie Thomasson - guitar, backing vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Kenny Arnoff - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(1999 - 2001) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Hughie Thomasson - guitar, backing vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass, backing vocals
Michael Cartellone - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(2001 - 2005) Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Hughie Thomasson - guitar, backing vocals
Ean Evans - bass, backing vocals
Michael Cartellone - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
(2005 - actualidad)
Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Gary Rossington - guitar
Rickey Medlocke - guitar, backing vocals
Mark Matejka - guitar, backing vocals
Ean Evans - bass, backing vocals
Michael Cartellone - drums
Billy Powell - keyboards
DiscografíaDiscos de Estudio
Formación Original 1973 - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
1974 - Second Helping
1975 - Nuthin' Fancy
1976 - Gimme Back My Bullets
1977 - Street Survivors
Después del accidente 1991 - Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991
1993 - The Last Rebel
1994 - Endangered Species
1997 - Twenty
1999 - Edge Of Forever
2000 - Christmas Time Again
2003 - Vicious Cycle
Recopilaciones1978 - Skynyrd's First And... Last - collection of 1971-1972 demos
1980 - Gold & Platinum - best of
1982 - The Best of the Rest - collection of unreleased demos, B-sides
1987 - Legend - collection of unreleased demos, B-sides
1989 - Skynyrd's Innyrds - best of
1991 - Lynyrd Skynyrd - 3-CD box set compilation
1997 - Old Time Greats - 2-CD best of (Repertoire [5], reworked in 2005 by Universal)
1998 - The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd - 2-CD compilation (reissued 2006 as Gold)
1998 - Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album - compilation of 1971-1972 demos previously scattered across 3 albums [6]
2000 - All Time Greatest Hits - best of
2000 - Then and Now - live & studio album
2003 - Thyrty: The 30th Anniversary Collection - compilation
2005 - Then And Now, Vol. 2
2005 - Greatest Hits - 2-CD best of (Universal [7], rework of the 1997 by Repertoire)
2006 - Gold - 2-CD compilation (reissue of the 1998 Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Directos y Vídeos1976 - One More from the Road - live album
1988 - Southern by the Grace of God (Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987) - live album
1988 - Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour - tour video
1996 - Freebird... The Movie - video of live concert footage
1996 - Freebird... The Movie - video soundtrack
1996 - Southern Knights - live album
1998 - Lyve from Steel Town - live album
1998 - Lyve from Steel Town - tour video
2004 - Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour - live album
2004 - Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour - tour video
SinglesShade Tree Records
1968 - "Michelle / Need All My Friends" (101/102)
Sounds of The South/ MCA Records
1973 - "Gimme Three Steps / Mr. Banker (demo)" (MCA 40158)
1974 - "Don't Ask Me No Questions (remix) / Take Your Time (demo)" (MCA 40231)
1974 - "Sweet Home Alabama / Take Your Time (demo)" (MCA 40258) #8 US
MCA Records
1974 - "Free Bird" (edit) / Down South Jukin' (demo)" (MCA 40328) #19 US
1975 - "Saturday Night Special / Made in the Shade" (MCA 40416) #27 US
1976 - "Double Trouble / Roll Gypsy Roll" (MCA 40532) #80 US
1976 - "Gimme Back My Bullets / All I Can Do Is Write About It" (MCA 40565)
1976 - "Gimme Three Steps (live) / Travellin' Man (live)" (MCA 40647)
1976 - "Freebird (live) / Searchin' (live)" (MCA 40665) #38 US
1977 - "What's Your Name? / I Know a Little" (MCA 40819) #13 US
1978 - "You Got That Right / Ain't No Good Life" (MCA 40888)
1978 - "Down South Jukin' / Wino" (MCA 40957)