Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock (Paperback)

~ (Author), Frank Dorman (Author) "If you've ever rolled over in a car you know why time is measured in moments..." (more)
Key Phrases: first record album, new lead singer, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Free Bird, Ronnie Van Zant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This faithful bio of the Southern rock superstars by Odom, bodyguard and childhood friend, and journalist Dorman, starts with the plane crash that killed three band members, including charismatic singer Ronnie Van Zant. Before and after takeoff, Odom details how he repeatedly approached the cockpit and warned the pilots that the plane was malfunctioning, once even telling them, "I care an awful lot about these people," only to be told to return to his seat. Following that chapter, Odom wisely takes a backseat, and in turn offers up an earnest and informative look at the band, from their childhood days hunting squirrels in Jacksonville, Fla., to forming the group in high school and becoming one of the biggest rock bands in America. A later chapter describes the crash in sobering detail, while examining what went wrong. Much more entertaining are Skynyrd's Spinal Tap-esque problems finding the right bassist, and the genesis of the band name, which was based on a no-nonsense high school gym teacher named Leonard Skinner, who constantly apprehended the boys for smoking marijuana. Van Zant dominates the book, and the authors effectively show both his hard-drinking, brawling side, and his softer touches. The authors at times slip into overly floral prose, such as a description of the original version of the anthemic "Free Bird": "this comparative sparrow of a song was surely a hit in the making, but not yet the eagle to come." When the authors simply tell the story, they do it just fine.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Tune into any "classic rock" radio station, and within a couple of hours you will inevitably hear "Sweet Home Alabama," "Freebird," and other standards by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Second only to the Allman Brothers Band in the Southern rock pantheon, Skynyrd was at its artistic and commercial peak when a plane crash killed three members, including leader Ronnie Van Zant, in October 1977. Skynyrd's security manager, Odom, was on that plane, and this (his second Skynyrd book following the self-published Lynyrd Skynyrd: I'll Never Forget You) focuses on the tragedy and its aftermath. Though a childhood friend of Van Zant's, Odom does not offer much of an insider's perspective; instead, this is a workmanlike chronicle of the band's journey from its Jacksonville, FL, roots to worldwide stardom that appears to have been written without the cooperation of the surviving members. Marley Brant's recent Freebirds: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Story offers a less detailed and noticeably different version of the crash and also addresses the controversial recollections of other survivors in a recent VH-1 Behind the Music segment. Including a discography and tour schedules, this book is marginal as a Skynyrd biography, but it is recommended for its gripping account of the fateful crash.
Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (October 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767910273
• ISBN-13: 978-0767910279
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Skynyrd books, November 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock (Hardcover)

Of the pre-1977 lineups of Skynyrd, this is the best history so far. It ends in 1977 with the fateful crash but still doesn't give us a keen insight to Van Zant but it does shed a little more light on Allen Collins. However, this is written with a sharper and more jaundiced eye than Marley Brant's books. The fact that Odom was an insider lends more credence to the volume than Brant's books which contain quite a bit of hearsay and mud slinging. The definitive history of this enduring band has yet to be written.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book about the greatest rock band, March 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock (Hardcover)

If you love lynyrd skynyrd you need to read this book. The book gives you an insight to the life of Ronnie Van Zant, who the author grew up with as a young boy. The author also was the security chief for the band, so he gives good insight on life on the road with the band. The author also talks about the other members of the band and talks about the talent that all of the members brought to the band. This book is great and should be read by anyone who wants to know more about this ledgendary rock band. I could not put this book down. The pictures were also great

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Story of the American Dream, July 16, 2005

By	C. A. Ampfer (Fort Thomas, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock (Hardcover)

This book is excellent. It tells the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd as only a friend could. The fact that Gene Odom loved the guys in the band is apparent from the first pages. He provides an honest and insighful portrait of young musicians who loved their art and worked their rear ends off to make it in the music business. Odom doesn't whitewash the facts - he presents all characters as they were, warts and all. If you are a fan of Skynyrd, you'll consider this book a walk down memory lane with a few old friends - you'll hear some familiar stories about the band and maybe a few you've not heard before. Even if you are not a fan, you'll find this book to be a heartfelt story of a bunch of poor boys from Jacksonville who believed in the American Dream - that if you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard enough you will acheive your goals. A good read!