ABOUT THE ALBUM/OFFICIAL
On one special night last November (2014), an extraordinary collection of artists came together at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA to perform and celebrate the songs of Lynyrd Skynyrd, one of the most influential bands of our time. This unique concert event centered around performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd, including a special rendition of “Travelin’ Man” with Johnny Van Zant singing along with an archival video of his late brother, Ronnie performing, as well as a rousing rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama” with Skynyrd inviting the entire star-studded line-up up on stage to perform along side them.
The show will be available July 24, 2015 as a two CD/DVD set titled Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans on Loud & Proud Records in partnership with Blackbird Presents. The band will also be hitting the road this spring and summer (tour dates below) and will return to the CMT Crossroads stage for a taping with Brantley Gilbert.
One More For The Fans features performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as music legends and young talent, culled from multiple genres including Classic Rock, Country and Americana with Trace Adkins, Alabama, Gregg Allman, Blackberry Smoke, Cheap Trick, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Randy Houser, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Aaron Lewis, moe., O.A.R., Robert Randolph and Donnie Van Zant all coming together to perform songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s extensive catalog of music.
“Hearing all of these incredible musicians sing our songs was unforgettable,” says Rossington. “It was a really special night and I’m so happy our fans will now get to enjoy the show at home.”
Keith Wortman, creator and executive producer of the concert event, broadcast special and music release worked with Ken Levitan and Ross Schilling who also served as executive producers of the show. Don Was led the all-star house band as musical director for the evening.
As part of the campaign to save the Fox Theatre from demolition, Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their 1976 live album, One More From The Road, at the landmark theatre. The title Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans! was inspired by that legendary album’s title.
Joining in the celebration of the legendary band is AXS TV as it serves as the official broadcaster of Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans. AXS TV will premiere the concert event on Sunday, July 19 at 8:00pm EST / 5:00pm PST, allowing fans nationwide to enjoy these remarkable performances.
With a catalog of over 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million worldwide, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to multiple generations. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to build on the legacy that began over 40 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida. Led by core members Gary Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Rickey Medlocke (guitar), along with longtime drummer Michael Cartellone, the band also includes Mark "Sparky" Matejka (guitar), Johnny Colt (bass), Peter Keys (keyboards) and The Honkettes-Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase-on background vocals.
“Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans” Track Listing:
1. Whiskey Rock A Roller – performed by Randy Houser
2. You Got That Right – performed by Robert Randolph & Jimmy Hall
3. Saturday Night Special – performed by Aaron Lewis
4. Workin’ For MCA – performed by Blackberry Smoke
5. Don't Ask Me No Questions – performed by O.A.R.
6. Gimme Back My Bullets – performed by Cheap Trick
7. The Ballad of Curtis Loew – performed by moe. & John Hiatt
8. Simple Man – performed by Gov't Mule
9. That Smell – performed by Warren Haynes
10. Four Walls of Raiford – performed by Jamey Johnson
11. I Know A Little – performed by Jason Isbell
12. Call Me The Breeze – performed by Peter Frampton
13. What's Your Name – performed by Trace Adkins
14. Down South Jukin’ – performed by Charlie Daniels & Donnie Van Zant
15. Gimme Three Steps – performed by Alabama
16. Tuesday's Gone – performed by Gregg Allman
17. Travelin’ Man – performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd With Johnny and Ronnie – Ronnie on big screen
18. Free Bird - performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd
19. Sweet Home Alabama – performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the entire line-up
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REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Capturing a tribute concert held on November 12, 2014 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, the double-disc One More for the Fans is studded with Southern rock stars, along with a bunch of country acts, bluesmen, Cheap Trick, and John Hiatt. The whole thing culminated with Skynyrd coming out for the close -- the headlines came from Johnny Van Zant duetting with footage of a departed Ronnie on the big screen but the closing "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama" worked better -- but this is best heard as a ragged tribute by acts that either play it straight or enjoy getting a little rowdy with the legacy. Jamey Johnson picks an obscurity in "Four Walls of Raiford" but this pretty much consists of the basic canon, which is by no means a complaint, particularly when Randy Houser tears into "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller," Blackberry Smoke beefs up "Workin' for MCA," and Jason Isbell swings on "I Know a Little." Maybe this isn't a flat-out classic but anybody who's enjoyed Skynyrd over the years will find something to enjoy here.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Lynyrd Skynyrd was the definitive Southern rock band, fusing the overdriven power of blues-rock with a rebellious Southern image and a hard rock swagger. Skynyrd never relied on the jazzy improvisations of the Allman Brothers. Instead, they were a hard-living, hard-driving rock & roll band -- they may have jammed endlessly on-stage, but their music remained firmly entrenched in blues, rock, and country. For many, Lynyrd Skynyrd's redneck image tended to obscure the songwriting skills of their leader, Ronnie Van Zant. Throughout the band's early records, Van Zant demonstrated a knack for lyrical detail and a down-to-earth honesty that had more in common with country than rock & roll. During the height of Skynyrd's popularity in the mid-'70s, however, Van Zant's talents were overshadowed by the group's gritty, greasy blues-rock. Sadly, it wasn't until he was killed in a tragic plane crash in 1977 along with two other bandmembers that many listeners began to realize his talents. Skynyrd split up after the plane crash, but they reunited a decade later, becoming a popular concert act during the early '90s.
