How Jacksonville Built Southern Rock: Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet and the Bands

Forty-nine years ago today, on Oct. 20, 1977, a plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in the woods near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines were killed.

Van Zant was 29. He was born in Jacksonville, and so was the band.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is the most famous of a remarkable run of rock bands that came out of Jacksonville in the 1960s and '70s. The Allman Brothers Band formed here. So did 38 Special, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot. Few cities have a stronger claim to being the birthplace of Southern rock.

Here's the story, band by band, and the places you can still see.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: a gym teacher, a hair rule and a joke that stuck

Formed: 1964, in Jacksonville Original members: Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass) and Bob Burns (drums)

The band went through several names in its first four years, including My Backyard, The Noble Five and The One Percent. In 1968, tired of audiences teasing that they had "one percent talent," they picked a new one.

At drummer Bob Burns' suggestion, they chose Leonard Skinnerd. It was partly a nod to a character in the novelty song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh." And it was partly a mocking tribute to Leonard Skinner, a P.E. teacher at Jacksonville's Robert E. Lee High School, who was known for strictly enforcing the school's rule against boys wearing long hair.

The spelling changed over time to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band's first album, released on Aug. 13, 1973, was titled (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), so fans would know how to say it.

"Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama"

Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1970s songs, especially "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama," became anthems and helped define the Southern rock sound. The band released five studio albums and one live album before the crash. It has sold more than 78 million records worldwide, and AllMusic has called it "the definitive Southern rock band."

Oct. 20, 1977

The band's chartered plane was flying to a show at Louisiana State University when it ran out of fuel and went down near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines died, and the rest of the band was seriously injured.

After the crash

Lynyrd Skynyrd re-formed in 1987, with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny Van Zant on lead vocals. He still fronts the band today. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006.

Gary Rossington, the last surviving founding member, died on March 5, 2023.

The Allman Brothers Band: it started in a Jacksonville park

Most people connect the Allman Brothers with Macon, Georgia. But the band came together in Jacksonville.

In early March 1969, guitarist Duane Allman and drummer Jaimoe moved to Jacksonville. Duane was frustrated with studio session work. Musicians jammed together and played free shows in Willow Branch Park, in Riverside, with a rotating cast.

The lineup came together that month:

• Duane Allman: slide and lead guitar
• Gregg Allman: vocals and keyboards. He joined rehearsals on March 26, 1969.
• Dickey Betts: lead guitar and vocals
• Berry Oakley: bass
• Butch Trucks: drums
• Jaimoe: drums

Four days after Gregg arrived, the band played its first show at the Jacksonville Armory. By May 1969, the Allman Brothers had moved to Macon.

Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 29, 1971. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and played its final show on Oct. 28, 2014, at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

The Jacksonville guitarist who carried it on

Derek Trucks, born in Jacksonville on June 8, 1979, is the nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks. Derek became an official member of the Allman Brothers Band in 1999. He later formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, Susan Tedeschi. Their debut album, Revelator, won the Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2012.

38 Special: Ronnie's little brother

Formed: 1974, in Jacksonville Founders: Donnie Van Zant, Ronnie's younger brother, and guitarist Don Barnes

The most-told story behind the name involves police and a padlocked warehouse where the band practiced. An officer supposedly said they'd "let this .38 special do the talking" and shot off the lock. Former guitarist Jeff Carlisi has said the story was made up for publicity, so take it with a grain of salt.

38 Special started as a Southern rock band and moved toward arena rock in the early 1980s. Two of its biggest hits:

• "Hold On Loosely" (1981), which reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100
• "Caught Up in You" (1982), a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Rock Tracks chart

That makes the Van Zant family something special in rock history. Ronnie sang for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Donnie founded 38 Special, and Johnny has led Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1987.

Molly Hatchet: "Flirtin' with Disaster"

Formed:** 1971, in Jacksonville, by guitarist **Dave Hlubek

According to Hlubek, band members put name ideas in a hat and drew the winner. The name refers to "Molly," said to be an axe murderer, though no one has been able to pin down who she was.

Molly Hatchet's peak came with Flirtin' with Disaster (1979). The album went platinum, and its title track reached No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a rock-radio staple. Three albums in a row went platinum or multi-platinum from 1978 to 1980.

The band's album covers are as famous as its music. Several featured fantasy paintings by Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo.

Blackfoot: "Train, Train"

Formed: 1970, in Jacksonville Founders: Rickey Medlocke, Greg T. Walker, Charlie Hargrett and Jakson Spires

Blackfoot's best-known song, "Train, Train" (1979), was written by Medlocke's grandfather. "Highway Song" (1979) reached No. 26 in the U.S., and the 1979 album Strikes went platinum.

Medlocke's story loops back to Lynyrd Skynyrd. He briefly joined Skynyrd in 1971, went back to Blackfoot, then rejoined Skynyrd as a guitarist in 1996.

