1966 , The Green Pigs Junior Baseball Game. The First 2 Gigs.
The Green Pigs Junior Baseball Game. Summer of 1966.
Jacksonville, Florida.
The Day the World Began.
On a summer's day in 1966,
Bob Burns, 16 yo. (born in Gainesville, Florida on November 24, 1950.) and,
Gary Rossington, 15 yo. (born in Jacksonville on December 4, 1951)
Bob and Gary go to watch a Junior Baseball game in Jacksonville, to watch the team The Green Pigs.
Ronnie Van Zant, (b. January 15, 1948 born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, ) 18 yo, and 2 years older than Bob and 3 years older than Gary, was on that baseball team , and when Ronnie was up to bat, he hit a Line Drive , foul Ball and it hit Bob Burns in between the shoulder blades and winded him, and knocked him to the ground.
Ronnie came over and looked at him with a "Mona Lisa" Grin and said "Sorry Kid".
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Bob and Gary talked to Ronnie after the game about music, and said hey we know you sing, why don't you come sing with us.
(Ronnie had been singing in a teenage band called The Squires/name change to: Us)
Gary Rossington says it was the same day they Jammed, But According to Bob Burns, it was possibly the next day, Ronnie knocked on Bob's door, Bob said he thought at first Ronnie had come to fight him, (they both had reputations), But Ronnie had come to sing some songs.
Gary says After Bob, and himself met Ronnie, he thinks the first song they played together was, The Rolling Stones - Time Is On My Side in Bob Burns' Carport.
Bob Burns telling the story of the formation of the band.
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It was only Bob on Drums, and Gary on Guitar, and Ronnie singing. Gary was only learning chords so they needed someone who had equipment and could play.
They knew of Allen Collins, he was in a band The Mods" and they went looking for him, when Allen saw them coming he ran up a tree, cause he thought Ronnie was going to beat him up.
Gary telling the story of getting together: And Bob talking about Ronnie:
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This was the first formation of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd in the Summer of 1966 with Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins.
The first Performance at a Halloween party they had no name.
The second performance at Bill Morris' Christmas Party in Late 1966. They used the name "The Pretty Ones" It's the only gig they use this name.
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The First Time Performing!! (No Name)
October 1966!
Allen,14 y.o.. Gary,14 3/4... Bob,15 3/4... Ronnie, 18 y.o..
Ronnie, Bob, Allen and Gary!
Perform for the first time at:
St. Matthews Fall (Halloween) Carnival.
They had No Name and No Bass Player, and because of this they got a friend, Billy Skaggs to play Rhythm Guitar to fill in the gaps! and he also owned a Super Reverb Amp.
Their Stage was A Flatbed Truck!
They Opened with the Byrds Version of "Hey Joe"
Allen Collins Played Lead for the first time on another Byrds song “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better,”
The band was just coming up onstage when we arrived, the stage coming in the form of a flatbed truck. There was a fairly respectable audience crowded around the front of the stage, where an impressive array of Fender amps lined either side of Bob’s aqua sparkle Ludwig drum kit.
In lieu of a bass player they had a friend of the band, Billy Skaggs, as an additional rhythm guitarist.
Larry Steele said: I never understood the reason for this, but his presence did provide fill, as well as an additional Super Reverb to the amp line.
As they began with the Byrds’ version of “Hey Joe,” Ronnie clutched his trusty Shure Commando microphone. As any veteran musician can attest, the Commando was a pretty sorry, inexpensive mic.
As far as I knew, nobody had ever been able to use one as a vocal mic with any success. But somehow Ronnie made it sound good from the outset:
“(Chink) – Hey… (chink)- Joe … (chink)- Where ya goin… (chink) – with that money… (boom!) – in yo hand?”
It was apparent from the start that Allen had made the right decision after all. And while I hated to admit it, it was damned difficult containing the enormous smile that kept trying to come across my face.
These guys were going to be pretty good.
While their repertoire included many of the old songs played by the Mods and Us, there were a few songs I hadn’t expected to hear.
One of these was “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better,” another Byrd’s number that featured Allen playing lead for the first time ever. I was shocked, sick, and very proud, all at the same time.
By the time they concluded their set, which also included a cover of Marvin Gay’s “Can I Get a Witness,” I was pretty much a fan. They had played pretty damn well, and there was every indication they would only get better.
By Larry Steele.
The Second Time Performing!!
"The Pretty Ones"
The Second time they preformed was a Christmas Party for Ronnie's brother in Law, Bill Morris.
(Who owned Morris Auto Parts Store, where Ronnie Worked in 1967,)
Here they used the name "The Pretty Ones", for the first and only time.
Shortly after this gig they got Jimmy Parker to play bass, He was the former Bass player for the Squires and US.
They named themselves "The Pretty Ones" and would practice in an upstairs apartment off Mc Duff Avenue, along I-10.
"The Pretty Ones" Did Not actually play anywhere, other than a Christmas Party for Ronnie’s boss and brother in law, Bill Morris.
"You know, we came from English music," Gary agreed, "We'd listen to the Yardbirds and Clapton, you know and Jeff Beck, the Beatles and the Stones, the Animals, all those groups. They were our idols and gods at the time. As a matter of fact, that's when I really did think the Beatles were like gods.
I had this thing when I was going to school. I'd listen to the radio - couldn't afford a record player then - I had a little radio then. If they ever came on, I would never turn them off and if I was late for school, had to miss schooll or miss church and get my butt beat by my momma because I'd miss a chore. It was like against my religion to turn them off."
