Sad news yesterday on NPR that Leonard Skinner, former Robert E. Lee High School (Jacksonville, Fla.) gym coach, died at the age of 77. In the late 1960s, Coach Skinner sent Gary Rossington & a few other budding rockers to the principal's office for violating school policy by wearing their hair long. In mocking tribute, they later named their band Lynyrd Skynyrd, (1973 debut album: "Pronounced Lehn-nerd Skin-nerd").
A Sinatra fan who considered most rock 'n' roll noise, Mr. Skinner nevertheless allowed the band to use a photo of his real-estate company sign for the inner sleeve of their third album. He came to regret it after receiving many late-night calls from drunken Lynyrd Skynyrd fans. Members of the band once jammed at Skinner's bar, The Still, on San Juan Avenue.
His son, Leonard Skinner Jr, told "All Things Considered" yesterday that his father enjoyed the notoriety he'd gained & that he particularly dug Skynyrd's song "Gimme Three Steps." When I met retired Skynyrd guitarist (& co-writer of "Sweet Home Alabama") Ed King in Nashville last winter, he called that band's singer/frontman, the late Ronnie VanZant (1948-77, died in a plane crash while on tour for the "Street Survivor" album), a poet.
But Ed grew up in the LA area, so he hadn't been subject to Coach Skinner's old-school Southern discipline. Rest in peace, Coach Skinner! Lynyrd Skynyrd lives!
Showing posts with label Lynyrd Skynyrd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lynyrd Skynyrd. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Meeting a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in Music City
My ex-biker buddy Gypsy from Racine (WI) & I were having lunch at Cafe Bosna at a suburban strip-mall in historic Hermitage when we struck up a conversation with a friendly couple at the next table. The guy turned out to be Ed King, guitarist with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972-75, a role that he reprised from 1987 to '95. His most lucrative claim to fame was as co-writer of "Sweet Home Alabama," which Kid Rock performed with Skynyrd at the ceremony celebrating the Jacksonville (FL) Southern rockers' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 2006).
Before that legendary stint with Ronnie Van Zant & the boys, King was a founding member of the L.A. psychedelic rock band The Strawberry Alarm Clock ("Incense & Peppermints"). While touring along with The Beach Boys in 1967-68, King said that Carl Wilson stopped by his hotel room & showed him the chords for "God Only Knows" (from brother Brian Wilson's masterpiece album Pet Sounds). Ed also told us that Ronnie Van Zant never wrote down the lyrics to Skynyrd songs before recording sessions. Man, was that good ol' boy a poet. To seal his rockstar legend, Van Zant even died in a Buddy Holly-esque way (plane crash in Mississippi, 1977).
Just goes to show you: you never know who you might bump into in Music City. Or where. Gypsy was astounded -- I've been telling him that he needs to get out more. Ed was kind enough to give us an autograph & shake his admirers' hands. The only cross word he had was when I mentioned Warren Zevon; Ed complained that the late, great L.A. raconteur & provocateur stole his "Alabama" riff on "Werewolves of London." Ed is now retired & living in Belle Meade, Tennessee. Former security manager (& crash survivor) Gene Odom had a heap of praise for Ed in his book about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ed is quoted as saying that manager/producer Al Kooper made the band's commercial success possible. Props to Al.
Before that legendary stint with Ronnie Van Zant & the boys, King was a founding member of the L.A. psychedelic rock band The Strawberry Alarm Clock ("Incense & Peppermints"). While touring along with The Beach Boys in 1967-68, King said that Carl Wilson stopped by his hotel room & showed him the chords for "God Only Knows" (from brother Brian Wilson's masterpiece album Pet Sounds). Ed also told us that Ronnie Van Zant never wrote down the lyrics to Skynyrd songs before recording sessions. Man, was that good ol' boy a poet. To seal his rockstar legend, Van Zant even died in a Buddy Holly-esque way (plane crash in Mississippi, 1977).
Just goes to show you: you never know who you might bump into in Music City. Or where. Gypsy was astounded -- I've been telling him that he needs to get out more. Ed was kind enough to give us an autograph & shake his admirers' hands. The only cross word he had was when I mentioned Warren Zevon; Ed complained that the late, great L.A. raconteur & provocateur stole his "Alabama" riff on "Werewolves of London." Ed is now retired & living in Belle Meade, Tennessee. Former security manager (& crash survivor) Gene Odom had a heap of praise for Ed in his book about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ed is quoted as saying that manager/producer Al Kooper made the band's commercial success possible. Props to Al.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
