Lynyrd Skynyrd Interview prior to Tribute Tour 1987 

Great basser. If it wasnt for him they wouldn't have that sound

Bom baixista

Agree strongly! I think he was not necessarily underated, but maybe overshadowed by the amazing guitar work of the other members. Yes, his bass work is incredible when you listen close to their studio recordings- helped them to their awesome sound!

@@bananka4905 Agree friend!! Hear hear!

Leon was such an integral part of LS, and yes I agree his work that he contributed to LS was untouchable. He was my husband & I loved him from the first time I met him when I was 18yrs old…1978 till this day. I miss him so badly but I know I’ll see him again one day, Praise God!

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lives On! 😊✌

hahah!!!

Johnny looks like a porn star

@Bumble Blimfield He drove there in his Pinto or Gremlin?

@@nodaysback1 If he got there in a Trans Am, then I'm pretty sure he hitchhiked in one to get there.

He used to ask people at the bar to get him a drink he was so broke

Big Time underrated member! I loved his playing on this as well as Call me the Breeze, Working for MCA, and of course FREE BIRD!

Billy Powell is up there with Rick Wright (Pink Floyd). Both of them have a heavenly sound. sadly, both passed the same year.

Billy was huge part of the sound.

You are so right. Billy Powell one of the very best piano players in rock or southern rock

I could never underrate that man 🤘🏻

Allen was the sound

Allen top 5 ever

Agreed with the last two comments. You know your stuff

As a rhythm guitarist Ed was avirtuoso​@@TheCountryDon

It would have to be note for note. He wrote it. Lol

I want to Jam with you guy's so bad just get me behind that microphone do the best I can.

@@JackKincaid.. he can roll the note with his voice. Roll the Note it's a southern thing Rony was the master.

@@babbyfacerevocation2740 Tyrone, we're talking about Ed Kings playing not Ronnie's singing.

@@JackKincaid.. A

Skynyrd crashed in October of '77. Elvis died a couple of months earlier, over in Memphis. Not good times.

I wasn't born until '80 so I'm jealous. Seeing the original band must've been awesome

where at?

Pure class? Billy and Leon needed money...bad! Gary sued the estate of Ronnie Van Zant to have Judy removed from the Skynyrd Board of Directors and to take her stock because she objected to the band doing more than 10 shows, which was what they were initially supposed to do. They (Gary, Allen, Judy, Teresa Gaines, and Gene Odom had signed as a witness) had signed a piece of paper back in 1978 saying that they would never used the name Lynyrd Skynyrd again. You need to watch "Hangin with Gene Odom" where he talks about what a weasel Gary was, trying to screw his dead friend and his still living widow over. Gene didn't let that happen. He stood up for his friend and the amount of money Ronnie and Steve would've made from the touring had to be paid to their respective estates.

The original members all back to together in Heaven with our Father; I heard Ronnie say, Bring up my mules. 🙌🏻🙏🏻. RIP

Bob was a heckuva good guy... He'd get out there sometimes, but back then didnt we all? RIP am I losing

Leandro Machado sadly his skills were overshadowed and under appreciated by most.

Leon was awesome!

Leandro Machado

Survived by tha Grace of God!!😊👍

Leon was the best! Right up there in my top 5 with Jonesy, entwisle, Maccartney and Flea. Very intuitive, Ed always said he never writes a bass part without thinking what would Leon play

Philip Penry The new group is all about the money.

It was great in 87...it is a joke now.

If the lineup had stayed like this all along instead of the bunch that evolved. All the original longtime skynyrd fans would have been thrilled and totally supportive and would excepted them as being Lynyrd skynyrd even though Ronnie was gone and allen isn't there. I know i would've. Just my opinion.

That's what's said and for him I guess he was serious. He left for his own reasons back in the day. And I guess those reasons still applied in '87. He did what he felt he owed the band, but apparently still didn't want the touring life again. I Gotta respect the man being true to himself.

@@TexasMan77 dude original band was all about the money why you think they started band lmao

Best comment ever Good for you🌠

Wow, thank you for sharing that!

Just call me Jealous!!

