Ronald Wayne “Ronnie” Van Zant ; Ronald Wayne “Ronnie” Van Zant ; January 15, 1948 [1] , Jacksonville , Florida , USA - October 20, 1977 , Gillsburg, Mississippi , USA) is an American musician, primarily known as a vocalist , the main songwriter and one of the founders of the Lynyrd Skynyrd group, which performed southern rock , in which he sang from 1964 until his death in 1977. He was the older brother of the founder and vocalist of the other "southern" group 38 Special , Donnie Van Zant , and the current Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant .
| Ronnie Van Zant Ronnie van zant | |
|---|---|
| basic information | |
| Full name | Ronald Wayne Van Zant |
| Date of Birth | January 15, 1948 |
| Place of Birth | Jacksonville , Florida , USA |
| Date of death | October 20, 1977 (29 years old) |
| A place of death | Hillsburg, Mississippi , USA |
| Buried | |
| A country |  |
| Professions | vocalist composer song's author |
| Years of activity | 1964 - 1977 |
| Singing voice | |
| Instruments | guitar , piano |
| Genres | south rock blues rock |
| Collectives | Lynyrd skynyrd |
| Labels | MCA |
Content
- 1 Early years
- 2 Lynyrd Skynyrd
- 3 death
- 4 Personal life
- 5 Discography
- 6 notes
- 6.1 Notes
- 6.2 Notes
- 7 References
Early years
Ronnie Van Zant was born January 15, 1948 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, in the family of Lacy (1915–2004) and Marion (1929–2000) Van Zantov. Before finally finding his vocation in music, Ronnie tried himself in various professions. He was especially interested in boxing ( Mohammed Ali was his idol) and professional baseball . It also crossed his mind to become a NASCAR racer. About which he stated that he was going to become the most famous native of Jacksonville after the rider Lyroe Yarbrof.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
In early 1964, Ronnie heard that his classmates at Lakeshore Junior High had created a band that needed a vocalist. He proposed his candidacy and was accepted into a newly minted group called Us. Shortly after the first Us concert, he meets guitarists Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, as well as drummer Bob Burns, with whom he decides to create a band. Bassist Larry Yanstrom joins the group, and the group begins rehearsing in Allen Collins' garage or room. Ronnie, although in childhood spent time playing his father’s guitar and piano, decided to focus on vocals by the time the band formed.
The musicians could not choose a name for the group, sorting out such options as My Backyard and The Noble Five, until a few years later they settled on Lynyrd Skynyrd. The name Lynyrd Skynyrd was chosen as a mockery of their school physical education teacher Leonard Skinner, who was finding fault with the guys for their long hair. [2]
National popularity of Skynyrd began in 1973 , after the release of their debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd' Skin-'nérd) , which included hits like “I Ain't the One”, “Tuesday's Gone”, “Gimme Three Steps” , “Simple Man”, as well as the band’s magnum opus - the song “ Free Bird ”, which was later dedicated to the memory of The Allman Brothers Band guitarist, Dwayne Allman , who crashed on a motorcycle in 1971.
The song “Sweet Home Alabama”, released on the second album Second Helping , became their biggest hit and became their biggest hit. “Sweet Home Alabama” was written in response to Neil Young ’s songs “Alabama” and “Southern Man,” in which the Canadian musician reproached the conservatism and racist sentiments of the southern states . In the future, the relationship between Skynyrd and Young improved, as evidenced by Young's song “Powderfinger”, released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps , and the cover of Linard’s Street Survivors album, in which Van Zant is depicted in a T-shirt featuring Young's Tonight's the Night album . [3]
Doom
On October 20, 1977, the Convair CV-300 aircraft of the Texas-based L & J Company of Addison, flying from Greenville (South Carolina) to Baton Rouge (Louisiana), crashed near the city of Gillsburg (Mississippi). Van Zant died on impact after the plane crashed into a tree during an emergency landing attempt. Co-workers Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines also died. The remaining members of the group survived, but were seriously injured. According to former bandmate Artimus Pyle and family members, Ronnie often talked about death. Pyle recalled a time when Lynyrd Skynyrd was in Japan: “Ronnie and I were in Tokyo and he told me that he would not live to be thirty. I replied: Ronnie, don't say that! But, apparently, he simply knew that it was his fate. " Van Zant’s father, Lacy, also recalled: “He told me many times: Dad, I’ll be gone at 30. I said: Why are you telling me this rubbish? And he replied: Father, this is my limit. ”Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took his place as vocalist when the band reunited in 1987. Ronnie was buried in Orange Park, Florida , in 1977, but was moved after unknown vandals entered the crypt on June 29, 2000, removed the ashes urn from it and threw it to the ground. At the same time, the memorial in Orange Park itself was preserved so that fans could visit it. Van Zant was reburied at Riverside (Jacksonville Memorial Park), next to the grave of his parents.
Personal life
On January 2, 1967, Van Zant married Nadine Insko. In 1968, they had a daughter, Tammy, but in 1969 the couple divorced. On November 18, 1972, he married Judy Jenness, whom he was introduced to by Gary Rossington in 1969. This marriage lasted until the death of Van Zant in 1977. In 1976, Judy gave birth to a daughter, Melody.
Van Zant was fond of baseball and was a fan of the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox teams. He also loved fishing since childhood. Subsequently, this hobby helped him move away from the fame that had fallen on the group.
Several times Van Zant was faced with the law. Particularly noteworthy is the event that happened in 1975 at the Nashville Hotel, when he was arrested for throwing an oak table from the window of the fifth floor, which fell into a British pub located under the window. [four]
Discography
Lynyrd skynyrd
- (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd' Skin-'nérd) (1973)
- Second Helping (1974)
- Nuthin 'Fancy (1975)
- Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)
- Street Survivors (1977)
- Skynyrd's First and ... Last (1978)
- Legend (1987)
Notes
Notes
- ↑ Social Security Death Master Index 2007.
- ↑ SKYNYRD
- ↑ Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young: Friends or Foes? An Analysis of Sweet Home Alabama and Southern Man . Thrasher's Wheat. Date of treatment June 2, 2012. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- ↑ Enotes.com
Notes
- Anderson, R. Michael. Van Zant's tomb defaced . The Florida Times-Union (June 30, 2000). Date of treatment July 5, 2008. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- Check-Six. The 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' Crash (May 2007). Date of treatment July 5, 2008. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- SKYNYRD HISTORY LESSONS - Name Changes and Ten Dollar Gigs Neopr . The Official Lynyrd Skynyrd History Website. Date of treatment July 5, 2008. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- Social Security Death Master Index. Ronald Van Zant Social Security Death Index (# 73220275) (May 2007). Date of treatment July 5, 2008. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- Soorus. Current Find-A-Grave Record for Ronnie Van Zant Find-A-Grave (September 1, 2002). Date of treatment July 5, 2008. Archived on September 26, 2012.
- US National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report - L & J Company, Convair 240, N55VM, Gillsburg, Mississippi, October 20, 1977 (PDF) 27 pages. National Technical Information Service (June 19, 1978). Date of treatment March 22, 2009. Archived September 26, 2012.