fave tee of the day: Lynyrd Skynyrd (Free Bird)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD (FREE BIRD)

We dig the Lynyrd Skynyrd (Free Bird) t-shirt ‘cos Lynyrd Skynyrd is a legendary band. The tee is their concert t-shirt with artwork from their 1987 Tribute Tour on the front. Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock legend that has influenced many bands of later generations. Discovered in 1972, Lynyrd Skynyrd started gaining popularity in 1973, after the release of their first album called Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd which featured one of their evergreen hits, Free Bird.

On 20 October 1977, only three days after the release of their fifth album, Street Survivors, the band’s chartered airplane, Convair 240, crashed on its way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The accident killed Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist, primary lyricist & founding member), Steve Gaines (guitarist & songwriter), Cassie Gaines (backup singer), Dean Kilpatrick (assistant road manager), Walter McCreary (pilot) and William Gray (co-pilot); and left the surviving members severely injured. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy.

10 years after the crash, as a tribute to the original line-up, Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited in 1987 for a tour with crash survivors Gary Rossington (guitarist & founding member), Billy Powell (keyboardist), Leon Wilkeson (bassist) and Artimus Pyle (drummer) and former guitarist Ed King. Ronnie Van Zant’s younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer and primary songwriter.

The band still records and goes on tour until today but one by one, surviving members of the pre-crash line-up have either left the band or have died. They will continue to tour this year in Rebels and Bandoleros playing together with ZZ Top and The Doobie Brothers.

Free Bird performed live by Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird in 1975 on BBC

Tuesday’s Gone, a Lynyrd Skynyrd song covered by Metallica.

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