Larkin Allen Collins, Jr. (July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990) was one of the founding members and guitarists of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. His unique guitar playing and songwriting skills were vital to the success of the band during his time with them. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida. is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jacksonville redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Jacksonville redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music. ... For the popular-music magazine, see Musician (magazine). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced lÄ•h-nérd skin-nérd) (pronounced ) is an iconic U.S. Southern rock band. ... The Rossington-Collins Band was an off-shoot of legendary southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, founded in 1979 by guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins following the tragic 1977 plane crash which killed three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, thus ending that bands career. ... The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present. ... The Gibson Explorer (now marketed as X-plorer and Explorer Pro), made its debut in 1958, then known as the Futura. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music. ... Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced lÄ•h-nérd skin-nérd) (pronounced ) is an iconic U.S. Southern rock band. ... Jacksonville redirects here. ...

Musical career

Allen Collins joined what would become the most memorable rock bands from the South just two weeks after Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington along with Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom so came the birth of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the summer of 1964. Allen Collins and lead singer Van Zant co-wrote some of the biggest Skynyrd hits: "Free Bird", "Gimme Three Steps", and "That Smell", just to name a few. The band received national success beginning in 1973. At the height of success the Lynyrd Skynyrd dream was shattered with the infamous 1977 plane crash that killed three band members. Collins was seriously injured in the crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and Steve's sister and back-up vocalist Cassie Gaines, also a member of The Honkettes. His right arm was so severely damaged that doctors recommended amputation. Collins' father, however, refused, and stopped the amputation process. Collins would eventually play the guitar again. Ronald Wayne Ronnie Van Zant (January 15, 1948 – October 20, 1977) was the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. ... Gary Rossington (born December 4, 1951 in Jacksonville, Florida) is a founding member and lead guitarist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. ... Bob Burns - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Larry Junstrom (born June 22, 1949) is the bassist of American rock band . ... Lynyrd Skynyrd (pronounced lĕh-nérd skin-nérd) (pronounced ) is an iconic U.S. Southern rock band. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... This article is about the song. ... Gimme Three Steps is a song by southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released on their 1973 album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. ... That Smell is a song by the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 – October 20, 1977) was an American musician. ... The Honkettes was the name given to the female backing singers of the Southern Rock and Roll band Lynyrd Skynyrd. ...

During the early 1980s, Collins continued to perform in The Rossington-Collins Band and the Allen Collins Band. Rossington-Collins enjoyed modest success, charting a few singles, notably "Don't Misunderstand Me," before tragedy would strike again. In 1980, Collins' wife Kathy suddenly died of a hemorrhage following a miscarriage. The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... The Rossington-Collins Band was an off-shoot of legendary southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, founded in 1979 by guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins following the tragic 1977 plane crash which killed three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, thus ending that bands career. ... The Allen Collins Band was a spinoff of Southern Rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rossington-Collins Band. ...

Instruments

For most of Skynyrd's tenure, Collins used a Gibson Firebird guitar fitted with a chrome, dog-eared P-90 pickup in the bridge position and a Gibson "teaspoon" nickel vibrato arm. In 1976 he switched to a natural-finished korina Gibson Explorer and would use that all the way through his tenure with the Allen Collins Band. Starting in late 1977, he would also use a Gibson Les Paul Jr. occasionally. And on "Gimme Back My Bullets", "Sweet Home Alabama", and many other songs, he used a Sunburst Fender Stratocaster after Ed King left. Collins has also been filmed playing an all-black, rosewood neck Stratocaster with white single-coil pickups and white control knobs. The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present. ... The Gibson Explorer (now marketed as X-plorer and Explorer Pro), made its debut in 1958, then known as the Futura. ... The Gibson Les Paul Jr. ... Stratocaster redirects here. ... Ed King Ed King (born September 14, 1949 in Glendale, California) is an American musician. ...

Accident

A 1986 car accident killed Collins' girlfriend and left the guitarist paralyzed from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. Collins plead no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. He would never play guitar on-stage again. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... No contest can be: In law, a plea; see nolo contendere. ... Manslaughter, sometimes called criminally negligent homicide, is a kind of homicide wherein a person causes the death of another through negligence or recklessness (not recognized in Australia) or where a person intentionally kills another but is not liable for murder because he is able to avail himself of a defense...

Band Reunion

All remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited to perform in 1987, but due to his injury Collins was only able to participate as musical director. Having pleaded no contest to a charge of vehicular manslaughter (resulting from the 1986 accident), Collins was asked by the presiding judge to address fans at every Lynyrd Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform. Because of Collins' accident, Skynyrd donated a sizable amount of concert proceeds from the 1987-88 tour to the Miami Project, which is involved in treatment of paralysis. This article is about the year 1987. ... The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is a research center dedicated to research in the field of paralysis and spinal cord injury, with the eventual object of finding a cure for paralyzing injuries. ...

Death

Allen Collins died in 1990 from pneumonia as a result of his earlier accident. He was put to rest in Jacksonville, Florida. This article is about human pneumonia. ... Jacksonville redirects here. ...

External links

• Lynyrd Skynyrd History site