This song was one of the anthems of my teenage years so it is forever burned into my soul, but after seeing Fil and his love of this music, I've got to believe that the fire that drove Lynyrd Skynyrd does live on in some of today's musicians--they just have not introduced themselves to us yet. :)
@@dickphukwede1856 Yes. I saw them in 1976, and this is exactly what they looked and sounded like. It was a great performance. I consider myself extremely so fortunate to have seen them live.
This was a Day on the Green in Oakland. I was there. One of my friends is in the front of the stage. She is immortalized on film, seventeen years old forever. Every time I watch this, I relive that day. Special memory.
That's sounds so cool. I remember someone also said that one of the ladies in front was their grandma, it amazing how great songs and great bands stand the test of time.
Tim Dooley If the term, “boomer,” is meant to be a slight, you missed your mark. I saw all these iconic bands perform live and you didn’t. Too bad for you.
@@sassyt1545 I am another proud boomer, these youngsters can only hope and pray they effect society as much as we did in a positive way. We did good! Proud to be a "boomer"! People like Greta aren't going to cut it with their hate and angst. Too shallow! We changed things for the environment and society. Later generations gave us "dress for success", disco and "greed is good". We get blamed for that, and it's not warranted that's not what we were about! I supported Gene McCarthy and at eighteen I couldn't even vote for him at the time.
Sassy1 i saw the Rolling Stones at day on the green in Oakland and many others. Mick Jagger got on a cherry picker that swung him out over the audience and threw roses over everyone, very cool right
Chris Minshew Very cool. I was there too and again when the Stones played at Candlestick Park in 1981. It was a special time to be young, living in the SF Bay Area. Thanks to Bill Graham, we got to see all the greats.
Yes siree, lead guitar players are usually so egotistical, hard to get them to cooperate with each other, but F@wKKKK these guys did it, with solid pride.
Remember. WHAT AL COOPER, SAID WHEN HE DISCOVERED UM HED NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THEM, IN THE STOUDIO, ,WHY THEY PRACTICE EVERY DAY, NO MONEY, THEY BUSTED THERE ASS
Its so fucking funny . All old Skynyrd fans say the same exact thing ,and Skynyrd guitarist fans all say this ! It is true , & goes way deeper .no pyro ,crazy lighting , coustumes like "Kiss" ( they fucking suck so much, think how much they suck compared to Skynyrd !!! ) No lip sync bullshit , no auto-tune ,no computers , no backing tracks , no high heel boots ! ,very few guitar efects Ronie fuckin' barefoot ! & yes 3 guitars ,bones , bass !!! insane .
And they were "tight" . I think the key was Allen & Gary learning guitar together, practicing every day together, teaching each other what the other had learned. This was before they were a band, back when Allen played w/the Mods. It was like the 2 of them were linked mentally , like siblings & best friends, they knew each other well. You add Ed King then Steve Gaines who were both phenomenal players, they both fit right in musically. The guys were amazed by Steve esp when he auditioned which was come to a show, come out on our jam song, T for Texas & show us what you got. They only talked for a few min before show & when he came out jamming on T for Texas, their jaws all dropped. That says a lot abt Steve as a guitarist to have a "live"audition & not let his nerves get to him. He was the complete package for sure!
I've watched this many times, and am 63 years old.Something has made it hit so much harder this evening, and yes,its a sadness I can't describe. Losses of such magnitude,in so many ways. I'm not articulating this well at all.Just feeling it.
My boyfriend was in a band that did southern rock. My first concert was in Richmond and caught roses he threw out! Sadly my boyfriend wrote me the lyrics to Free Bird in a letter and shot himself. 40 years later, I can finally listen to it.
The addition of Steve Gaines IMO raised everyone in Lynyrd Skynyrd to a higher level he was invaluably impactful to their live shows which made the tragedy even more tragic
Wild to think that his sister Cassie said, "Hey my brother can play guitar and I know we want another guitar player...." His 'audition' consisted of the band calling him up on stage, during a gig.
