Lynyrd Skynyrd: 'Same Old Blues' (LIVE, 1975)

Reaganite Republican ^ | 18 February 2014 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

I dunno how many of ya'll caught Lynyrd Skynyrd (named after the core members' high school gymn teacher -Leonard Skinnard- back in Jacksonville, Florida) live on stage, but this Yankee here was a BIG fan back in the days...

Still a major enthusiast for blues rock, i.e. Cream, early Humble Pie (with Peter Frampton), early 70s Status Quo, et. al, actually- and I really do think these guys are the ones who got me into it.

But the plane crash that ended the band kept me from ever seeing the real Skynyrd. I did -though- have the opportunity to see the new Rossington-Collins Band -made up of surviving members and a few new faces, including new female background singers- play live in Cleveland (where I grew up) in 1979.

Particularly moving was the final tune of the set, when they played an instrumental 'Free Bird' with a steady spotlight on the abandoned mike stand where Ronnie Van Zant would have been- wasn't all that emotional in 1979, but it did bring a tear to my eye. What a great band, and all-American, baby-

[video]

[Reaganite Republican]

***ping***

[lefty-lie-spy]

Nice post. I saw the first reunion tour with Johnny singing back in 1989 or so. I saw lots of good old bands touring again around then.

[Snickering Hound]

[Doogle]

..Call me the breeze (from 1975 live performance)

[Doogle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRavC8CjRL0

[weeder]

I was living in the suburbs of Philly at that time. I had introduced a friend of mine to aviation, and he just went nuts with it, flying freight runs and dead bodies and whatever he could to build his hours. I used to listen to WMMR-FM in Philly, and usually let it play all night, even while I slept.
One particular night, my buddy called me at night from an airport in the Carolinas. He said, “You’re not going to believe this! I just walked around the tour plane for Lynyrd Skynyrd! They played a concert in town, and I got to check out their plane!”
We agreed to talk more when he returned, and I went to sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, I was awakened by the song “Free Bird” playing loudly on the radio, which I had left on.
The song ended, and the DJ sadly announced that the tour plane had crashed (In Georgia?), and all were killed. I couldn’t believe the sadness and the irony, in light of that phone call earlier that night. I’ll never forget that night.

[vigilante2]

[matginzac]

My 29 yr old son is getting married...
“Free Bird” is on for the reception..
.he’s MY kid.
..his dad was in to Pink Floyd...yuck!

[21twelve]

I gave the DJ at my wedding a bunch of my albums and a list of songs for him to play.

“Oh - sure! I’ll make sure I fit some of those in.”

Thank God he didn’t!

[Reaganite Republican]

Heh!

[Reaganite Republican]

That’s one helluva story, Weeder... thx for sharing.

I got to see Kenny Rogers’ plane once, sold his mgr a car- luckily nothing bad happened to him tho

[Reaganite Republican]

He could have worse taste than that...

[Reaganite Republican]

I went and saw Stevie Ray Vaughan while I still could too... late 80s as well.

Glad I saw many bands in their prime... or while they were still alive.

Not much to see these days, tho I did catch Clapton last year

[weeder]

Clapton & Steve Winwood.....two of the best!