History Music / LynyrdSkynyrd

* TheresNoPlaceLikeHome: "Sweet Home Alabama" expresses the joy of being in their home province.

->''If I leave here tomorrow \\
Would you still remember me?''
--> ''Freebird''

* EpicRocking: "Free Bird" (naturally), "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Tuesday's Gone" qualify.

If you live in the South, you damn well better know about '''''Lynyrd Skynyrd'''''.

* EpicRocking: "Free Bird" (naturally) and "Tuesday's Gone" both qualify.

* SignatureSong: "Sweet Home Alabama", "Free Bird"

In 1977, a plane crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines (who had performed on the band's just-released album), his sister Cassie (a member of the band's backup singers, The Honkettes), and several members of the band's production staff. (The crash also injured bassist Leon Wilkeson, who needed over two years of physical therapy to recover.) The band disbanded after the tragedy, but reformed ten years later with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny and a rotating cast of new blood. Of the original members, only Rossington remains; Van Zant and Collins have both passed on, Larry Junstrom plays bass for [[Music/ThirtyEightSpecial .38 Special]] (led by Ronnie's other brother Donnie), and Bob Burns quit after the road life overwhelmed him.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: "Simple Man"

* XtremeKoolLetterz

* PanderingToTheBase: Their more recent work is generously peppered with right-wing political ideology that appeals to older white southerners... [[FanonDiscontinuity that is if you actually consider their recent work to be part of their catalog]].

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

* PanderingToTheBase: Their more recent work is generously peppered with right-wing political ideology... [[FanonDiscontinuity that is if you actually consider their recent work to be part of their catalog]].

Jacksonville friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, Gary Rossington, and Bob Burns formed the band in [[TheSixties 1964]] under the name "The Noble Five". They later renamed themselves "My Backyard" in 1965, "Leonard Skinner" (a rather authoritarian teacher at their former high school) in 1970, and "[[XtremeKoolLetterz Lynyrd Skynyrd]]" in 1972. The band released its first album, ''(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)'', in 1973 -- and, in the process, forever cemented the song "Free Bird" as a permanent part of the rock'n'roll lexicon. (The next time you hear someone shout "Play 'Free Bird'!" at a concert, you now know who to blame).

''The'' southern band.

Formed by Jacksonville friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, Gary Rossington and Bob Burns in [[TheSixties 1964]] as "The Noble Five". Renamed to "My Backyard" in 1965, to "Leonard Skinner" in 1970, and to "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1972. The band named itself after Leonard Skinner, a rather authoritarian teacher at their former high school, before later [[XtremeKoolLetterz changing to the present spelling]]. Their first album, ''(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)'', came out in 1973 and forever cemented the song "Free Bird" in the rock lexicon. (Yes, whenever you hear someone shout "Play Free Bird!", you know who to blame).

Although never a chart-topper (their biggest hit, "Sweet Home Alabama", only charted #8 on Billboard), Skynyrd was beloved by many rock fans, especially in the South, where they were taken as a counter to the "protest bands" that popped up in the '60s; indeed, "Sweet Home Alabama" took some [[TakeThat shots]] at NeilYoung for a couple of his protest songs (despite Neil Young and Ronnie Van Zant being friends in real life).

Then in 1977, the band was involved in a plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines (who was featured on their just-released album), his sister Cassie (a member of the band's backup singers, The Honkettes), and several members of the production staff, and bassist Leon Wilkeson would need at least two years of physical therapy to recover. The band disbanded after that, to reform 10 years later with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny and a rotating cast of new blood. Of the original members, only Rossington remains; Van Zant and Collins are deceased, Larry Junstrom is the Bassist for [[Music/ThirtyEightSpecial .38 Special]] (led by Ronnie's other brother Donnie), and Bob Burns quit after being overwhelmed by road life.

This band provides examples of:
* AnswerSong: "Sweet Home Alabama" is a TakeThat on Neil Young's 1970 ProtestSong "Southern Man," which criticized the rampant racism in the American South at the time. The song defends the South, directly calling out "Mr. Young" and dismissing his criticism. Young, being a friend of Ronnie Van Zant, wasn't offended by the song and has even performed it on occasion.

* EpicRocking: You know what I'm talking about!
** "Tuesday's Gone" qualifies here too.
* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Noted on the title of their debut album. In full, it is ''Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)''.
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: The plane crash. The litany of injuries the surviving band members suffered, along with the utter devastation of the crash itself, makes a lot of people wonder how in the hell those who survived managed to do so.
** FearlessFool: Not sure if this is the trope that applies for this case, but reportedly, Ronnie died in the crash because he wasn't too keen on wearing seatbelts, so he decided to sit in the middle of the plane's aisle.
* SongStyleShift: "Free Bird" shifts from a mournful Southern Rock ballad to pure Guitar Attack rock.
* SweetHomeAlabama: Currently the TropeNamer, but the band is the embodiment of the South.

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* AnswerSong: "Sweet Home Alabama" is a TakeThat on Neil Young's 1970 ProtestSong "Southern Man," which criticized the rampant racism in the American South at the time. The song defends the South, directly calling out "Mr. Young" and dismissing his criticism.

* SongStyleShift: "Freebird" shifts from a mournful Southern Rock ballad to pure Guitar Attack rock.

Formed by Jacksonville friends Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, Gary Rossington and Bob Burns in the '60s, the band named itself after a rather authoritarian teacher at their former high school, later [[XtremeKoolLetterz changed to the present spelling]]. Their first album, ''(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)'', came out in 1973 and forever cemented the song "Free Bird" in the rock lexicon. (Yes, whenever you hear someone shout "Play Free Bird!", you know who to blame).

Then in 1977, the band was involved in a plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines (who was featured on their just-released album), his sister Cassie, and several members of the production staff, and bassist Leon Wilkeson would need at least two years of physical therapy to recover. The band disbanded after that, to reform 10 years later with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny and a rotating cast of new blood. Of the original members, only Rossington remains; Van Zant and Collins are deceased, Larry Junstrom is the Bassist for [[Music/ThirtyEightSpecial .38 Special]] (led by Ronnie's other brother Donnie), and Bob Burns quit after being overwhelmed by road life.

Then in 1977, the band was involved in a plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines (who was featured on their just-released album), his sister Cassie, and several members of the production staff, and bassist Leon Wilkeson would need at least two years of physical therapy to recover. The band disbanded after that, to reform 10 years later with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny and a rotating cast of new blood. Of the original members, only Rossington remains; Van Zant and Collins are deceased, Larry Junstrom is the Bassist for .38 Special (led by Ronnie's other brother Donnie), and Bob Burns quit after being overwhelmed by road life.

* EpicRiff: "Sweet Home Alabama", "Free Bird", among many others.