A lot of times, you never know about the man (or woman!) behind the star. Sounds like Allen was one of those rare finds in the music biz...a truly nice guy. Randy Meisner was a hometown hero where I lived, and he was also one of the nice guys!
I remember how heartbreaking it was when I saw Allen come out on the stage in a wheelchair when I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd in 87. He spoke to the audience for a few minutes and thanked them for their support and love.
Allan Collins at Knebworth Fair 1976. Best version of Freebird I've ever seen. He's lights out and you can start to see the chemistry with Steve Gaines. What a tragedy. They were about to up the stakes and put all the competition in the dust.
Even after He was gone , Allen Collins got Me through a rough time when My Brother passed away. Thanks Allen. Hope You and My Brother Michael get to talk. God Bless Ya Both. 🙏
Allen Collins is a severely underrated guitar player he was a shredder in many ways his sound was awesome. Skynyrd vanhad lots and lots and lots of drama. But really they were just kids who got a band together and became Superstars despite very humble beginnings beginnings
Amen brother, that’s what I’ve been thinking for a long time. Street Survivors had a completely different sound, and I can only imagine what the next album would have sounded like
replacing ed Kings shoes is a HARD task to be asked to do. I havent seen much of Steves contributions to the band cause im just recently getting into the band. I dont know what album/s he played or contributed on, If any. But i do know that when Ed left the bands sound definitely, mightley changed with it. King was fuckng nasty and was no two ways about it a major reason why Skynyrd wrote as many jams as they did. Im i no way taking anything aawway fom the other musicians in the band cause they all could have been the best player in their own band if they all went and did sie work. But Kings clean Stratocaster so[und was a nice tone to the other guitarists muddy sounds. And leon..... my god leon was just an animal on the bass and is my favorite member that was in skinner.
My God I had no idea Alan went through so much heart ache. I knew some of it but not how much. He was my favorite guitar player of the band also. Being a player myself he was a huge influence on me. I get it about mental health care back those days. I don't know how you get through that much tragedy. It made me tear up listening to you tell it. I lost my son when he was 36. That is still unbearable for me to dwell on. Alan must have had a heart of gold. Gone to soon doesn't even come close to explaining that kind of pain. Thank you so much for this one. It just hit too close to home for me but I'm so glad I know what really happened to him now. May he rest in peace. 😢❤✝️
I'm so sorry about your son Stephen. I can only imagine what you go through. Glad you enjoyed the video...even though this was a hard one for me to do. I tried to keep it as soft as I could. Allen's life wasn't easy that is for sure. Peace.
@@RiverDocs I had no idea his life was so tragic. He was one amazing guitar player. Thanks the kind words. I had forgotten about the car accident he was in. It's close to the date when my son passed in 2018 and Allen being 37 it just was a basic coincidence. I didn't mean any disrespect by bringing up my son. I'm going to work through it. It's not any fault of yours. They say it gets easier with time but I think It only does till the date comes around. It's OK my friend we got to go on living. No matter what kind of tragedy happens in our lives. We must push through it and endure til the end. I've watch the video 3 times again. Can you imagine if Allen and Terry both recorded and played with that firebird? Wow 100k would be a bargain for that special of an instrument. That's some deep track history right there. Love all your work . I'm going to have to help support your channel because I learn so much from your research. Thanks again my friend ✌️🙂❤️😎
@@stevemartin164 You are not Steve Martin who live in Harvey Louisiana are you. If you are well long time no see my brother. If not thanks for the very kind gesture just the same My friend. 🙂✌️❤️💯
No band ever rocked (especially live) like Skynyrd ! When you went to see the original group they played the songs exactly like they were recorded. Al Kooper, for all the hell he went through was amazed when first hearing them. He said they never deviated from the songs and performed them on end the same every time. Highly recommend "Gone with the Wind" a documentary on them. Very informative and runs 2 hrs. 43 minutes.
@Just a random guy..CRINGE ASS Thanks for pointing that out. Now we all could sleep better lol. But anyway those stupid emojis are so small it looks like a sad face aswell so we know what the fella meant. But thanks again for pointing that out.
@@warrenwhite8155 I would disagree. "Nuthin' Fancy" has one well written song and "Gimme Back My Bullets" was Ronnie's fear that the band was in decline as a result of "Nuthin Fancy".s commercial disapointment."Street Survivors" outsold anything else they'd done and featured electrifying performances by Steve Gaines. That was their high point commercially.Unfortunately, it all came to a halt in Gillsburgh, Mississippi.
All respect to Ed King,but with the addition of Steve Gaines,the lineup was more Elite, Rossington just awesome,Gaines raised the bar,but I agree Collins was oh so very special. That on stage triplethreat of teamwork, embracing their roles,each making the other better. Hard to say another band had a brighter future as Street Survivors was outstanding. Great @ getting greater. Collins is my favorite also. ,But Rossington and Gaines forming an unprecedented trio.