He is really an underrated Guitar player, but I can see why, but I agree if you were to judge each member individually Steve Gaines was probably the most talented, these guys had such crazy rhytms and he was the driving force. But he got recognized by Ronnie, everyone knows that :P
I have to say.... Im am so envy to you guys who grew up thru late 60' and 70' .... I have nostalgic feeling thru music for times that i don't livin....
It was a great time to be alive if it weren't for the draft. As a woman and "free thinker" I felt empowered. Something I don't think kids can even imagine today. Having a bit of a problem realizing I'll be 70 in April. But I am still that kid of the sixties and seventies. Still value the same things!
@@D3xTRb0y I grew up in a country where the bobbies were polite, councils served you, fines were low and few, traffic was sparse, parking was easy and cheap, and barriers were barely existent - you could roam virtually anywhere, including in disused houses, and do things at your own risk. Children played freely and unsupervised for hours on end in town or countryside. The morals and values of Christianity were taught everywhere (not coercively)and informed the behaviour of the majority. There were no speed trap cameras, CCTV, busybody neighbours or jobsworths spying on you or seeking to cause trouble with 'authorities', and no sneak-on-your-neighbour telephone lines. Discretion was used in the implementing most regulations. People were generally helpful towards each other in all situations and NEVER attempted to silence you for an opinion. Politics was a boring thing in the distance and no-one cared how you voted - it was considered rude to enquire. Differences of opinion weren't a point of hatred or intolerance, and legislation of all kinds was minimal and unrelated to 'Europe'. That was England in the 1960s... Of course we cannot turn back the clock, but we can restore the respect for individuality and freedom of choice and expression that is being curtailed by the 'woke folk' agenda. Unfortunately, we've legislated against, lost or destroyed so much that many people today don't even know what liberty is.
At least you got to see them, you prob loved it but didn't really appreciate the greatness that we all see in these videos. You were lucky to get to see them, I didn't. Really 1 of those things in life that makes me sad, prob sounds dumb, my mom was dying 75-77 cancer she died 2 mos before plane crash so at time it was a low priority & like many people assumed we would catch them the next time
@@sjwillis1137 There's no more white working class. SoCal is a balkanized police state. Notice how fit tan and healthy everyone is in this audience? CA looks like a John Carpenter movie now. Read 'Mass Control' by Jim Keith.
@@sjwillis1137 it has become a cesspool of illegals and homeless due to the Demrat leadership through the yrs who don't care about the quality of life just a never endless supply of tax dollars and handouts. It's a dangerous crime ridden, unaffordable toilet of a state now.
60's-80's The Golden Age of Rock. IMO every decade/era had some great music. Early days of Rockn'roll, Jazz, Big Band and Swing, the blues, even going back to the classical era. That is until you get past the early days of Grunge. Sorry, not sorry, I got tired of Boy Bands and Pop-Princesses really quick. What happened to the spirit of rebellion in music? I saw something, years ago, that stated every top charting song of the previous 10 years had been written either of 2 people. No wonder it all sounded alike. I think that's what I miss the most, bands having "their" sound.
The quickening of the tempo in live performances that was brought up is a pet peeve of mine for any band . There is one person to thank for that not happening with Skynyrd and that was Ronnie . He simply didn't allow it . If you watch him admiring the results while solos were being played like he was playing it himself you will know . Anyone that saw the coverband that followed after 1977 never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd .
Copy that, '70's girls! Silicone and razor blades not welcome at this party (well, maybe a Lady Schick for the legs & underarms). Man-hating 101 was not a college course back then.
Really that's what you have, stupid cell phones? I grew up in the '60s and '70s and would have loved to have a cell phone back then. My first cell phone was a giant bag phone which needed to be plugged into the cigarette lighter and had a curly cord attached to the receiver. When I left the car the phone had to stay in it. C'mon man.
OTOH, having been to at least a dozen of these arena rock shows in CA in 1977, including Skynyrd a month after this was recorded, a cell phone video would be nice to have given how stoned and sunburned we all were. Can't remember a damn thing about these concerts !!!