Where the bands are now

• Lynyrd Skynyrd still tours, led by Johnny Van Zant. No founding members are left since Gary Rossington's death in 2023.
• The Allman Brothers Band retired after its final show in October 2014. Derek Trucks carries the family sound in the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
• 38 Special kept going after its 1980s heyday, with Don Barnes as a longtime frontman.
• Molly Hatchet has no original members left. Guitarist Bobby Ingram, in the band since 1987, and keyboardist John Galvin, since 1984, lead the current lineup.
• Blackfoot reunited in 2004 and still performs, led by Rickey Medlocke, who also plays guitar in Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Places you can still visit

• Riverside High School, in the Riverside and Avondale area. This is the former Robert E. Lee High School, where Leonard Skinner taught. It was renamed Riverside High School in 2021.
• Willow Branch Park, in Riverside. This is where the musicians who became the Allman Brothers Band played free shows in early 1969.
• The Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park, on Sandridge Road in Lake Asbury, in Clay County. Fans and family paid to build it.

Jacksonville's Southern rock family tree

Quick answers

Is Lynyrd Skynyrd from Jacksonville?
Yes. The band formed in Jacksonville in 1964, and its founding members grew up there.

Who was Leonard Skinner?
A P.E. teacher at Jacksonville's Robert E. Lee High School, now Riverside High School. He was known for enforcing the school's rule against long hair on boys, and the band's name is partly a joke at his expense.

Did the Allman Brothers Band start in Jacksonville?
Yes. The band came together in Jacksonville in March 1969 and played its first show at the Jacksonville Armory before moving to Macon, Georgia, that spring.

When was the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash?
Oct. 20, 1977, near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines were killed.

Which Van Zant brother sang for which band?
Ronnie sang for Lynyrd Skynyrd until 1977. Donnie co-founded 38 Special. Johnny has led Lynyrd Skynyrd since 1987.

What other big bands came from Jacksonville?
38 Special, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot all formed in Jacksonville in the 1970s.

Did you see one of these bands play in Jacksonville back in the day? Tell us your story at [email protected].

Notes for Mark (not part of the story; don't paste below this line)

Style: feature / history, told band by band. No invented scenes or quotes. Length: about 1,600 words. Score: 6 (local pride, nostalgia, famous names, an anniversary hook). Strong for Facebook.

Timing: today, Oct. 20, 2026, is exactly 49 years since the crash. If you publish today, keep "Forty-nine years ago today." Otherwise change it to "On Oct. 20, 1977."

Facts checked Oct. 20, 2026 (Wikipedia articles, which cite band, label and Hall of Fame sources):

• Lynyrd Skynyrd:
• formed in Jacksonville in 1964; original five members; earlier names My Backyard, The Noble Five, The One Percent; the "one percent talent" taunt; Burns' suggestion
• the name comes partly from the "Hello Muddah" character and partly from P.E. teacher Leonard Skinner at Robert E. Lee High School and his long-hair rule
• debut album Aug. 13, 1973; five studio albums plus one live album before the crash; 78M+ records as of 2023; AllMusic quote
• crash Oct. 20, 1977, near Gillsburg, Miss., after running out of fuel, en route to LSU; killed Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines
• re-formed in 1987 with Johnny Van Zant; Rock Hall March 13, 2006; Rossington died March 5, 2023
• Ronnie Van Zant: born Jan. 15, 1948, in Jacksonville; died at 29; memorial park on Sandridge Road in Lake Asbury, funded by fans and family.
• Allman Brothers:
• Duane and Jaimoe moved to Jacksonville in early March 1969; free shows in Willow Branch Park; lineup as listed
• Gregg joined March 26, 1969; debut "four days later" at the Jacksonville Armory (I wrote "four days after Gregg arrived" and didn't give a date)
• in Macon by May 1969; Duane died Oct. 29, 1971; Rock Hall 1995; final show Oct. 28, 2014, Beacon Theatre
• Derek Trucks: born June 8, 1979, in Jacksonville; nephew of Butch Trucks; ABB member in 1999; Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010; Revelator won Best Blues Album in 2012.
• 38 Special: formed in Jacksonville in 1974 by Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes; the name story and Carlisi's dispute; "Hold On Loosely" No. 27 (1981); "Caught Up in You" No. 1 on Rock Tracks (1982); the shift to arena rock.
• Molly Hatchet: formed in Jacksonville in 1971 by Dave Hlubek; name drawn from a hat; Flirtin' with Disaster (1979) platinum, title track No. 42; three straight platinum albums 1978–80; Frazetta and Vallejo covers.
• Blackfoot: formed in Jacksonville in 1970; founders; "Train, Train" (1979) written by Medlocke's grandfather; "Highway Song" No. 26; Strikes platinum; Medlocke in Skynyrd in 1971 and again from 1996.
• Riverside High School: formerly Robert E. Lee High School, renamed in 2021, in Riverside/Avondale.

"Where are they now": Skynyrd touring with Johnny (Wikipedia); ABB retired 2014; 38 Special with Barnes (general; I didn't claim current tour dates); Molly Hatchet lineup from its article (Ingram since 1987, Galvin since 1984); Blackfoot reunited 2004, led by Medlocke.

Location note: "Willow Branch Park, in Riverside" adds the neighborhood myself (the article only says Jacksonville). The park is off Park Street in Riverside; please confirm.

Left out (couldn't verify tonight):

• "Hell House," the band's famous practice cabin
• Shantytown, Van Zant's neighborhood
• Skinner's later friendship with the band
• a claim that Jacksonville is officially "the birthplace of Southern rock" (the story says "few cities have a stronger claim")

Facebook post:
> 🎸 49 years ago today, Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down. The band was born in Jacksonville, named (partly) to mock a gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School. So were the Allman Brothers, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot. Jacksonville's Southern rock story 👇