NFL Quiz: 1) Who led the NFL in road attendance last year? 2)
Who was the NFL leader in sacks in 2000? 3) Who is the only
Hall of Famer who played his college ball at Southern Univ.?
[Hint: Defensive back – played in 70s and 80s] Answers below.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
We now wrap up our series on Southern Rockers with the story
of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band that for a time picked up the mantel
of the Allman Brothers as the leader in the genre. And we have
more partying and tragedy to cover, so pull up a chair and grab a
brew.
In 1964, down in Jacksonville, FL, 13-year-old Gary Rossington
and 12-year-old Bob Burns, already playing in a band, went to
catch an American Legion baseball game. 16-year-old Ronnie
Van Zant, star outfielder for the Lakeshore Rebels, accidentally
plunked Burns in the head with a batted ball. Van Zant was
known to be about the toughest guy in the neighborhood (he
already had a criminal record), but he felt bad about knocking
Burns out (briefly) and he befriended the two younger boys. It
was then he learned that they shared his love of music and they
decided to form a new group.
Recruiting guitarist Allen Collins, the band (which also includes
Larry Jungstrom) begins to perform at local high school gigs
under a bunch of names, including the Noble Five, Sons of
Satan, and My Backyard; finally settling on One Percent, Van
Zant”s choice because he wanted the group to know that they
were going to be the one percent of musicians who make it to the
big time.
Vocalist Van Zant was the driving force, running the band “like
Stalin ran Russia,” as one member would later say. They
released their first single in 1968, and a bunch of demo records,
but didn”t attract any real attention. Then in 1970 One Percent
changed its name to Lynyrd Skynyrd, in honor, so to speak, of
old high school gym teacher, Leonard Skinner, who was known
to suspend students who wore long-hair, such as the boys in the
band did. [The name was obviously changed around to avoid
lawsuits.and later Skinner learned to accept it and once even
introduced the group at a concert.]
Lynyrd Skynyrd was building a strong regional following when
in 1972, former Blood, Sweat & Tears member, Al Kooper,
noticed the band while lining up talent for his new Sounds of the
South label, licensed to MCA. Impressed by the sound, he went
to hear the guys 5 straight nights at a club in Atlanta
(“Funocchio”s”), eventually signing them for $9,000. At the
same time, Ed King, former guitarist for Strawberry Alarm Clock
(and the writer of the music for “Incense and Peppermint,”
though he didn”t receive credit for it), replaced Leon Wilkeson,
who in turn had replaced Jungstrom. [Wilkeson decided he
wasn”t ready for all the fame and went to work for Farm Best
Dairy Products, a real nice career move…though he would wise
up later and return down the road.]
Well, MCA thought Lynyrd Skynyrd”s future was so good that in
1973, they lined them up to open for The Who”s “Quadrophenia”
tour. They were also about to release their first LP, “Pronounced
Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd,” which would hit #27 on the album charts
and would feature “Free Bird,” the band”s tribute to the late
Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. [See “The Allman Brothers”
story the previous two Bar Chats.]
Lynyrd Skynyrd was known for featuring 3 guitarists
(Rossington, King, and Collins) and on the Quadrophenia tour
they regularly outshined The Who. Of course this was also a
time when The Who had trouble keeping drummer Keith Moon
off heavy drugs so their own performances were often somewhat
lacking.
Opening for The Who was terrifying to many of the Jacksonville
boys. They were told that no one had opened for them without
being booed offstage. So the group did what any rock band
would do at the time, turn to drink. Leon Wilkeson, back after
his fling in the dairy business, said of this time, “We decided to
take the bar atmosphere on stage. Had a little portable bar up
there, and everybody was drinking then. Problem was, we never
stopped.”
As time went on, however, the band took its excesses to the
extreme. Van Zant would pick fights with anyone at the drop of
a hat, and the inter-band fights became legendary as well. Lots
of busted teeth and broken noses, tough to hide when on stage.
Ronnie said, “We made The Who look like church boys on
Sunday. We done things only fools (did). I was abusin” myself
on the road, because, after all, man, if it ain”t fun, it ain”t worth
it.” [That”s what we always say here at Bar Chat. But we”re
against physical violence.]
In October 1974, “Sweet Home Alabama” peaked at #8 on the
charts, the group”s first big hit. The tune was an answer to Neil
Young”s redneck-criticizing ”71 song, “Southern Man,” which
made all Southerners out to be racists. It would turn into a
classic Southern anthem. Meanwhile, “Free Bird” wasn”t
released as a single until January 1975, and that would become a
rock anthem, played extensively on FM radio while still reaching
#19 on the pop charts.
But by now the band members were really getting sick of each
other. Guitarist King left, suffering from tour burnout (as well as
major drug and alcohol problems) and Van Zant was continually
getting arrested for his bar fights. Well, at least the boys were
named Honorary Lieutenant Colonels in the Alabama State
Militia by Governor George Wallace, but they really didn”t know
what to make of this. As Van Zant said, “We”re not into
politics.”
