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In
the Beginning Ronnie van
Zant was the oldest of 3 and hailed from the tough west
side of Jacksonville, Florida, in an area where fighting
was a normal pastime. He first started singing in a
Gospel Church Women's Choir, but there was another type
of music that Ronnie Van Zant wanted. One he pieced
together from various musical influences in his life:
Shorty Medlocke (Father of Rick Medlocke of the band
Blackfoot) was a former sharecropper who played a scrappy
style of "Swamp Music" that Ronnie Van Zant
became familiar with.
At the age of 16, Ronnie Van Zant was approached by the
Band called Us. They needed a lead singer for their
Rhythm and Blues Band. "US" was a local
favorite that had competed in "Battle of the
Bands" Contests. Another such band was called the
Mods, which catered to the then rampant British Invasion
and featured a young man named Allen Collins. Ronnie Van
Zant was also influenced by a new long-hair band called
The Rolling Stones. The high-energy music of The Rolling
Stones and the Southern influences of Shorty Medlocke had
created a dream in the young Ronnie Van Zant.
Ronnie first approached Bob Burns, who had a drum set,
and 13 year-old guitar player Gary Rossington. Rossington
then recruited Larry Junstrom, the guy with the bass. The
final member of what was to be known as "The Noble
Five" was Allen Collins, who had the only amplifier!
They began playing "Psychedelic Rock",
patterned after the Yardbirds and Hendrix, among other
notable names.
While in High School, their Gym teacher and local Real
Estate Agent Leonard Skinner would often hand out
suspensions because they had long hair. At the age of 16
or 17, they dropped out of school and began their musical
careers. Then, while playing at local high schools, the
Band (as a joke) announced itself as "The Leonard
Skinner Band". Members of the crowd that knew about
the gym teacher laughed and cheered at the joke, but it
was the nucleus they needed. With a few alterations, they
would eventually become the " Lynyrd Skynyrd Band
"
The Burns Family driveway was the hangout and practice
area, which drew complaints of "loud music"
from the area neighbors. To escape this problem, the Band
practiced at a farmhouse they dubbed
"Hellhouse", located 20 miles from
Jacksonville, Florida. Fishing was one of the favorite
pastimes of Ronnie Van Zant. Many of the songs from the
"Pronounced" album would be "created"
during this time.
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