They say Ronnie Van Zant, did not write down his lyrics, it was all from memory, The band members pleaded with Ronnie to put the lyrics in writing. Ronnie said if it's worth singing, it's worth committing to memory. This band worked exceedingly hard, they had a beyond crazy work ethic! Awesome "guitar power" in this band!
It's nigh on impossible to imagine Van Zant today - had he survived - taking to the stage with one of those godawful charcoal grey music stands with holes in front of him. It's probably irrational but they really piss me off big time; I just wish they could be banned. If you can't remember the words, find something else to do.
Most bands do. Punk bands sat in their 6ft x 8ft bedroom (bedsit) and would practice their guitar all day for 2 solid years. That's how Steve Jones and Mick Jones learned. Stevie Wonder would work ALL NIGHT and the session mudicians would bail as he laid down the synclavier parts to Superstition. James Brown notorious for working his band to death. Miles the same. Steely Dan. The perfectionism of Tom Scholz of Boston. They all had it . All the greats worked like mad. Super disciplined work ethic.
Seeing Allen Collins here as such a deeply talented, young man and knowing how much tragedy awaited him - the loss of his bandmates/friends, the death of his wife, paralysis from another accident and death at 37 - can be heartbreaking, but his sheer exuberance burns away some of those shadows.
Yeah, Allen's sheer enthusiasm was infectuous and made the audience's heart leap for joy along with his legs. While the Pete Townsends of the world (and the punkers who came along in Skynyrd's wake) snarled and jumped up and down in mock anger, Allen was actually set free by what he was doing and it showed. He couldn't contain it. I don't want to overstate the case, but my heart is moved almost to tears every time I see him do that jump...
@@semifast2 I have no idea what your point is, but no, I don't, because I don't know if Moon knew how to play guitar or not. I know Townsend, Entwhistle, and Daltrey did. Anyway, my point is that Townsend's jumping, his windmill strumming, his guitar and amp destruction, etc. was just an act. Same with the punks who came later. It was pure theater, deliberately calculated and executed for effect. I never considered Collins' jumping to be in the same category. It looked to me like he was jumping out of sheer joy because he couldn't contain his excitement.
@@jimnewl I feel so much the same way : I live near Greenville SC the last concert . I was going but was moving and was going to a later concert. Heartbroken I didn't go. I heard somewhere how someone had to leave at the end of concert and that the auditorium was literally vibrating. Imagine. Yes, so sad what lay ahead for Allen Collins but here he was so happy. Freebird now for many years. RIP
I was a senior in High school in 1977, I still believe that I grew up in the best time for Rock music! I wouldn't trade any of it for more time on this planet... 💯💖
When Lynyrd Skynyrd played Knebworth in 1976 they blew the Rolling Stones away. (There are videos posted on here of that gig). Jagger was super pissed because Ronnie broke his rule for opening acts. *NOBODY* was to go out on the tongue but the Stones. Afterwards Ronnie had a t-shirt made that he wore that said, "Who the fuck are the Rolling Stones?". I give the win to Ronnie for that one. 👍🏻🤠
@@urex1717 Excellent point. I saw the Stones in San Diego 1981. George Thorogood opened followed by The J. Geils Band. Thorogood tore it up on guitar... of course. J. Geils stole the show. When they hit the stage, they truly were one of the hardest working live acts at the time. Hot and tight best describes them. The Stones on the other hand, never were a great live band. The time that they were worth seeing was when they had Mick Taylor. That boy could play circles around Richards. 😆
Elvis's good friend Charlie Hodge told me in 1979 that Elvis really loved this song not only because it rocked, but most of all the lyrics spoke to him. He knew his life on earth wouldn't be long, and the lyrics reflected how he felt in many ways. I can't hear this without thinking about Elvis.
You're welcome everyone. It says much about Elvis on a few different levels. He appreciated good music, but the lyrics--the message or story of the song--were of utmost importance to him. He connected with this song, and that is pretty darn cool.
