Product Description

Lynyrd Skynyrd came into public consciousness in 1973 with their hit "Free Bird", a rock 'n' roll anthem that is still the most requested song on rock radio in the USA. The band was founded by Ronnie Van Zant, a barefoot boxer from the swamps of Florida who, like the rest of Lynyrd Skynyrd, left school at 16 to form the band. With their funky blues/rock boogie they soared over the airways for the next four years, penning such songs as "Sweet Home Alabama", "Saturday Night Special" and "What's Your Name?". Always on the road, their concerts and self-destructive lifestyle became the stuff of legend: they fought ceaselessly and drank constantly. And just as they were reaching for the skies, their plane fell to earth killing seven people including Van Zant and two other band members. Written by Gene Odom, Van Zant's best friend and mentor who was in the plane when it crashed, this book tells the real story. Lawsuits, two deaths from drunken driving, sexual misconduct and a coke bust are part of it - but it is also a tribute to a group of young men whose dream was to make great music, and whose legacy lives on.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #999677 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

About the Author
Gene Odom was Van Zant's best friend from early childhood to adulthood. He toured with the band and was severely injured in the plane crash. Frank Dorman was a journalist for 21 years and is now a speech writer in Virginia.

Customer Reviews

An excellent book.
The book is excellent because it tells the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what's more, it tells the story in a balanced and easily accessable manner. Not only this, but the writer was actually a working member of the original Skynyrd entourage, so the book is very detailed and is told with great authority on the subject matter.

The book is filled with interesting stories, quotes and pictures, some funny, and some inevitably sad, such as those taken just before the plane crash which killed some of the band members. It will make you appreciate Skynyrd and their music more, and open the readers eyes when listening to it - I hope that make sense!

I would really recommend this book, it is very, very unlikely you won't find it interesting or unenjoyable to read. Well done to Mr. Odom, a very interesting and valuable book!

Lots of good stuff, but.....
.... really a bit dull. I found myself flicking through the pages about half way through and I'm sad about that, because I'm a very big fan of the band. Whilst the author obviously knew Ronnie Van Zant very well and gave us a lot of information about him, the style of writing was mediocre. The job of a journalist/co-author type of person is to take that raw information and mould it into something that reads well and is exciting - he failed to put a spark into the story of one of rock's greatest bands - and knowing what I already do about the band, it amazes me that the story could be told in such a lacklustre manner.

Some characters (Rossington and Collins for example) were given a lot of print, which was very interesting stuff; but what about Pyle and Gaines, who both had quite fascinating tales about their introduction to the band, but these weren't even included. I didn't want to know that so-and-so song was influenced by Tom, Dick and Harry - I already know that - I listen to their music! What I wanted to know was what happened in the studio, on the stage, on the tour bus, etc.

For those who don't know the Skynyrd story, this is a great introduction, but you may well find yourself wanting to know a lot more... I'm on the hunt for another book.