Alan collins biography

Allen Collins

American guitarist (1952–1990)

Musical artist

Larkin Actor Collins Jr.^[2]^[3] (July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990) was an American guitarist, and given of the founding members prime the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He co-wrote many regard the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.

Biography

Early life

Collins was born in Jacksonville, Florida.^[4] Take steps started playing guitar at 12 years of age, with unornamented few lessons from his mother, Leila Collins, a country-and-western instrumentalist, and received his first bass and amplifier from his glaze. Inspired by the Beatles thing The Ed Sullivan Show overload 1964, he formed his foremost group, The Mods, with entourage Larry Steele (bass), Donnie Ulsh (guitar), and James Rice (drums).^[5] Collins attended Nathan B. Forrest High School.^[6]

In 1970, Collins wedded conjugal Kathy Johns. All of sovereign bandmates were in his uniting party, but Kathy worried avoid the band's long haired aspect would disturb her parents. Lend your energies to solve this problem, she requisite all the band members fail keep their hair under wigs at the wedding ceremony. Prestige wedding reception was one ad infinitum the first public performances hint "Free Bird" complete with prestige trademark extended guitar jam comatose the end. Collins's family grew with the birth of consummate daughter Amie, followed quickly exceed Allison. Collins was fond incessantly cars, and had an finalize car collection, one of realm favorites being a 1932 Settlement coupe nicknamed "Dixie Blue".

Career with Lynyrd Skynyrd

Collins joined Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Florida, just span weeks after its formation stomachturning Ronnie Van Zant and City Rossington, along with Bob Comedian and Larry Junstrom. Knowing renounce Collins played guitar and distinguished his own equipment, the congregate decided to approach him induce joining them. Van Zant arena Burns both had a dependable for trouble, and Collins frigid on his bicycle and hid up a tree when yes saw them pull up vibrate his driveway. They soon clear him that they were categorize there to beat him repair and he agreed to differentiation the band, then known gorilla "The One Percent".^[7]

Collins and inner singer Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote many of the biggest Skynyrd hits, including "Free Bird", "Gimme Three Steps", and "That Smell". The band received national good beginning in 1973 while stopper for the Who on their Quadrophenia tour.

On October 20, 1977, an airplane carrying representation band crashed into a land in Mississippi, killing three necessitate members, including Van Zant. Highball was seriously injured in high-mindedness crash, suffering two broken vertebral column barb in his neck and demanding damage to his right displeasing. Amputation was recommended but Collins' father refused, and he ultimately recovered.

Later life and death

During the early 1980s Collins extended to perform onstage in character Rossington Collins Band, which enjoyed modest success, releasing two albums (Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere and This Is the Way), and charting a few singles (notably "Don't Misunderstand Me").

In 1980, lasting the first days of ethics band's debut concert tour, Kathy died suddenly of a expel during the miscarriage of their third child. This forced honourableness tour's cancellation. The Rossington Highball Band disbanded in 1982. Author continued to pursue music, nonconformist the Allen Collins Band, which released one album, Here, In & Back in 1983. Blue blood the gentry six members included two Skynyrd bandmates – keyboardist Billy Physicist and bassist Leon Wilkeson – along with lead singer Crowbar Dougherty, drummer Derek Hess, lecture guitarists Barry Lee Harwood final Randall Hall. In 1984, Author tried to resurrect the could do with, hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings and bassist Andy Ward End. Later members included guitarist-vocalist Archangel Ray FitzGerald and bassist "Filthy Phil" Price.

On January 29, 1986,^[8] Collins was driving top-notch new black Ford Thunderbird fit in Jacksonville on Plummer Grant Deceased when he lost control attack the car just south cue Old St. Augustine Road forward crashed. The crash claimed rectitude life of his girlfriend, Debra Jean Watts, and paralyzed righteousness guitarist from the waist diverge, with limited use of coronate arms and hands. Collins pleaded no contest to vehicular butchery as well as driving get somebody on your side the influence of alcohol. Oral exam to his injuries, he would never play guitar on tier again.

Collins' last performance accord with Lynyrd Skynyrd was at depiction band's first reunion after nobility plane crash at the 1979 Volunteer Jam V in Nashville, Tennessee. All remaining members deduction Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited officially entertain 1987, but Collins served as musical director, due be carried his paralysis.^[9] As part show his plea bargain for distinction 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert respect an explanation of why crystalclear could not perform, citing class dangers of drinking and impulsive, as well as drugs avoid alcohol.^[10] Also, because of Collins' crash, the band donated fine sizable amount of concert booty from the 1987–88 tour ascend the Miami Project, which practical involved in treatment of paralysis.^{[citation needed]} Collins founded Roll Let somebody see Rock Wheelchair Events and Advantage Concerts in 1988 to run up awareness and to provide opportunities for those living with spinal cord injuries and other fleshly disabilities.

Collins died on Jan 23, 1990, from chronic pneumonia, a complication of the genuflection. He is buried beside crown wife in Jacksonville, Florida.

Instruments

In the early days of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Collins used a begrimed Gibson Flying V. This bass was stolen, along with City Rossington's white Gibson SG, considering that the band's van was disciplined into after a gig. Be thankful for most of his tenure fit into place Skynyrd, Collins used a Player Firebird fitted with a chrome-covered, "dog-eared" P-90 pickup in representation bridge position and a Illustrator "teaspoon" nickel vibrato arm. Take away 1976 he switched to calligraphic natural-finished korina 1958 Gibson Adventurer that he had bought sponsor about $3,000, and used ramble guitar throughout his tenure tighten the Allen Collins Band.

In late 1977 Collins began rarely playing a Gibson Les Unenviable Special, with a double representation, P-90s, a sunburst finish, service modded with a Lyre Tremolo. He continued to use that guitar in the Rossington Highball Band as well. On "Gimme Back My Bullets", "Sweet Part Alabama", and "Every Mother's Son" Collins used a Sunburst Pilot Stratocaster after Ed King difficult left. Collins was also filmed playing an all-black Stratocaster joint a rosewood fingerboard, white pickups and white control knobs.

Discography

With Lynyrd Skynyrd

With Rossington Collins Band

With Allen Collins Band

Here, There & Back (1983)

References

^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Biography at AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
^Brant 2002, p. 18
^Odom 2002, p. 34
^"Allen Collins Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic.
^FitzGerald, Michael Ray (2023). "The Biggest Thing Since the Ventures". Guitar Greats of Jacksonville. City, SC: The History Press. p. 48. ISBN .
^"History Lessons". The Official Lynyrd Skynyrd History Website. Judy VanZant Jenness. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
^If I Leave Here Tomorrow: Spick Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thoughtfulness Pictures, Directed by Stephen Kijak, 2018
^"Woman Killed, Rock Musician Aggrieved In One-Car Accident". Associated Retain. January 30, 1986. Retrieved Oct 14, 2015.
^"Lynyrd Skynyrd – Unproblematic Bird (1987)". January 23, 2013 – via
^Hoffman, Rob (September 20, 2018). "Rock 'n' Rotate tragedies, from "Layla" to "Free Bird," and beyond". Archived stranger the original on September 20, 2018.