I’ve been looking foreword to this one ever since Gary rossington! I’m a teenager who is saddened by my generations awful music taste, southern rock is my fav!! If you take recommendations, I’d love a video on the outlaws!! :)
Already working on that my man! The odds may be slim but me and my friend are doing our best to pay homage to the southern greats! (Wrangling our band to play the stuff we like is the toughest part)
I saw the outlaws in concert in Phoenix, Arizona circa bout 1980. When they did " Ghost Riders in the sky" the sound system was deadly and THIS many years later I still remember when the guitars just BLEW US AWAY..Loud, crystal clear and just SHREDDED ..Seen a lot of groups from sabbath, to ozzy w randy, original van Halen to judas priest and many more, UP CLOSE and these cats too could ROCK..
Awesome! And I’m such a Firebird fan! I was the promoter who did Johnny Winters shows in Ontario Canada, from 1999 till he died. I got to play both Johnny’s sunburst and white Firebirds! No shit! Collins was my fav Skynyrd guitarist, too! By a mile! Peace
@@RiverDocs ya, he did. He was sitting beside me. We’d become pretty friendly by then. I was located between Detroit and Buffalo on the Canadian side. That made me his first stop in Canada, as I’d set him up with his smokables - he was a chronic, like Willie Nelson. You know, I’d never realized until you pointed it out, that Collins Firebird had a P90 in the bridge! Peace
Thanks man, this was really good. Always thought Allen was better than Gary but the combo was awesome. Saw the original in Asheville couple months b4 the crash. Ronnie in the middle of those two, I remember thinking at 17, so this is what rock and roll looks like. Good job.
Awesome video! Thank you for taking the time to create this story and montage, and to keep the memories and legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd alive and well. Although I loved Gary as well, Allen was my favorite Skynyrd guitarist. To me, Skynyrd (including the awesome addition of Steve Gaines) was just starting to hit their stride in 77. Still have the ticket stubs from the Skynyrd concert in Columbus, GA in April 1977, and The Rossington Collins Band concert from the Omni in Atlanta in December 1981. I remember the news of the plane crash. My buddies and I drove over to Macon to see Ted Nugent on 10/20/1977. We pitched in an got a motel room before the show. Although I want to say we saw it on tv in the motel room later that night, it may have been the next morning when we heard the sad news :(
Some of the greatest people on earth live lives dogged by bad luck, but choose to get back in the saddle and push on. Allen Collins was one such person. Fly free my man, fly free.
Great video as usual man. I used to and still watch video of Allen in his prime with the original members. What a guitar player he was and they were awesome. I didn’t know that story about you met him and was friends in the hospital. Awesome story and I really love your documentary’s. Keep it going man.
My heart always broke for Allen , so much tragedy in pain.. surprised he lasted as long as he did without Kathy from my understanding it got very dark for him... He was one of the greatest of all time!
Another great. Such a great guitar player. I love Lynyrd Skynyrd. Alcoholism is a terrible disease. Im a alcoholic and quit drinking 22 years ago. Im one of the lucky ones. My brother wasn’t so lucky either. I miss him. And for Allen I miss him also.
Excellent video. Thanks particularly for the focus on his Firebird. It was Allen who got me into Firebirds. I was always fascinated by this particular Firebird with the p90, I'm a p90's guy. Looking at the picture of Kath, the broken tip of the pickguard is very similar
Merci pour cette video sur Allen. J'aime beaucoup l'histoire de ce groupe donc je suis fan. Je voue egalement un culte total a Allen Collins. Merci William
Gary rossington is my favorite. He's the reason I play guitar. But to me you couldn't have replaced anyone in the band. Allen although it wasn't originally written for it. He created the long solo at the end of free bird that he performs when he was 15 yo😮. That is incredible for any kid to come up with licks like that so young. He was a natural musical genius.
I saw skynyrd 4 times, I also saw the rosington collins band in cleveland, I never cry, I'm not ashamed to say I cried when they played freebird without lyrics
Collins and Skynyrd were a incredibly talented band that touched the soul. These guys were a band people could truly relate to. They were good ole country boys you wanted to party with and hang out with. Saw them at JFK stadium in Philadelphia back in the 70's. They were a great live band! Great talent gone way too soon. God got a hell of a band
Something about Collin's playing style always feels so satisfying. It almost feels like every note has a tiny bit of pinch harmonics or perhaps a tiny subconscious string bend every note. It's so unique sounding and I can't think of anyone else that has that. I remember once reading someone on a forum asking how he could sound more like Slash and someone said something like "Unless you get his fingers, you'll never sound like Slash." Same with Collins IMO. He could shred but his feel was his real gift.
