Southern Blend – Lynyrd Skynyrd
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Southern Blend
John Rittmann
Lynyrd Skynyrd
I found myself thinking about music in relation to Southern culture this week. Now, I’m a bit of a dork when it comes to music – too much of my brain space is dedicated to who recorded what and where. I was reflecting on who could be the absolute best Southern musician(s). And there are a lot of candidates, of course. Shoot, you could make a solid argument for about fifty different acts. So I made things a bit more scientific, as to what the best Southern artist(s) actually means.
First, they have to represent Southern culture in a positive light.
Secondly, they have to be musically masterful, of course.
Third, their subject matter itself needs to focus heavily on the experience of living in the South.
That narrows things down a bit, I think. Sure, Lionel Ritchie is near the top of anyone’s list – but I wouldn’t describe his music as representative of the culture as a whole. We could look at Hank Sr., Elvis, Dolly, Reba, or even Nat King Cole as very strong contenders for the title.
But let’s not kid ourselves, Lynyrd Skynyrd wins by a mile, at least in my opinion. Within their first five albums, the music of Ronnie Van Zant and company manages to pridefully and positively capture the Southern experience. While not overly negative about the experience of others, there is a clear pride in where we live, not just in the heavy-handed manner of “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Free Bird,” but also in songs like “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” or “Simple Man.” Even if not outright describing the specifics, I think we’ve all known someone that comes to mind when we hear “That Smell.”
There’s an authenticity to the early years of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Turn on a country music station and you’re gonna’ hear all you want about beer, Southern girls, hay bales, and hard work. The words are there, but the feeling isn’t. Though country is often considered the music of Southern living, I don’t think that a high price cowboy hat, muscle shirt and spotless jeans tell you anything about where we’re from. Meanwhile, the raucous, raggedy band of misfits defying expectations and raising hell rings true to me.
I plan on exploring the story of Skynyrd more over however long it takes for me to tell you the story correctly. There’s a lot to tell, and there’s questions to answer. But I don’t want to assume that my culture is the same as everyone else’s, so I’d like to give y’all the basics first – lay some groundwork so that we’re all on this ride together.
Lynyrd Skynyrd formed in 1964 by a group of high school friends in Jacksonville, Florida. Led by lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, the group paid their dues by touring and developing extensively for nine years before they were able to release their first album. This near decade of performing helped them to craft a sound that was simultaneously unique and classic, with their sound borrowing as much from the blues as they did from rock and roll and country. Similarly, their lyricism bore the trademark repetition and musical simplicity you’d have found in a generation of performers before them. While delivering such a timeless sound, the lyrics are timeless but present – applying a simple wisdom to drinking, fighting and raising hell.
As if Skynyrd was our own little microcosm of rock and roll, the band struck enormous tragedy at the peak of their success, only three days after the release of their fifth album, “Street Survivors.” While flying from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, their plane ran short on fuel and they crashed in Mississippi. Band members Ronnie Van Zant (lead singer), Steve Gaines (guitar and backing vocals) and Casse Gaines (backup vocals) died in the crash. Van Zant and Gaines were also responsible for the writing on many of their greatest songs – “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “Free Bird,” “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” and “Double Trouble” were written solely by this pair.
While some of the original members remained in the band when they returned to writing and performing music, things were just never the same. Ronnie’s brother Johnnie took over as the lead singer. Unfortunately, Johnnie’s cleaner, more musically talented voice just never quite had Ronnie’s swagger, and these days it’s a lot more hay bales and spotless jeans.