I love all the shots away from the band of the crowd. This performance is an 11 minute snapshot of what people, fashion, lifestyles and general life was like in western America in 1977. Everyone looks free flowing and free spirited, the girls have their flowers in the hair, the sun is scorching down but nobody cares - they're just having the best time of their lives, and the band are providing the soundtrack with an unbelievably impressive performance. Wish I was there
Just hope that one blonde in the yellow shorts got out of the sun. She was already bright red and this was before we really understood the dangers of overexposure to the sun it's relation to skin cancer.
Hi everyone. I just want to share my memories of seeing Lynyrd Skynyrd live. By the time they played this concert they were a very well known and popular band and everyone knew Free Bird. You can see the crowd getting excited in anticipation of the guitar frenzy they know is coming. But I saw them play at the Rainbow in London in 1974. I think this was the very first time they played outside the US? Can anyone confirm or refute this? In early 1974 they were still relatively unknown outside the US with just 1 album under their belt. I had never heard of them but a friend of mine had and he persuaded me that we had to go and see them. I reluctantly agreed to go but I am so glad I did because it was the greatest concert I have ever been to and I have been to many great concerts. It was the 1st album line-up, Ed King, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins - we had never heard 3 lead guitarists before. I heard Free Bird for the first time being played live by the original band members. Can you imagine how amazing that was? What started as a slow ballad turned into a crescendo with 3 lead guitars competing for dominance. At the time quite innovative but sheer bloody amazing. I was priviledged to see the original Lynyrd Skynyrd. RIP all members no longer here. Thank you for the great music!
Fil for someone like I with family roots in Alabama this band is iconic ..... they may play this at my funeral. The Bird you’ll never change ..... Thanks for showcasing these Southern Boys
My old buddy Carl Ryder was murdered about 10 years ago. They played this in the church at his funeral. Carl was a real GOOD guy! Lost a real good friend. JJ
It’s was exactly 110 days after this performance that the plane crash occurred RIP Ronnie, Stevie, and Cassie, I was a grown man, a Vietnam veteran, and the night of the crash I broke down and cried…peace and love to you all…✌️
I turned 16 that summer. Man, what a great time to be a teenager and having all these great Southern rock bands to see live! This is a good video but the one in England really rocks. At one point it shows some kids asleep until Skynyrd hit the guitar solo during Free Bird. Even the local press said Lynyrd Skynyrd stole the show, hands down. Those Southern rockers gave those Brits a dose of Southern Revolution!
I was born in 69 and I loved the 70s and 80s ..we've lost something , I can't quit put my finger on it , but deep down in my soul I want to be back in the 70s . those hard times seem so great now looking back .
I had the privilege of meeting Billy Powell on several occasions. He was the kindest, most humble person. He had terrible facial scars from the plane crash. RIP Billy
Always loved these guys. Giving Jagger the proverbial finger and playing out on the tongue stage after he told them not to...forever cemented my love for them deep in my heart.
This analysis just made me smile as Fil gives a brief description of the event then allows it to carry on until the triple-guitar attack. I felt whisked back to 77 for a moment in time. Then back we go until it finished. Although I'm a northerner at about 13 years old back then I've always had a soft spot for Southern boogie played by Skynyrd, Outlaws, Blackfoot, etc... As usual, I'm impressed by Fil's analyses and think he really should be called "Wings of the rock n' roll historian" I'm constantly learning more about music I thought I knew so well.
I was 17... need I saw more? Skynyrd, CDB, MTB, 38 Special, Molley H. outlaws ! Little Feat ! Allman Bro’s. What a genre ! It was a great time for live music, and these bands often traveled in 3’s!!!!!
I would say you were born in the wrong generation Fil, but I would be mistaken..... We need people like you to carry on the legacy of this great decade in the history of modern music! It is gratifying to know there are intelligent and well-spoken younger people such as yourself who appreciate the amazing contributions to music in all genres that were made during the Seventies.... You continue to produce quality work in all you do! Thanks for the uploads!