I was lucky enough to see LS and Allen play in New Orleans a couple of times. The first time was in the early to mid 70s. They opened for Joe Walsh. AC and his buddies torched the stage and shredded their guitars like something never seen by me before or since. Allen had the juice that the rest of the band and the crowd fed off of. Joe Walsh had zero chance of coming close to that performance. And that says a lot. RIP AC
Great video.. well done.. nothing fancy.. just the real story.. that’s all I want..first time I heard Free Bird was 1973 high school St Vincent St Mary… we were allowed to pipe music in the common area/ lunch room and it came on.. I was standing under one of the pa speakers and it was loud… it froze me in my standing position and I stared straight up at the speaker.. I knew I was hearing something very special and long lasting..
Big Allen Collins fan. Never have I seen more joy on a stage then when Allen Collins leads 5-minute Free Bird guitar solo captured on video in Oakland several moths before the fatal plane crash ending Lynrd Skynrd. Thanks for the video River Docs, and as you say, R.I.P. Mr. Collins.
I believe Gene Odum when he says without Allen Collins, there would have been no Lynyrd Skynyrd. Though I never met either of them, I believe that man.
Another great doc, Almost feels like as fast as all the good bands ,singer/songwriters , came into our lives, they're starting to move on. A tuber called The Griff Martin Files interview the old friend that stayed with Allen, Steve Reynolds , about the firebird . he said he had to sell it ,his wife got sick,and needed the money. I guess the story is true, I just watch,It's a 2 part doc kinda long. Hey Doc, did ya get that Donner Strat? Take care buddy.
Very interesting tribute the Skynyrd guitarist I'd bet my bottom dollar would win a, "Who's yer favorite in the band?" contest by a landslide. All the guitarists brought something to what made Skynyrd so memorable - legendary even. Was AC the best of the bunch? Hehe, I didn't say the contest was about who was best, but who was our favorite. ;-)
I love Allen Collins,But can you imagine that lynard Skynard had Allen,Steve Gains,Gary Rossington and at one point Ed King.I’ve been in bands here and there for years and it’s hard to find ONE even decent guitar player,much less four Virtuoso guitarists that all played in ONE band!!!Not to mention that Skynard had Virtuoso types in Artemus,Billy,Leon and Great background vocalists In Cassie Gaines and the girls!!!They were LOADED,all over the stage!!!
Thanks for putting this together, very good! My favorite example of Allen's picking is on I Got the Same Old Blues, contrasted with Gary's slide...great song!
The Firebird guitar was not recovered from the Boston show. It was caught by a fan in the audience. Marty Cauifield an old friend and guitar enthusiast persuaded the fan to let the guitar go (-minus headstock) for $20 at the show. The Skynyrd roadie grabbed Marty and said " you can keep the guitar but I'm pulling out the (bridge) pickup". With the guitars broken neck he later had it repaired by David Noll a R.I. guitar lutheir. In the mid 80's Marty need a place to keep the guitar. So for a year or two I obliged Mart. I played and stored the guitar at my house. If you would like to talk to Mart I bet he would love to tell the full the full story. The night of the show I remember throwng a party. I was pissed Mart as he stopped by my moms house and split to see some band called Lynyrd Skynyrd!!
I always heard that Allen's Firebirds had banjo tuners. I never have found out if that was true or not. That would explain a lot towards that unique sound.
Thanks RD, I learn from your work. So much talent in that group and tragedy aa well. Maybe somethin in the future on Knopfler and with Chet Atkins. Boe
Saw them here in Buffalo on the tour that they eventually had the plane crash. It was them Starz Ted Nugent & Blue Oyster Cult. Phenomenal show. Allen Collins was my favorite also.
That's a cool video. Allen Collins is my favorite too. I did ask The Stoned Roady Craig Reed which guitar sounded best, Craig said the Gibson Explorer sounded best. Sad story. Allen was the sound of Skynyrd. Fly High Free Bird. All The Mules are together again.
If you look at the picture of Terry using the bird you can match up the bridge pick up, Gibson used humbuckers but gibson used the same ones on the bridge and neck.
We had a chemistry teacher in Miami-Dade named, "Leonard Skinner", who was a brilliant chemist and absolutely looked the part - Marine crew cut, pocket protector, glasses - and he knew his chemistry, inside and out. He left Miami and I had heard that he then moved to the Jacksonville area. I can just imagine that some young hip high-schoolers would laughingly call him "Len-nerd". That's where I have heard they got the name.
I can't believe that Firebird was sold, man. That's not a good friend if you ask me, I would have loaned it to a hard rock museum so the world could see it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the main reasons I play guitar, and am obsessed with old Peavey amps, lol. Really love all the members but Allen was such a guitar hero to me that when Epiphone first released thier Firebird I ran right out and bought one, didn't even play it first. Turns out that it's too much of a headstock diver for me. If you don't know what that is ask a guitar player but it was uncomfortable for me. As for Allen being self taught he had a step mother named Leila Collins who was a Country and Western guitarist. It may have been his birth mother who bought him his first guitar but he learned his first chords and scales from his step mother.