While in high school in Jacksonville, FL, Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins (guitar), and Gary Rossington (guitar) formed My Backyard. Within a few months, the group added bassist Leon Wilkeson and keyboardist Billy Powell, and changed their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd, a mocking tribute to their gym teacher Leonard Skinner, who was notorious for punishing students with long hair. With drummer Bob Burns, Lynyrd Skynyrd began playing throughout the South. For the first few years, the group had little success, but producer Al Kooper signed the band to MCA after seeing them play at an Atlanta club called Funocchio's in 1972. Kooper produced the group's 1973 debut, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which was recorded after former Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined the band. The group became notorious for their triple-guitar attack, which was showcased on "Free Bird," a tribute to the recently deceased Duane Allman. "Free Bird" earned Lynyrd Skynyrd their first national exposure and it became one of the staples of album rock radio, still receiving airplay decades after its release.
"Free Bird" and an opening slot on the Who's 1973 Quadrophenia tour gave Lynyrd Skynyrd a devoted following, which helped their second album, 1974's Second Helping, become its breakthrough hit. Featuring the hit single "Sweet Home Alabama" -- a response to Neil Young's "Southern Man" -- Second Helping reached number 12 and went multi-platinum. At the end of the year, Artimus Pyle replaced drummer Burns and King left the band shortly afterward. The new sextet released Nuthin' Fancy in 1975, and it became the band's first Top Ten hit. The record was followed by the Tom Dowd-produced Gimme Back My Bullets in 1976, which failed to match the success of its two predecessors. However, the band retained their following through constant touring, which was documented on the double live album One More from the Road. Released in late 1976, the album featured the band's new guitarist, Steve Gaines, and a trio of female backup singers, and it became Skynyrd's second Top Ten album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd released their sixth album, Street Survivors, on October 17, 1977. Three days later, a privately chartered plane carrying the band between shows in Greenville, SC, and Baton Rouge, LA, crashed outside of Gillsburg, MS. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie, one of the group's backing vocalists, died in the crash; the remaining members were injured. (The cause of the crash was either fuel shortage or a fault with the plane's mechanics.) The cover for Street Survivors had pictured the band surrounded in flames; after the crash, the cover was changed. In the wake of the tragedy, the album became one of the band's biggest hits. Lynyrd Skynyrd broke up after the crash, releasing a collection of early demos called Skynyrd's First and...Last in 1978; it had been scheduled for release before the crash. The double-album compilation Gold & Platinum was released in 1980.
Southern by the Grace of God: Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987
Later in 1980, Rossington and Collins formed a new band -- naturally named Rossington Collins Band -- that featured four surviving members. Two years later, Pyle formed the Artimus Pyle Band. Collins suffered a car crash in 1986 that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed; four years later, he died of respiratory failure. In 1987, Rossington, Powell, King, and Wilkeson reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd, adding vocalist Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Randall Hall. The band embarked on a reunion tour, which was captured on the 1988 double live album Southern by the Grace of God/Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour -- 1987. The re-formed Skynyrd began recording in 1991, and for the remainder of the decade, the band toured frequently, putting out albums occasionally. The reunited Skynyrd frequently switched drummers, but it had little effect on their sound.
During the '90s, Lynyrd Skynyrd were made honorary colonels in the Alabama State Militia, due to their classic rock staple "Sweet Home Alabama." During the mid-'90s, Van Zant, Rossington, Wilkeson, and Powell regrouped by adding two Southern rock veterans to Skynyrd's guitar stable: former Blackfoot frontman Rickey Medlocke and ex-Outlaws Hughie Thomasson. With ex-Damn Yankee Michael Cartellone bringing stability to the drum chair, the reconstituted band signed to CMC International for the 1997 album Twenty. This lineup went on to release Lyve from Steel Town in 1998, followed a year later by Edge of Forever. The seasonal effort Christmas Time Again was released in fall 2000. Although Wilkeson died one year later, Lynyrd Skynyrd regrouped and recorded Vicious Cycle for a 2003 release. The DVD/CD Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour followed a year later, 2006 saw the release of Face to Face, and 2007 brought Paper Sleeve Box. But death continued to haunt the band, and the lineup continued to change, as much from attrition as anything else. Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, died in 2001 and was replaced by Ean Evans that same year (Evans in turn died in 2009). Thomasson left the band to reform his band Outlaws in 2005, dying two years later in 2007. His spot in Skynyrd was taken by Mark "Sparky" Matejka, formerly of Hot Apple Pie, in 2006. Original keyboardist Powell died at the age of 56 at his home near Jacksonville, FL in 2009. That year also saw the release of a new studio album, God + Guns, on Roadrunner Records. Live from Freedom Hall was released on the same label in 2010. A new studio album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, produced by Bob Marlette, recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, and featuring a new bass player, Johnny Colt (formerly a bassist for the Black Crowes), appeared in 2012. In April 2015, original Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns died in a single-car accident in Bartow County, Georgia.
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