Personal note...I was at this concert. It was absolutely awesome. Peter Frampton was actually the headliner with Skynryd playing just before Frampton. Skynyrd blew everyone away and people actually started leaving when Frampton started playing. Best concert I've ever been to. Great analysis too!. Thanks!
Classic southern rock n roll! It doesn't get much better than that! As you observed, it's like each one in the band was inside the head of the others anticipation exactly what each other was doing with how tight it is. It still sounds as good now as when I heard it,as,a young teenager. Thanks for doing this one!
While very good, none of the guitarists were the absolute best in the world, but put the 3 off them together, and they did things that no one could replicate.
@@williamkramer9731 Wrong. You need to listen to Steve Gaines's work a little better, pre Skynyrd as well. Listen to his His One in the Sun CD, and be prepared.
seattwa I'll check it out and I hope everything you say is true. I know in Skynyrd they obviously showed great skill, and the talent as a whole for criminally overlooked, but at the same time there was ppl playing more complex solos.
The smile on your face when the tempo picks up & the crowd goes crazy 😜 gave me chills. Then tears 😭 when I thought 💭 what was coming less than 6 months later.
When I was coming up, there were 3 songs that were amazingly over the top ( in a good way). Bohemian rhapsody, Stairway To Heaven, and Freebird ❗️. I remember exactly where I was when the announcement came over my little pocket radio. “ The Freebird has gone down .” The announcer was choked up as he gave the report. All the Rock radio stations [ in St.Louis - anyway] had a minute of silence. I was 16 years old. A very sad day it was. There’s still some mystery over what exactly happened. Cool video. 📻🙂
Freebird at Knebworth 1976 is as good as it gets. There has never been, nor ever will be, a better performance. In particular, nobody will ever come close to Allen Collins' performace on that day. It's disappointing that nobody has come close to emulating that performance in 45 years, but also somehow immensely satisfying to know that there is a benchmark for live musicianship and here it is, recorded for all eternity. How I envy the people that were there. They were part of something that can never be repeated.
@Steve P, this performance of Free Bird is from "A Day On The Green" at Oakland Coliseum over July 4th weekend 1977, and no offense, but it's frankly a much better live performance of Freebird than the band played at Knebworth in 1976. The sound from Knebworth for the entire show was really poor. Some songs really hard to hear at all, and at Knebworth most of the band was pretty lit from having gotten to the gig way early and partying all day with famous movie stars and musicians before they went onstage. Musically this is a much better live performance of Freebird, IMO.
I saw practically every tour with the original guys. No one and I mean no one, could touch them. If they opened for someone, that lasted once because they would smoke the headliner. Then when Steve Gaines came aboard, he took them to the next level. Just look how high Allen Collins gets in the air. I grew up playing southern rock guitar. Man I miss them. Try a review of Molly Hatchet. The three guitar attack of southern rock was in a class all its own
Watching the smile on your face as they pan the crowd rocking, tells me that you've been there and done that. Like you, as a musician, a groove that the crowd gets into, is one of the main reasons we do this in the first place.
Lynyrd Skynryd was, essentially, a live band that recorded. They were known for rehearsing a song until everyone always played it exactly the same way every time - then they went into the studio and recorded it. It, then, should be no surprise that they sounded exactly like the recording in the live performance that you've shown.
You can tell they started in a Garage! They where in the Zone! They where Friends! They where Family! I was to go see them in Maryland, and the devastation happened! The Plane Crash!! It was one of the saddest days in Rock and Rolls Music History! To me they where All Natural! and from the Heart! ☆☆☆☆☆
This song(like many of you) is a big part of the soundtrack of my life, it always brings tears of joy because of the memories it evokes. The smile on Fil’s face while listening to this song is a visualization of how I feel every time I hear it.
I vividly recall their crash being reported on WKBW AM radio out of Buffalo, N.Y. the night it happened in 1977. Details were still sketchy, but soon after the details of who was lost came out. A sad day for all.
