Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Lynyrd Skynyrd have been playing their patented brand of Southern rock music for over fifty years. The term 'Southern Rock' has been a contentious one, and their use of the Confederate flag has been controversial. However, the message the band put across today is one of unity and of bringing the generations together.
In a short space of time, between 1973 and 1977,Lynyrd Skynyrd went from obscurity to stardom and were on course to become one of the world's pre-eminent bands. However, in 1977, just days after the release of their Street Survivors album, the band suffered a terrible tragedy when a plane crash that took the lives of frontman Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and his sister and backing singer Cassie Gaines. Against all the odds, the band returned to the stage and, in 1987, reforming for the Tribute Tour, before going on to continue recording, both live and in the studio.
Their story is a complex one, and there are many contradictions in the recollections of band members and associates. However, this is not a biography, but an account of their music, and through it, it tells their incredible story.
Chris Salisbury is a musician and an avid music fan whose tastes range from blues to progressive and heavy rock. He has played guitar in bands for many years and enjoys writing and recording original music, in which context he is a proponent of valve amplifiers for both guitar and sound reproduction. He began his early career in medical microbiology before moving into education, but he has been a lifelong fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd and has followed the band and its members throughout their storied careers. He lives in Lincolnshire, UK.