Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964 by Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. They became one of the most influential Southern rock bands of the 1970s with hits such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”, but were tragically cut short on October 20, 1977, when their plane crashed in Mississippi, killing Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines. The surviving members of the band disbanded shortly after and pursued solo careers, but re-formed in 1987 with Van Zant’s younger brother Johnny taking over as lead singer. They released a number of successful albums and continued to tour until 2018, when guitarist Ed King passed away. The band officially retired after their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour in 2019, which marked the end of an era for one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