Thank you for this great story. My Dad was a commercial artist in NY bscknin the 50s-80s. He did airbrushing for Max's Kansas City orig LP records covers & the lettering for the Fri & Sat night billboards outside the front entrance. Your T- shirt artwork is beautiful ❤

Billy added the pure classical element to their plane and reined in the guitars

That would have been great.....lucky person you are!!

and johnny in panties

The orange tint on his glasses really make those Dockers pop.

thats because he southern cal lol

@@googoo-gjoob now days folks think he gay lol back in 1987 its ok

Damn the 80s

It is Oliver

6 months too late but that was hilarious!

😅😅😅

Artemis was a very deep thinker and ex-marine and he was the backbone.

WVFreebyrd I miss Allen so much. Terrific guitar player.

me too. first time 87. Great show. Couldn't agree more about missing Allen although we got to see Billy Powell, Gary, Artimus, Leon and Ed King. But yes, while it was great it was missing Allen and Ronnie. Allen was probably the best guitarist in the band, with Ed 2nd then Gary. But that tour was great, and the last good one, as these later ones are too full of "replacements"

Chiara Baldini i agree!!! Allen was the best!!

Lynyrd Skynyrd died the same day Ronnie Van Zant died !!!

Born & raised South of Pitts closer to Wheeling ended up being asked to marry man who went to school & partied with Lynrd Skynrd lucky me

He sounded a lot like Ronnie.

+Karen Campbell If Allen's arms were fine, then why the hell cant he play guitar?

+Jordan Anderson From what I gathered, Allen was hurt from the chest area down rendering his arms and hands not fully operational. Just an unfortunate ordeal :(

That sucks! Thought his arms were working :( At least they replaced him with Randall Hall. Then after Ed King came Rickey Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson. After Thomasson's death, there came Mark Matejka (who's still touring with them as of 2016). Rossington is still the only original member left...Unless they know Rickey was with them in 1971-72.

This was a great tour, as close to the real deal as was possible. Hard to beleive they are still touring though it's a now an extremely watered down version.

I got to see the Rossington Collins band at the Memorial Coliseum at Auburn University. I think it was 1979. They did the same thing during Freebird. Mic stand alone with Ronnie's hat on it. It was a free show! Student fees were considered as payment. Just had to show a student ID! Great show! Got to see Rickey Medlock's band Blackfoot, same place, free show as well. Good times, good times lol. Rickey WAS with Skynyrd back in 71, 72.

Yes sir. I was 10. Those were the good ole days.

William Ruddock absolutely, also ahead of his time on eating health ... Artimus is pretty switched on for sure !

+roadglidin62 very well said.. what started out as a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, turned into a cash cow. It is nowhere near LS now, hasn;t been since '87.. it is no more than a cover band now. has been for so many years, decades now. In my opinion (which I know doesn't matter) The Artimus Pyle Band is a better LS cover band than the band now.... have a great day everyone........

I think you hit the nail just right. But I'd call it Ed's, Billy's, Leon's and Arti's band too. Today it's just a cover band. It isn't LS. I so wish they would stop. It's just the $ now. It's not even about Ronnie or Steve or Cassie anymore.

@@michaelbee2165 I think it’s a lot about that historic legacy🤔.

Lucky you!!!

Oh my gosh! I never knew that! Worked in Jonesboro for 15 years and lived in Stockbridge. Ate in that diner too. That's the old Train Depot across the street. Thank you very much for sharing this! 😀

@@michaelbee2165 WoW, Thanks for this info, How Cool is that, I Loved Jonesboro in 1972 , It was small and Nice, I saw on you tube that know it is real Big and full of Crime, What a Shame, Cuz

You are wrong. How had he been playing guitar for 40 years when he was only 38 years old here?

Think he was only 39 at the time

I was 32 in 1987

He did trim his beard bd sideburns too. I did not recognize him either

Born & raised Washington PA married Jacksonville born-raised man who went to high school with them & partied at swamp with them

@@nellymoriarty_5783 l

Peavey amps sound great, if you spend time with them enough to dial em in right. They're clear and dry, which doesn't work for most rock bands, but was required for Skynyrd, partly because there were Three guitarists and there was no room for excessive gain or sloppiness in the mix.

