List of Lynyrd Skynyrd members

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1964, the group originally included vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom and drummer Bob Burns. The current lineup features Rossington, guitarist and vocalist Rickey Medlocke (from 1971 to 1972, and since 1996), lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant (since 1987), drummer Michael Cartellone (since 1999), guitarist Mark Matejka (since 2006), keyboardist Peter Keys (since 2009) and bassist Keith Christopher (since 2017). The band also tours with two backing vocalists, currently Dale Krantz-Rossington (since 1987) and Carol Chase (since 1996).

Three lineups of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1973 (top), 1977 (middle) and 2008 (bottom).

History

1964–1977

Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed under the name My Backyard in 1964, which was later changed to The Noble Five, and again to One Percent.[1] The group originally included vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins, bassist Larry Junstrom and drummer Bob Burns, all of whom were students at Robert E. Lee High School.[2] After performing live for several years, the band recorded for the first time in 1971, when Junstrom and Burns were replaced by Greg T. Walker and Rickey Medlocke, respectively.[3] The following year, Walker was replaced by the band's original choice of bassist Leon Wilkeson, and Medlocke moved to third guitarist as Burns returned on drums.[4] Medlocke had left by the end of the year.[5] Billy Powell had also been added as the group's first keyboardist, having worked as a roadie since 1970.[6]

Shortly before recording began for the band's debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), Wilkeson left Lynyrd Skynyrd and was replaced by Ed King.[7] Later during the sessions the bassist returned, with King subsequently taking up the role of third guitarist.[8] Burns remained for 1974's Second Helping, but left in January 1975 due to touring fatigue, with Artimus Pyle taking his place.[9] King left on May 26, 1975, two months after the release of Nuthin' Fancy.[10] He was replaced the following year by Steve Gaines, who was recommended by his sister Cassie Gaines after she had recently joined as one of the band's touring backing vocalists, The Honkettes.[11][12]

On October 20, 1977 – three days after the release of the band's fifth studio album Street Survivors – a chartered plane on which the members and crew were travelling crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi.[13] Six people died in the accident, including band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines; many of the other passengers on board were seriously injured, including Wilkeson who was left in a critical condition and reportedly declared dead three times.[14] The group disbanded after the crash.[13] In 1978, a collection of previously unreleased recordings from 1971 and 1972 was released as Skynyrd's First and... Last.[15] The following year, the surviving members (with the exception of Wilkeson) reunited at Volunteer Jam for a performance of "Free Bird" with Charlie Daniels and his band.[16]

1987 onwards

In July 1987, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced their reforming for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour,[17] with returning members Rossington, King, Wilkeson, Pyle and Powell joined by new lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie's younger brother.[18] Collins, who was unable to join the reunited group after a car accident the previous year left him paralyzed from the waist down, chose Randall Hall from his own eponymous band to take his place on guitar.[19] After the band's first post-reformation studio album Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991, Pyle left suddenly after a show in August,[20] with Kurt Custer taking his place.[18] Hall left in 1993 after the release of The Last Rebel,[21] later suing the remaining members of the band for $500,000.[22] Custer followed Hall out of the group the next year in order to focus on his solo career.[23]

Hall and Custer were replaced by Mike Estes and Owen Hale, respectively,[24] both of whom performed on the 1994 album Endangered Species.[25] King was forced to leave the band in 1996 due to health problems, with Hughie Thomasson brought in to take his place; Estes left around the same time, with former drummer Medlocke returning to the band on guitar as a result.[24] Hale left in late 1998 after the Twenty Tour;[26] he was replaced first by Jeff McAllister,[27] followed by Kenny Aronoff who played on Edge of Forever,[28] before Michael Cartellone took over in 1999 after the dissolution of the Damn Yankees.[29] On July 27, 2001, longtime bassist Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep of natural causes.[30] He was replaced by Ean Evans, who had earlier substituted for Wilkeson at several shows the previous year.[31]