The group was also suffering creatively, but in July 1976 they
recorded a double live set, “One More For The Road,” at
Atlanta”s Fox Theatre. The album, which was released in
November, climbed to #9 and featured the guitar work of the
newest member, Steve Gaines, whose songwriting abilities
would gain immediate recognition.
But they almost had a double tragedy over the Labor Day
weekend that year when both Rossington and Collins were
involved in separate car crashes. Drinking was the major cause
of both and leader Van Zant was pissed. [Yeah, he”s one to talk.]
Collins hit a parked VW at a shopping center and knocked it
clear across an empty parking lot, while Rossington passed out at
the wheel, with his foot on the gas, and knocked down a
telephone pole, split an oak tree, and did $7,000 worth of damage
to a house. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in either of the
accidents.
And then there was the time in February 1977, when the band got
into a ruckus with patrons at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in
London, stupidly carrying the fight into a room where the
Metropolitan Police Boxing Team was holding its annual dinner
at the time. Needless to say, the fellows from Jacksonville came
up big losers, with two of the members knocked unconscious.
But with the band fired up over the pending release of their new
album, “Street Survivors,” there was a renewed sense of purpose.
On October 17 of ”77, Lynyrd Skynyrd embarked on a new
world tour. Two days later, the band flies in a beaten up Convair
240 from Lakeland, FL to Greenville, SC. Some of the
passengers noticed flames shooting from one of the engines, but
when they landed in Greenville, the two co-pilots assured them
there was nothing seriously wrong.
On the 20th, the pilots delayed the next flight for a spell while
they tended to the engine problem. They assured the 20 band
members and crew that all was okay, and that if they had any
difficulties en route to the next stop on the tour, Baton Rouge
for a concert at LSU, they would still be able to fly on one engine.
The passengers had no other choice but to trust their word.
During the last leg of the flight the plane started to have
problems. One of the co-pilots, ashen-faced, announced to all
that they were going to have to crash land. Everyone was
prepared at the moment of impact in a Mississippi swamp, but
the six who were closest to the front, including the pilots, Ronnie
Van Zant, Steve Gaines, his sister Cassie Gaines and personal
manager Dean Kilpatrick, were killed. All of the others, while
suffering various injuries, would survive.
Drummer Artimus Pyle, seriously injured himself, was the first
out of the plane and started running for help. Approaching a
farm house, the farmer saw this bloodied body coming towards
him and blasted his shotgun, hitting Pyle in the shoulder, before
the farmer made out that Pyle was shouting “plane crash.” Then
the residents of Gillsburg did all they could to help.
[Coincidentally, the album cover of “Street Survivors” featured
the group standing among flames. MCA quickly withdrew the
sleeve.]
Well, Lynryrd Skynyrd didn”t continue after that, and how could
it? The surviving members formed a new group, the Rossington-
Collins Band, but they never achieved any real success. In 1986
Collins was paralyzed in a car accident, which killed his
girlfriend, and he later died of pneumonia in 1990. In 1987 a
new Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed but it obviously wasn”t the
same.
There were other incidents involving band members, some of
them kind of ugly so I”ll leave them out (it”s not funny stuff).
And thus we wrap up our series on the great Southern Rockers of
the 70s. I hope you enjoyed it. I, for one, however, was worn
out just reading about these guys and their partying ways.
[Sources: “Southern Rockers,” Marley Brant; “VH-1 Rock Stars
Encyclopedia;” “The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock &
Roll;” “The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul,” Irwin
Stambler.]
Alabama Drinks
Actually…let”s party on!!!
Alabama Slammer
1 oz. Southern Comfort
1 oz. Amaretto
Half-ounce Sloe Gin
1 dash lemon juice
*Pour all ingredients (except the juice) over ice in a highball
glass. Stir, add dash of lemon juice.
Alabama Riot
2 oz. Southern Comfort
1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
1 oz. Vodka
8 oz. Fruit punch
1 oz. Lime juice
*Pour fruit and ice into a glass, add Southern Comfort, Schnaps,
and vodka. Stir. Finish with lime juice.
[Please drink responsibly…just as we do here in the home office
of StocksandNews.]
Johnny Mac”s Baseball…The Chicago White Sox
Continuing with our series on sad franchises, quick, name the
one player who most epitomizes the history and tradition of the
White Sox? Go ahead, name him. Well? Thought so. There
really isn”t one, is there? The best team they ever had threw the
damn World Series. Probably their two best players not banned
for life were singles hitting shortstops Luis Aparicio and Luke
Appling. Here”s another quiz…what do Bill Melton, Ron Kittle,
Sherm Lollar, Greg Walker and Pete Ward all have in common?
They are all in the top ten in lifetime home runs for this
franchise. Remember, the Pale Hose have been around since day
one of the American League, 1901. Pathetic. Number ten on the
list, Ward, hit all of 97 dingers. 97! Only one pitcher in the last
40 years has won as many as 150 games for the White Sox,
rubber-armed Wilbur Wood with 163 (he lost 148). Real
tradition, huh?