RIP Ed King 💔🙏😢

Don't forget Larry Junstrom just died this October. He was the original bass guitarist of the band from 1964 to 1970. Then Greg T. Walker joined in 1971 and finally Leon Wilkeson did that job for him in 1972.

Rickey Medlocke was one of the original drummers in the early years of the band when Bob Burns was not available . Medlocke was on the Pronounced album in various tracks later re-tracked by Bob Burns . Jeff Carlisi and Larry Jungstrom of .38 Special both where on various basement tapes with Ronnie Van Zant back in the very early 70's . featured on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Box set 1997 . The LS band had many personnel from other major bands( CDB , MTB ,ABB ) in and out of the studio over the course of their career

@@yummyrockersaigon I swear they all died relatively young.

@@emmabauer1906 Cursed. I know. The drummers and the bass guitarists.

You bought a guitar with RVZ signature on it? Really? WOW

@@DavidLee-rx6uo yup, rock and roll history for sure.

@@Pauls-World Amazing. Congratulations. I have several autographs ,I have yet to get a RVZ. The people I know here in Jacksonville that knew him never got one. I hope you have it in a safe place. Take care brother

You know those guys got busted up pretty bad in that plane crash! Leon Wilkeson may have suffered the worst damage of the survivors. He was extremely busted up physically. He's said that he never recovered the dexterity in his hand that he once had. (Personally I think he still sounds pretty good...but if you listen to his pre-crash recordings, that dude was a monster on the Bass!)

Uh huh.

Didn't see Billy 's Bud can..........

If Allen was there it would have been Perfect! Altough Randall Hall was no slouch. The Collins parts he played he did with absolute passion!

+mrsgstd I knew Ed was good but this video elevates him even higher for me. Before the crash Allen was the featured guitarist but Ed really and truly shines here.

+Winston Tucker My opinion, and I've been playing guitar for 40+ years, Ed King and Steve Gaines were the two best guitarist that were ever in this band. Rossington and Collins were certainly great but King and Gaines were virtuosos. The current line-up of Rossington and his paid sidemen may be fine players but they're not Lynyrd Skynyrd.

mrsgstd Steve Gaines was a great musician,and a great guitar player. i do love ed king,but steve Gaines was unbelievable.

Ed you rock i wont choose one musician over an other they are all great in my eyes, thank you for what you did yalls music has carried me thru days and years of enjoyment

Ed King was gritty as dirt and smooth as silk all at the same time--amazing player

Allen was trying to put together a new band called Lynyrd Skynyrd II before his car crash

thought he was still playing?? his wreck was in 1990??

@@tapay220 he died in 1990.

He is the most underrated guitarist He my one wish is to have Allen Collins back on this earth

Allen Collins got paralyzed from a car accident that killed also his girlfriend in 1986. He would be like that on a wheelchair till his ultimate death in 1990 of pneumonia

Artimus is a pathetic freak

@@brianglade848 Why Exactly....? He got help there where the plain crashed. While he was injured...

@@brianglade848 Wow, completely unnecessary.

Yeah, I had no idea that was Artimus until they said his name. Lol I even looked at the drummer and asked myself, "Where's Artimus?" ☺

@@michaelbee2165 you apparently haven't seen his sex offender charges

I was wondering about that. He backed out several times while playing then he looked really uncomfortable after he was questioned. I thought maybe it was because he was having a hard time because of old memories. Because it just wasn't Ronnie.

Don't believe the so called hostile takeover had started just yet

@@davidcoleman4291 happened decades ago

@@frozendivots1564 right believe this interview was 87 correct think it all went down shortly there aftwe

They brought Collins out Also Daytona show surprised husband who went to school with them & partied with them in swamp

true

Ronnie kept them all together he was the leader. I was so disappointed in his decision to get on that plane. Aerosmith turned it down and the woman singer didn't get on the plane she had a dream tje plane crashed.