Thomasson left Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2005 to reform his previous band Outlaws,[32] with his replacement Mark Matejka joining early the next year.[33] The band was forced to change its lineup twice in 2009 due to deaths in the group – first, longtime keyboardist Billy Powell died of a heart attack on January 28;[34] and later, bassist Evans died of cancer on May 6.[35] Peter Keys was later brought in to replace Powell,[36] while Evans was replaced by Robert Kearns.[37] Kearns remained until 2012, when he was replaced by former Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt.[38] Keith Christopher replaced Colt in mid-2017.[39]

Official members

Current members

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Gary Rossington‡	1964–1977 1987–present	guitar	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases
	Rickey Medlocke	1971–1972 1996–present	guitar, vocals (1996–present) drums, vocals (1971–1972)	Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Twenty (1997) onwards
	Johnny Van Zant	1987–present	lead vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Southern by the Grace of God (1988) onwards
	Michael Cartellone	1999–present	drums percussion	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Edge of Forever (1999) onwards
	Mark Matejka	2006–present	guitar backing vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from God & Guns (2009) onwards
	Peter Keys	2009–present	keyboards piano	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012) onwards
	Keith Christopher	2017–present	bass	“Last of the Street Survivors” (2020)

‡Members Inducted Into RNRHF As A Part Of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Former members

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Ronnie Van Zant‡	1964–1977 (until his death)	lead vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Legend (1987)
	Allen Collins‡	1964–1977 (died 1990)	guitar
	Bob Burns‡	1964–1971 1972–1975 (died 2015)	drums	(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) Second Helping (1974) Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) Legend (1987)
	Larry Junstrom	1964–1971 (died 2019)	bass	"Need All My Friends" (1968)
	Greg T. Walker	1971–1972	bass backing vocals	Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
	Leon Wilkeson‡	1972 1973–1977 1987–2001 (until his death)	bass backing vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Edge of Forever (1999) Vicious Cycle (2003)
	Billy Powell‡	1972–1977 1987–2009 (until his death)	keyboards piano	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) to Live from Freedom Hall (2010)
	Ed King‡	1972–1975 1987–1996 (died 2018)	guitar bass (1972–1973) backing vocals (1972–1975)	(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) Second Helping (1974) Nuthin' Fancy (1975) all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) to Southern Knights (1996)
	Artimus Pyle‡	1975–1977 1987–1991	drums percussion	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Nuthin' Fancy (1975) to Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991), except Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
	Steve Gaines‡	1976–1977 (until his death)	guitar backing vocals occasional lead vocals	One More from the Road (1976) Street Survivors (1977) Legend (1987)
	Randall Hall	1987–1993		Southern by the Grace of God (1988) Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991) The Last Rebel (1993)
	Kurt Custer	1991–1994	drums	The Last Rebel (1993)
	Mike Estes	1993–1996	guitar backing vocals	Endangered Species (1994) Southern Knights (1996)
	Owen Hale	1994–1998	drums percussion	Endangered Species (1994) Southern Knights (1996) Twenty (1997) Lyve from Steel Town (1998)
	Hughie Thomasson	1996–2005 (died 2007)	guitars backing vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Twenty (1997) to Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour (2003)
	Jeff McAllister	1998–1999	drums	none
	Kenny Aronoff	1999		Edge of Forever (1999)
	Ean Evans	2001–2009 (until his death)	bass backing vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Vicious Cycle (2003) to Live from Freedom Hall (2010)
	Robert Kearns	2009–2012		none
	Johnny Colt	2012–2017		One More for the Fans (2015) Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd & Second Helping Live from Jacksonville at the Florida Theatre (2015)

Other contributors

Current touring musicians

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Dale Krantz-Rossington	1987–present	backing vocals	all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Southern by the Grace of God (1988) onwards
	Carol Chase	1996–present		all Lynyrd Skynyrd releases from Twenty (1997) onwards

Former touring musicians

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Cassie Gaines	1975–1977 (until her death)	backing vocals	Gimme Back My Bullets (1976) One More from the Road (1976) Street Survivors (1977)
	JoJo Billingsley	1975–1977 (died 2010)
	Leslie Hawkins	1975–1977
	Carol Bristow	1987–1988		Southern by the Grace of God (1988)
	Debbie Bailey	1991–1994		none
	Debbie Davis-Estes	1994–1996		Endangered Species (1994) Southern Knights (1996)

