The wiki reference does not say they were good friends, it just says they were fans of each other and considered collaborating. But they didn't, and this particular wiki article is weak on citations.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's biggest hit single, although "Free Bird" was a close second, was "Sweet Home Alabama" which came off the album Second Helping. "Sweet Home Alabama" was an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man." The common belief that Van Zant and Young were rivals is incorrect; they were actually fans of each other and considered collaborating on several occasions.[citation needed] Young's song "Powderfinger" on the 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps was reportedly written for Skynyrd, and Van Zant is pictured on the cover of Street Survivors wearing a T-shirt of Young's Tonight's the Night.
Okay I agree. Friends was a step to far...fans works.
I like both too.