The Noble Five's earliest practice sessions occurred in the carport of drummer Bob Burns' parents. The band practiced where ever and whenever one of their mother would turn a deaf ear and agree to their requests. Gary reminisced, 'See, it was who's mother would let them play at their house. It wasn't where you were going to rehearse, it was who's mom... Bob went, `I can talk my mother into it.' So..." Often their Jacksonville neighbors were not as tolerant as Bob Burns' mother. "We used to practice after school until the cops would run us off every night, then on weekends, all day, all night."
The constant practice soon turned into a "learn as you earn" policy that resulted in the Noble Five's first gig that December. Ronnie's brother-in-law owned Morris Auto Supply, the auto parts store where Ronnie worked.
His brother-in-law wanted a cheap band for his annual Christmas party at a big barbecue restaurant. Gary explained, "It wasn't the Green Pig, but it had a little dance floor and stage and they used to have country combos so people could dance after they ate.
It was kind of a juke joint/babecue joint. He invited all his employees, freinds and gas station people that worked and bought parts from him and he wanted a band - cheap.
We got ten bucks.
"That was big time money. We thought we were rich. That was two bucks apiece and we all chipped in a quarter apiece for gas. We came home with $1.75.
"At that time we were still playing through Allen's Super Reverb and Bob had drums and Larry had a little Ampeg bass amp you could barely hear.
It was one of those little R2-D2 robot-looking things. We played `Gloria' and a few Rolling Stones songs. We only knew about five, six or seven songs. We kept doing those all night and he paid us and we got out of there."
Shortly after that first gig, Allen bought the Beatles '65 album that had just come out. Gary recalled, "I remember when Beatles '65 came out.
We were together then and we were trying to learn their songs. they were too hard to learn, but we were trying."
Ronnie Van Zant at work, Morris Auto Parts. Jacksonville. approx. 1967.Shoes in hand.
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1967.
Note:
The research is unclear about Bob Burns' story about the band "Me, You & Him"
According to Bob Burns,
Larry Junstrom played with Gary Rossington and Bob Burns, Before they met Ronnie that day, in the summer of 1966. And that they were called "Me, You, and Him", Bob Gary, and Larry.
But a couple of issues with that are, Larry Junstrom, is not mentioned before 1967, (only by Bob Burns in that story).
Larry Junstrom was not around for the first two gigs in Late 1966. October and December 1966. They had no Bass Player and they used Billy Skaggs with a Guitar, for the first gig to fill in the gaps, and Jimmy Parker on Bass, Later on who practiced with them.
So it is very possible, that Bob Burns story fits if Larry "came and went" before the green pigs baseball game day. And then returned in early 1967.
But Larry Junstrom says in an interview "when i got with Ronnie and the boys" so it doesn't really fit with Bob's story of Larry being there before Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins. I nearly left out this story because there is no evidence to support it. Only Bob's story, but having said that, it is plausible, and will mention it , and hope to find some more information one day to confirm it. so until then, I will assume Larry Junstrom did join later in early 1967, only because he wasn't there for the first to gig's.)
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Larry Junstrom, Approx. 1971.
1967.
Soon after the Christmas Party in 1966, they recruited Larry Junstrom:
(Lawrence Edward Junstrom. June 22, 1949 – October 5, 2019)
Larry Junstrom played the Clarinet and Saxophone in the School Band!
Larry got with Ronnie and the boys to go play at teen dances instead of in marching bands!
Bob, Gary, Ronnie, and Allen didn't have a Bass player for their first two gigs In October and December 1966 , And in early 1967, Larry Junstrom joins to play Bass Guitar.
It was around this time they changed their name to the "Noble Five" and they began working at the city’s youth centers, primarily Southside and Brad Tredinnick, as well as the few privately owned teen clubs around town.!
There was even a Radio Ad announcing that "The Noble Five" were playing at Westside Teen Club.
Larry Junstrom, and Gary Rossington talking about the early days (1967/68):
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Ronnie Van Zant
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Allen Collins
Gary Rossington
Bob Burns
There will be another blog in the near future about the origins of the name Lynyrd Skynyrd/Leonard Skinner, and the two stories about where Leonard Skinner came from.
That name change happens in 1969, But the Gym Coach Leonard Skinner might not be the hole story, as they had a joke amongst themselves with that name, 18 months before Coach Skinner came to Lee High School.
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Gary Rossington left school in 10th Grade,
around 1967, He had a Gym coach who's name was named, Leonard Skinner, and he enforced a strict dress code at Lee High School, and Gary Rossington was one of the kids the coach sent to the Principles office for having long hair.
Gary recalled, "All the teachers thought we had short hair, but then at gym you had to take a shower - it was mandatory."
Remembering the results of those showers, Gary related, "Leonard Skinner would come through the showers while you were doing it, and if he caught you with your hair down touching your ears or something he'd kick you out or send you to the principal.
After about 20 or 30 times of doing that to me, and kicking me out for two weeks of suspension, I just quit school. He kicked me out and I said,`____ you, I'm gone!'
Gary Rossington talking about Coach Skinner and the strict dress code, and leaving School.
1966 Lee High School, Yearbook.
1967 Lee High School, Yearbook.
Rock'n'Roll History.
Bob Burn's carport, in recent times.
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Photo's are approximately 1968.
Ronnie Van Zant.
L-R: Allen Collins, Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Dean Kilpatrick (kneeling)
Allen Collins.
Allen Collins Gary Rossington
Bob Burns Gary Rossington
Allen Collins Bob Burns
Bob Burns, Gary Rossington, Larry Juntrom smoking. Bob Burns
Allen Collins Ronnie Van Zant
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