Touring substitutes

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Notes
	Greg Martin	1992	guitar	Martin filled in for Ed King on several dates of the band's 1992 tour due to an injury.[40]
	Tim Lindsey	1993	bass	Lindsey substituted for Wilkeson at several shows in 1993 during The Last Rebel Tour.[41]
	Rick Wills	1999		Wills substituted for Wilkeson at several shows in July 1999 during the Edge of Forever Tour.
	Joey Huffman	2008	keyboards	Huffman substituted for Powell at several shows in 2008 during the Rock & Rebels Tour.

Timeline

Lineups

Period	Members	Releases
Summer 1964 – 1971	Ronnie Van Zant – vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Larry Junstrom – bass Bob Burns – drums	"Need All My Friends" (1968)
1971–1972	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Greg T. Walker – bass, backing vocals Rickey Medlocke – drums, vocals	Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978)
1972	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Bob Burns – drums	none
Late 1972	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Ed King – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Bob Burns – drums Billy Powell – keyboards, piano
Late 1972 – early 1973	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Ed King – bass, guitar, backing vocals Bob Burns – drums Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973)
Early 1973 – January 1975	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Ed King – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Bob Burns – drums Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Second Helping (1974)
January – May 1975	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Ed King – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Nuthin' Fancy (1975)
May 1975 – June 1976	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)
June 1976 – October 1977	Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Allen Collins – guitar Steve Gaines – guitar, vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	One More from the Road (1976) Street Survivors (1977)
Band inactive October 1977 – July 1987
July 1987 – August 1991	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Ed King – guitar Randall Hall – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Southern by the Grace of God (1988) Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour (1988) Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991)
August 1991 – 1993	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Ed King – guitar Randall Hall – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Kurt Custer – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	The Last Rebel (1993)
1993–1994	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Ed King – guitar Mike Estes – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Kurt Custer – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	none
1994 – May 1996	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Ed King – guitar Mike Estes – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Owen Hale – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Endangered Species (1994) Southern Knights (1996)
May 1996 – late 1998	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Hughie Thomasson – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Owen Hale – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Twenty (1997) Lyve from Steel Town (1998) Sweet Home Alabama (2015)
Late 1998 – early 1999	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Hughie Thomasson – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Jeff McAllister – drums Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	none
Early – mid-1999	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Hughie Thomasson – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Kenny Aronoff – drums Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Edge of Forever (1999)
Mid-1999 – July 2001	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Hughie Thomasson – guitar, backing vocals Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Christmas Time Again (2000)
August 2001 – April 2005	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Hughie Thomasson – guitar, backing vocals Ean Evans – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	Vicious Cycle (2003) The Vicious Cycle Tour (2004)
April 2005 – early 2006	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Ean Evans – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	none
Early 2006 – January 2009	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Mark Matejka – guitar, backing vocals Ean Evans – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Billy Powell – keyboards, piano	God & Guns (2009) Live from Freedom Hall (2010) Live in Atlantic City (2018)
February – May 2009	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Mark Matejka – guitar, backing vocals Ean Evans – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Peter Keys – keyboards, piano	none
June 2009 – May 2012	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Mark Matejka – guitar, backing vocals Robert Kearns – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Peter Keys – keyboards, piano
May 2012 – mid-2017	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Mark Matejka – guitar, backing vocals Johnny Colt – bass, backing vocals Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Peter Keys – keyboards, piano	Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012) One More for the Fans (2015) Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd & Second Helping Live from Jacksonville at the Florida Theatre (2015)
Mid-2017 – present	Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals Gary Rossington – guitar Rickey Medlocke – guitar, backing vocals Mark Matejka – guitar, backing vocals Keith Christopher – bass Michael Cartellone – drums, percussion Peter Keys – keyboards, piano	The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour "Last of the Street Survivors" (2020)

Bibliography

• Ribowsky, Mark (April 1, 2015), Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, ISBN 978-1569761465, retrieved November 13, 2017

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External links

• Lynyrd Skynyrd official website