Artist:Lynyrd SkynyrdSong:What's Your Name
Album:Icon 2
Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the most popular bands of the 70s and of course we all know that several members died in a tragic plane crash. It might surprise fans that Sweet Home Alabama was their only top ten hit and What's Your Name was actually their second biggest hit. They started out in Jacksonville, FL back in 1964 as The Noble Five and then My Backyard. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarists Allen Collins and Gary Rossington were high school pals. Back then they were mostly a British Invasion cover band. By 1970 Van Zant wanted to change the group name and they decided to name it after their high school phys-ed teacher Leonard Skinner as a gag. The band was discovered in 1972 by MCA Records producer Al Kooper. Of course Kooper founded Blood, Sweat & Tears and was a successful recording artist himself. He had just come to MCA after several years at Columbia. They had chart success with Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird and their constant touring built them a strong fanbase. After three albums, they were starting to fade and Kooper was fired. Guitarist Steve Gaines revitalized the group and their 1977 album Street Survivors was going to get them back to the top of the charts. On Oct. 20, 1977, their plane ran out of fuel near Gillsburg, MS and crashed. Van Zant and Gaines died in the crash and and there were other deaths and serious injuries. Street Survivors went platinum and What's Your Name reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded and was actually reformed as The Rossington-Collins Band. They reformed as Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987 and Rossington leads a version of the band today. This 2CD budget comp is a great intro totheir music. Here's the video for What's Your Name by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
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