I’ve seen all The Worlds premier rock bands and I can tell you, Lynyrd Skynyrd we’re in a league of their own. I was also lucky to get to know them. Although looking back I must of drove them mad. I was only 17 and I hero worshipped them. I took my younger sister and her friend to see them once and they were crying their eyes out. They couldn’t contain themselves because of how much they loved it
Alan Collins, Steve Gains, and Gary Rosington get a lot of credit on their guitar work on this song, and rightfully so. But to me the two who really hold it down in Artimus Pyle on Drums and Leon Wilkeson on Bass. Just look and his fingers on that bass starting at 13:24. People do not realize how incredibly difficult that is. And he does it with such ease.
Another great analysis Fil. I can attest that this was not a one-off performance. I saw them in Memphis on 4 July 1976 along with ZZ Top, BOC, and the Outlaws, and they absolutely set the stage on fire. I might want to mention that admission to see all four acts was 15 bucks. LMAO
@John Coffelt that's hilarious, but those kids already have enough disinformation to keep them busy for the next 30 years. Let us not add to their woes.
Skynyrd is a serious band with some of the finest songwriting in rock music history. That includes some powerful tearful ballads too. You can tell someone is musically clueless and gets their musical opinions from USA Today and Readers Digest when you see them roll their eyes when you say something like this.
Fil is one of the best song analysts I have ever seen. He is just top level excellence, high intelligence, deep understanding of technique and art of music. I enjoy every one of these and learn something new everytime.
Allen Collins best Guitarest ever!! also Thank you and Kathy for writing Freebird, you were never given the credit that you deserved!! RIP Allen and Kathy God Bless you Both! Thank you again!!
Ronnie was a tough taskmaster from what I have learned and he demanded perfection to the point that he could be abusive if the musicians in the band didn't do everything perfectly. As much as that might taint his genius in the minds of more sensitive people it is a common trait among many creative types. They have a vision of perfection that they seek to create and replicate. That isn't to say that he deserves all credit because that certainly isn't true at all! Skynyrd was great because everyone involved was extremely talented and when all that talent came together it was pure awesomeness!
He would get upset and loudly verbalize his dissatisfaction, put that was nothing back then. That what’s wrong with music nowadays, if you award mediocre all you get is the crap 💩 that’s played now on the radio!!!!!!! Everyone doesn’t deserve a trophy after 5-6 years old because the accolades and praise is giving because of hard work and being the best at what you’re involved in whatever it might be!!!!!! That’s a huge problem with what’s happening now in life, kids graduating colleges/universities with worthless degrees and then can’t find any jobs that pay them more than what a high school diploma or a GED alone can get you!!!!!! Students graduating from technical colleges/schools, even high GPA students from high school are doing so much better with salaries and job security plus they don’t have much of or any big loans to payback!!!!!!!
Also, with a band that large and a room/stage/studio full of egos, plus a bit of that good ole boy mentality, someone had to be in command and keep the train on the tracks, otherwise it could have degenerated into improvisational chaos. Ronnie was the guy to keep it all together, and he had the personality to pull it off. If you watch the Knebworth version of this song, he's constantly giving cues and hand signals to keep the jam somewhat orderly, including a very definite cut-off signal. AND he's the one that had the balls to get the guitar players to venture onto the "tongue" of the stage, where they were specifically forbidden to go because only the Stones (who were headlining) were allowed to go there - Ronnie said the hell with that and pushed the guitarists down the tongue (Leon Wilkeson tried to follow, but ran out of cord - the old days before cordless guitars).
Oh boy, my heart breaks every time I see this. I love this band, these boys were fun in my youth. They played their instruments well and you could tell there was a good relationship within the group. Family and fans were very affected by their deaths. It wasn’t all of them but the ones that died RIP.
Certainly a trip down memory lane... lol. Seems like a lifetime ago, partying with friends, smoking pot and drinking Boones Farm , 16 years old and thinking THAT was the life, lol. 🤔🤪
I'm a guitarist too and your reaction was real unlike other youtuber they are pretending enjoying the video for click bait. I love free bird. One of the hardest and greatest song ever made. Free bird is a masterpiece. Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the greatest band ever.
