Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1964 Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, and Larry Junstrum, all from Jacksonville, formed a group called My Backyard. Later, after several names changes, they'd settle on Lynyrd Skynyrd. The group would continue performing together until October 20, 1977.

Answer: Ronnie Van Zant

Ronald Wayne Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948. He was the founding member of this legendary group. Allen Collins and Gary Rossington played guitar, and Larry Junstrom played bass for Skynyrd.

Answer: gym coach

Leonard Skinner was Rossington and Burns' gym coach, at Robert E. Lee High School. He was a disciplinarian who enforced the school's dress code. Burns was expelled for having his hair too long; males weren't allowed to have hair touching the collar or sideburns below the ear. Legend has it that while still going under the moniker "One Percent" Ronnie Van Zant joked, while performing on stage, that they were now called "Leonard Skinner." This name would stick, only with a different spelling.

Answer: false

Even though not too tall in stature, Ronnie Van Zant preferred not to wear shoes while performing on stage. He once stated, "....I like to feel my feet burn from the heat of the stage."

Answer: The Who

In 1973, during the Quadrophenia tour, at the Cow Palace in California, The Who refused to go on stage after Lynyrd Skynyrd had opened because the crowd wouldn't stop applauding Skynyrd.

Answer: it's where the group wrote their first and second albums

In 1970, because of constant complaints by the local police, the band searched for an isolated area to work. They found a farm near Green Cove Springs. The farm had a small wooden shack with a tin roof, and it would become known as the Hell House. It was called Hell House because of the extreme temperatures. Hell House was where the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd was born.

Answer: Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

In April 1973, at Studio One, Dorvaville, Georgia, the group released "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd." It featured the song "Free Bird," a song that received national airplay, and eventually reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Answer: 6

Incredibly, Skynyrd only released six albums prior to the plane accident. In 1973, they released "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd," in 1974, "Second Helping," in 1975, "Nuthin' Fancy," in 1976, "Gimme Back My Bullets" and "One More from the Road," and finally, in 1977, they released their final album, "Street Survivors."

Answer: Curtis Lowe

At 16, Van Zant put together a group called My Backyard. The other four members of the group, Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, and Larry Junstrom, all came from the same neighborhood. Later, they changed the group's name to the Noble Five. They went by the name One Percent, and Conqueror Worm, too. They finally came up with the name Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1966.

Answer: MCA

In 1973, Skynyrd signed a record deal with MCA. They producer was Al Kooper and they produced their first album, "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd" shortly afterward. In 1974, they made "Second Helping," in 1975, "Nuthin' Fancy," in 1976, "Gimme Back My Bullets," and their last album, in 1977, "Street Survivors."

Answer: Duane Allman

In 1973, the band released their signature song, "Free Bird," which was a tribute to Duane Allman, of The Allman Brothers Band. Duane was killed in a motorcycle accident while in Macon on October 29, 1971. "Free Bird," initially wrote for a wedding, was dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman.

Answer: true

Released in September 1976, it peaked at #9 on the charts. It marked the original group's first and only live album.

Answer: crowds would throw handfuls of .38 slugs on stage

Van Zant stated something to the effect, "....we had to quit doing that song, because almost every audience would throw a handful of bullets, you know, like .38 slugs." We wrote it about the bullets in the music industry trade magazines, but I'd say "Gimme back my bullets", and they'd let me have it."

Answer: One More from the Road

Released in July 1976, "One More From The Road," introduced Gaines on a record. It was the group's first and only live album and would become their most successful selling album of all-time.

Answer: America 76

The tour sold practically every available seat in every city, including a historic advance three night sellout in San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom. The also set a new attendance record in the Macon Coliseum, home town of the the Allman Brothers Band.

Answer: Billy Powell

One of the group's original roadies, it was later discovered that Powell was an excellent piano player. Powell was very musically educated. Skynyrd, though a guitar band, saw Powell, a piano man, lay down the musical backgrounds for most of their songs.

Answer: 19

Released in 1973, "Free Bird" released from the album, "Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd" made it to #19 on the US charts and #31 on the U.K. charts.

Answer: Quadrophenia

The Who's manager, Peter Rudge, signed the Skynyrd to open for The Who on their Quadrophenia tour. During the tour's opening night, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, they played in front of over 20,000 fans. Later, Rudge offered to become Skynyrd's manager and they agreed, thereby leaving their old manager, Alan Waldon.

Answer: Artimus Pyle

In 1975, Burns left the band and was replaced by Pyle. The new lineup's first album, "Nuthin' Fancy," was released, becoming their first Top Ten album. It featured the hit song "Saturday Night Special," which would hit #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Answer: Al Kooper

Impressed with the band during a performance at an Atlanta club called Funocchio's in 1972, Koper signed them to MCA Records.

Answer: 12

This album, released in April 1974, was the group's breakthrough hit. It featured "Sweet Home Alabama" and would become multi-platinum. In July 1974, the group headlined at The Ozark Music Festival, one of the largest music events in history, at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri.

Answer: 8

The group's most successful single of all-time, "Sweet Home Alabama," was from their second album, "Second Helping." It was released in 1974 and climbed to number 8 on the U.S. Charts.

Answer: October 20, 1977

It occurred three days after the release of Street Survivors. While en route from Greenville, South Carolina to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it crashed near McComb, Mississippi. The crash killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, Gary Rossington, and Leslie Hawkins sustained serious injuries during the crash. Artimus Pyle, who ran to a nearby farmhouse to get help, was shot in the shoulder by a startled farmer.

Afterwards, when the farmer, Johnny Mote, realized Pyle was connected with the plane crash, he called for help.

Answer: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The chartered plane was carrying them between dates in South Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It crashed in the swamps of Gillsburg, Mississippi.

Answer: Waycross, Ga

They met in 1969 and were married on November 18, 1972 in Judy's hometown.