Ronald Wayne “Ronnie” Van Zant, lead singer of the famous rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Jacksonville on this date in 1948. Raised in Jacksonville, Van Zant formed the band in 1964 with fellow classmates from Robert E. Lee High School. The band released such hits as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird,” “Tuesday’s Gone,” and “What’s Your Name” in the 1970s. Unfortunately, at the height of their success in 1977, the band was on a routine flight from South Carolina to Louisiana that crashed while attempting an emergency landing, killing six people on board, including Ronnie Van Zant. In 1987 Ronnie’s younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, along with surviving members of the band, began touring again, and continue to this day.
~Florida Historical Society