I was lucky enough to see Lynyrd Skynyrd ( who was my band at the time) at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on 6-11-1977. they were second bill to Peter Frampton, also on the bill was J. Geils Band, Dickey Betts... It was a day to remember, it was a hot day, the stadium was pack with fans like sardines in a can, the music was amazing... First up was Dickey Betts than J. Geils Band. But when Lynyrd Skynyrd took to the stage they commanded not only the stage but the whole day... I kind of felt bad for Frampton, it was a wrong lineup for him.. When Lynyrd Skynyrd return for their encore “Freebird” they blew the whole stadium away... Sorry to say when Frampton hit the stage to perform most folks start heading home... Four months later a plane crash ended the lives of some great people who knew how to Rock!! I sent flowers to Ronnie Van Zant funeral and to my surprise received a Thank you card in the mail from his family thanking me for my kind gesture and assure me my flowers were at his gravesite....
Ronnie was brought up by a mom and dad, who loved there kids, and there friends! I'm not sure you would get a card, in this day and time?? I wish I could have been at that concert, I was suppose to see them when they came to Maryland! Unfortunately they didn't make it! Simple Man was one of my favorites! Have a good one!
Thank you for your comment... I agree regarding the Thank you card, wasn't expecting one, that made it all the sweeter when it arrived in the mail... All the Best to you Papa Smurf!
Wow. Great story. I wasn't old enough to see the originals. But I grew up on Skynyrd and in 1997 I met Ronnie's Mom and Dad and a few other family members and Artimus Pyle at the 20th anniversary of the crash celebration called Freebird Festival. That was amazing and they signed the book for me that Ronnie's dad wrote. One of my prized possesions. A few years later I would meet Johnny Gary and Leon and Billy and Rickey , great group of guys living the dream.
Thank you for your comment.... You have an amazing story yourself, that must of been a day to remembered, to meet his mom and dad and other family and band members, that's waaay too cool... I'm glad you took time to post your comment/story... I bet Ronnie's parents were gracious to you (good people i'm sure).. Have a great Holiday!!!
i grew up in north central Florida after this and still live there. Nothing makes me think of the swamps, blue water springs and the feel of this part of Florida more than This era of Skynyrd. These days a band called Mofro do the same thing for me. Check out a song called Lochloosa if you want a modern day KIND of equivalent. This is actually hard to watch with how the world is now compared to these times.
Somewhere among the crowd my sister and her friends are sandwich in that Oakland Coliseum Stadium back in July of 1977 She said "Freebird" was the highlight of the concert. great analysis again Fil.
I really love Lynyrd Skynyrd and this song in particular with all of it's tempo changes, remind me of a true religious experience. Watching the crowd even being synchronized with the music being played brings this feeling to mind. Ronnie was a true leader. He was a masterful orchestrator who knew the strengths of each member of his band and knew how to bring the absolute best out of them. All of the other members looked to him with confidence and loyalty and put forth their best efforts. And yes they practiced their music relentlessly. I can never forget that terrible crash. Being a teenager, it felt like it was the end of something big, and it was. Within a year, I began to hear punk rock music and it felt like music moved out of the bright daylight and into the darkness of small clubs. And once that music was gone, you just knew it could never come back like that, sweet, airy, sunlight filled time we had before. I sure miss those days.
TuckerSP2011..Unfortunately that "religious experience" which you speak of was accompanied by drugs and alcohol which killed the likes of Janice Joplin,Jimi Hendrix,Jim Morrison,and a lot of fans of "said religious experience"!
That's a lot of gurlzzzzz... Babe magnet.. We'd clean up as kid's. Get a keg go to the parking lot ... Yeah buddy , good times.. Tail gate party And i mean tail... Brotherrrrrrr
I saw Skynyrd, 2003, Portland Oregon. Roseland Theatre with my friend who passed away- James, that was his favorite band. In fact we used to call him Synryrd James.
