Freebird - One of the greatest songs ever
When I think of all-time great songs, there are several that come to mind. “Stairway to Heaven,”, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Hey Jude,” come to mind as well as “Freebird.” The southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded “Freebird” in 1973, and was included on their first album, “Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd.” I was just three years old at this time and didn’t hear “Freebird” until I was much older; however, “Freebird” is such a classic that it resonates through to younger generations.
Lynyrd Skynrd was formed in the sixties in Jacksonville, Florida by original members Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Garry Rossington, Larry Junstrom, and Bob Burns. Roadie Billy Powell joined the group as keyboardist in 1970; Artimus Pyle later replaced Burns. The band performed under the name of One Percent, but changed it’s name as the result of a joke. Some members of the band had a strict high school gym teacher who strictly enforced the dress code and hairstyle requirements who was named Leonard Skinner. One night at a concert Ronnie Van Zant joked that they were changing their name to Leonard Skinner. The name stuck, although the spelling was eventually changed to the way it is today. The band became known for their three-guitar attack, which is a highlight of “Freebird.”
The song “Freebird” was written as a tribute to Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band who was killed in a crash while riding his motorcycle. However, when listening “Freebird” today, it is hard not to think of it as an eerie premonition of the horrible plane crash that claimed the life of lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and other band members. On October 20, 1977, a chartered plane carrying the band between shows in Greenville, South Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana was low on fuel and crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi. In addition to Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, back-up singer Cassie Gaines, the band’s assistant road manager, and the pilot and co-pilot were killed. Other band members suffered injuries, some serious and life threatening. The band’s sixth album, Street Survivors, which was the last recorded by the original lineup, was released just three days before the crash.
After the crash, the members disbanded and took a long break, doing their own projects. In 1987,
Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited for a 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.
The band was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. This was the bands seventh time being nominated, and they finally have their own spot in the history of rock and roll. Although the band has other popular songs like “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Simple Man,” and “Give Me Three Steps,” “Freebird” is the song that they will forever be known for. “Freebird” is the ultimate song and will be around forever.