Lynyrd Skynyrd was the most critically lauded and commercially successful of the Allman Brothers-influenced Southern bands. When Lynyrd Skynyrd first rose to prominence in 1973, the group epitomized regional pride that stressed cocky, boisterous hard rock, as opposed to the Allmans' open-ended blues. When the band broke up in 1977 after a plane crash killed Ronnie Van Zant and newcomer Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines, Southern rock suffered a tremendous loss.
The nucleus of what would become Lynyrd Skynyrd first met in high school...
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