Chicago won the first ever American League pennant in 1901,
which was sort of like winning the first hand in a poker game.
bad luck. They did win an unexpected championship against the
powerful Cubs in 1906, despite being last in the league in hitting
(hence the moniker “Hitless Wonders”). But then the Sox didn”t
contend after ”06 until they pried away Shoeless Joe Jackson
from the Indians in 1915. The won the Series in 1917 (the
team”s last title) and we all know what happened in 1919. The
1920 squad featured four 20-game winners, Eddie Cicotte,
Claude Williams, Dickie Kerr and Urban Faber, a feat
accomplished only once since. Then the hammer fell and Judge
Landis banned Williams, Cicotte, Jackson and the rest of the
Black Sox for life. Afterwards, they never seriously contended
again until the late Fifties…yup, 40 years without a sniff.
The 1959 squad caught the Yankees napping, winning the
pennant by 5 over Cleveland. [That seemed to wake up the
Bombers, who reeled off 5 straight titles after that.] Chicago
faced Los Angeles in the Series, the first for the West Coast
version of Da Bums. The Sox jumped all over Roger Craig,
winning 11-0 behind ageless Early Wynn. And they played
tough the rest of the way, but the Dodgers pitching wore them
down. Drysdale, Koufax, Podres and, especially, Larry Sherry,
who won 2 games in relief, carried the Dodgers to a 4-2 Series
victory. The hitting came from unexpected places. Charlie Neal
had 10 hits and 6 RBIs and Chuck Essegian hit 2 pinch-hit
homers. Chicago simply couldn”t overcome that.
Although the Yankees dominated the early Sixties, the Sox gave
them a good run in 1964, falling just one game short. Chicago
then hung around in contention for a few years, due mainly to the
pitching of Gary Peters, Joel Horlen, Juan Pizzaro, Tommy John
and the baffling knuckler of Hoyt Wilhelm. Chuck Tanner came
on board in the early Seventies and made one run at the West in
1972, nearly killing his pitching staff in the process. With Dick
Allen handling the offense, Tanner kept handing the ball to
Wilbur Wood (49 starts), Stan Bahnsen (41), and Tom Bradley
(40). What they couldn”t finish fell to Terry Forster, who logged
100 innings in 62 relief appearances and Goose Gossage. The
remarkable part is that these latter two were just 20, extremely
young for closers. Alas, the Sox fell short of the A”s, who were
on their way to the first of three titles. Chicago floundered after
that, winning one division title under Tony LaRussa in 1983, but
losing to the Orioles in the ALCS, 3-1.
Jeff Torborg had the Sox playing alright in ”90 and ”91, but
although they finished second both seasons, they never seriously
pushed the winner. Gene Lamont then guided Chicago to a
division title in 1993, behind young sluggers Frank Thomas and
Robin Ventura, Cy Young winner Jack McDowell and reliever
Roberto Herandez. They were then defeated in the ALCS by the
eventual Series champs, Toronto.
Chicago didn”t threaten Cleveland in the newly-formed Central
Division until breaking through last year, but even then, they
made a quick 3-0 exit in the first round to Seattle.
So there you have it.100 years…2 championships, the last in
1917. 5 pennants, the most recent in 1959, with a smattering of
playoff appearances, losing in each. No real stars, no real
identity (though a couple of cool caps), basically second class
citizens in their own town to a team which hasn”t won a Series of
its own in 93 years. Not even any real angst or heartbreak or
anything. As a franchise, the Chicago White Sox are the worst
thing you can be.boring.
Shark Attack
Well, at least we can say we were first here at Bar Chat. Yes,
years ago we recognized that the surge in animal attacks was a
trend worth watching. Of course now the mainstream media has
picked up on this, and it”s not even fun reporting some of these
stories, especially when “The Today Show” is featuring them in
the first half-hour. Oh well, for the archives, we wish the New
Yorker well who lost a leg to a shark in the Bahamas while on
his 10th wedding anniversary. Somehow, the chap managed to
free himself and swim to shore, whereupon he wrote his room #
in the sand so his wife would have the opportunity to see the
gruesome scene. Actually, a surgeon happened to be jogging
nearby and tied a tourniquet, which saved the man”s life. Police
seek your help in locating the shark. It”s wanted for questioning.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/7/65: #1 “I”m Henry VIII, I Am”
(Herman”s Hermits) #2 “(I Can”t Get No) Satisfaction” (The
Rolling Stones) #3 “What”s New Pussycat?” (Tom Jones)
*Give the Weather Channel credit, they have started to play Pink
Floyd”s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” during the local
weather breaks. Rock on!
But Harry K. passed along a note concerning a man who has the
full “Stairway To Heaven” lyrics tattooed on his back. Said
Gordon Roy, from Wishaw, England, “It may sound mad but it
was not a spur of the moment thing.” Now that”s scary.
NFL Quiz Answers: 1) Leader in road attendance: Dallas, #2
Green Bay. 2) Leader in sacks: La”Roi Glover, New Orleans, 17.
[Stop laughing at the spelling of the name. How were his parents
to know?] 3) Southern Univ. / Hall of Famer: The great Steelers
cornerback Mel Blount, who picked off 57 passes during his 14-
year career with Pittsburgh, 1970-83.
Next Bar Chat, Friday. More Tales from the Deep.
