Revered for having popularized the Southern hard rock genre, Lynyrd Skynyrd has is a classic rock band from Jacksonville, Florida that is best known for catalog of music from the 1970s. Formed in 1964, the band was formed by three teenagers by the names of Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington who chose the name Leonard Skinner, a mock tribute to their P.E. teacher, before stylizing their band's name as it is known today. Lynyrd Skynyrd released its first album, in 1973 to immediate success, garnering attention from fans across the country with its country-inspired hard rock sound. The band's debut record was the first in a series of acclaimed albums, followed closely by 1974's Second Helping, which featured one of the most renowned American rock songs, "Sweet Home Alabama." Lynyrd Skynryd created several tunes that are now deeply ingrained in American pop culture as anthems of classic rock, despite the infamous 1977 plane crash that would cut the band's peak years short. After Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant were killed in the crash only three days after the release of the band's fifth studio album, Street Survivors, Lynyrd Skynyrd broke up. The band ultimately reformed in 1987 with lead guitarist Gary Rossington as the only original member along with several musicians who played with Lynyrd Skynyrd before the crash, and Van Zant's younger brother Johnny as lead vocalist and songwriter.