@@davinatheriaque9742 might have been a warning from God that was ignored...

No ronnie. Van zant died skynyrd lives on no matter how many of y'all want to bury you cant

You got that right! You know, Leslie Hawkins was a cute thing with LS. And still gorgeous all these years later. Perhaps her life had changed, maybe had a family and chose not to do the tribute tour. I've wondered about that. May be an interesting back story. Wish her all the best.

See him smiling

jaxflfreebird Very true. All of it. Johnny had his reservations, he's insecure to begin with especially dating back to '87. This reunion they did for all of us. It was sooo special, at the time.

Nicely informative Thanks

See him smiling

Carol bistow was always hot

That's a long 3 months. lol

Jax 2

You must be confused. Gary Rossington and Johnny Van Zant and Artemis Pyle are very much alive. Don't know about the others since this isn't Lynrd Skynrd. Three members of Lynrd Skynrd were killed in 1977 and the band could not continue without them .

+Anita Justus Only Billy and Leon out of this group have left us as of 11/16

@@anitajustus8133 Now Ed King passed too...

But Ronnie didn't wear shoes 😂 ......on stage

​@@johnriggle8576yeah he was wearing sandals with a small fat belly

Dude he filled his shoes for 40 years now i guess that's too much for a remembrance tour

When did the other original members leave? After the tribute tour?

Ljepota they all died

Allen got drunk and crashed his car in 1986. He was paralyzed from the waist down. He died in 1990 from complications from his accident 4 years earlier. Artemis left in 1992. He was charged with sexual assault of a child but i believe his ex- wife made it u during their divorce.. He did plead guilty, though. He also had a falling out with Gary and never returned to the band. Ed left in 1996 due heart problems. He was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and told by his doctors he could not tour. He had a heart transplant in 2011 but he had a falling out with gary and never rejoined. He died in 2018 of Lung Cancer. Leon died in 2001 from liver failure and a drug overdose. Billy died in 2009 of a heart attack. He had woken up with chest pain and shortness of breath and called 911, but died before EMS could arrive. Bob Burns, the original drummer died in a car crash in 2015. The nature of the crash indicated he may have had a “medical episode” while driving. Gary is the only original one still alive. He did suffer a mild heart attack in 2015, but is currently still playing.

@@mikehunt2190 Larry Junstrom died in October 2019. He retired previously from 38. Special since 2014

@@mikehunt2190 Bob died in 15 not 12

Melissa Lee I talk like him too with a Jim Morrison like Twist!

Was he working with them all this time or did he left?

Alot of originals there All but Ronnies brother years of practice these guys wrote the stuff🌠

@@nellymoriarty_5783 Not quite all, but yeah, pretty much the whole band. Awesome.

Yes Adeline Nicholas it was indeed SAD that Allen's name wasn't mentioned. Sadly he was confined to a wheelchair after his Jan. '86 car wreck. He was probably at home or a hospital when this was filmed August '87. He did travel with the band on the tribute tour as Arrangement Consultant. He was also wheeled out every night on stage before to talk to the crowd about the dangers of drunk driving and explain why he couldn't play no more. I remember it broke my heart when I witnessed that. Rest In Peace: Allen Larkin Collins

@@bigclyde4u why wasnt Allen there?? he was still playing in 1987

@@tapay220 , unfortunately Allen was confined to a wheelchair after his Jan '86 car wreck. He was in and out of hospitals. He was paralyzed from the waist down with limited use of his arms. He was unable to play guitar after his wreck.

RIP Allen Collins, your passion, energy, and sound are not forgotten...

Life is so hard and they need money

He did it to himself 100%. Quit the band in a violent rage, talked shit for years, then expect a warm welcome back?? Hilarious.

@@JCDwyer Perhaps so. After so many years though all could have been forgiven. As the original members passed, someone could have recognized hostility wasn't the way to let that whole issue end. I wonder if that ever occurs to Gary today.

@@michaelbee2165 Artimus is not an original member. He spent time in the classic lineup, at the peak time, yes. And he sure talks like he was there at the beginning. But he wasn’t. He is NOT a founder or co-founder.