Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird – 7/2/1977 – Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official)

Uploaded by Jake on August 5, 2023 at 5:41 am

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird – 7/2/1977 – Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
Recorded Live: 7/2/1977 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium - Oakland, CA
More Lynyrd Skynyrd at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com
Subscribe to Music Vault on YouTube: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF

Personnel:
Ronnie Van Zant - vocals
Allen Collins - guitar
Gary Rossington - guitar
Steve Gaines - guitar
Artimus Pyle - drums
Leon Wilkeson - bass
Billy Powell - piano
Cassie Gaines - vocals
Jo Billingsley - vocals
Leslie Hawkins - vocals

Summary:
Just three and a half months before the fateful plane crash that killed Skynyrd members Steve Gaines, his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (of the Honkettes), and lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zandt, Lynyrd Skynyrd played this 4th of July weekend program in Oakland.

While this is only a partial recording of the show, two of the three songs are probably the ones you would skip to anyway: "Sweet Home Alabama" and the legendary closing track that has inspired legions of concert-going yokels to make millions of ironic requests over the years, "Free Bird." The first track is an excerpt of a standard Skynyrd live show cover, Jimmie Rodgers' "T for Texas" The guys take six minutes to stretch their legs on this version of "Sweet Home Alabama." The song had been released three years prior as a response song to the Neil Young numbers "Southern Man" and "Alabama," which were both critical of southern politics. Ironically, by some reports, Van Zant was wearing a Neil Young t-shirt at the time of this performance.

The show is closed with "Free Bird," which by many fans' estimations is only rivaled by Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" as the most epic closing song in rock history. Allen Collins handles most of the five-minute solo, while Gary Rossington plays the "bird-chirp" guitar parts, which are not on the original recording, as well as the slide work on the opening riffs. Billy Powell also plays a masterful piano solo that is unique to the live show.

While Lynyrd Skynyrd would release the multi-platinum Street Survivors in October of 1977, the band's structure would be fundamentally devastated by the crash of their private Convair 240 that took the lives of three members, as well as the pilots and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and terribly injured every other member, except for Honkette, JoJo Billingsley, who was at home with her children and had reportedly begged the band to quit using the plane after dreaming of such a crash.

From the ashes of this Skynyrd incarnation, Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, stepped in and made Lynyrd Skynyrd a popular band once more when they reformed in 1987. Lynyrd Skynyrd is planning to release an unearthed recording of pre-plane crash Skynyrd in 2009.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird
Recorded Live: 7/2/1977 – Oakland Coliseum Stadium – Oakland, CA
More Lynyrd Skynyrd at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com
Subscribe to Music Vault on YouTube: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF

Personnel:
Ronnie Van Zant – vocals
Allen Collins – guitar
Gary Rossington – guitar
Steve Gaines – guitar
Artimus Pyle – drums
Leon Wilkeson – bass
Billy Powell – piano
Cassie Gaines – vocals
Jo Billingsley – vocals
Leslie Hawkins – vocals

While this is only a partial recording of the show, two of the three songs are probably the ones you would skip to anyway: “Sweet Home Alabama” and the legendary closing track that has inspired legions of concert-going yokels to make millions of ironic requests over the years, “Free Bird.” The first track is an excerpt of a standard Skynyrd live show cover, Jimmie Rodgers’ “T for Texas” The guys take six minutes to stretch their legs on this version of “Sweet Home Alabama.” The song had been released three years prior as a response song to the Neil Young numbers “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” which were both critical of southern politics. Ironically, by some reports, Van Zant was wearing a Neil Young t-shirt at the time of this performance.

The show is closed with “Free Bird,” which by many fans’ estimations is only rivaled by Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” as the most epic closing song in rock history. Allen Collins handles most of the five-minute solo, while Gary Rossington plays the “bird-chirp” guitar parts, which are not on the original recording, as well as the slide work on the opening riffs. Billy Powell also plays a masterful piano solo that is unique to the live show.

While Lynyrd Skynyrd would release the multi-platinum Street Survivors in October of 1977, the band’s structure would be fundamentally devastated by the crash of their private Convair 240 that took the lives of three members, as well as the pilots and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and terribly injured every other member, except for Honkette, JoJo Billingsley, who was at home with her children and had reportedly begged the band to quit using the plane after dreaming of such a crash.

From the ashes of this Skynyrd incarnation, Van Zant’s younger brother, Johnny, stepped in and made Lynyrd Skynyrd a popular band once more when they reformed in 1987. Lynyrd Skynyrd is planning to release an unearthed recording of pre-plane crash Skynyrd in 2009.

Jake

Hey - Thanks for visiting. I work hard on this site - trying to bring you the best of everything guitar related. It is a work in progress. Please Contact Me with any thoughts, ideas, requests, etc. and be sure to "like" "pin" "bookmark" "tweet" and anything else you like to do by using the social share buttons above - or follow us by using the social buttons below. Thanks again.

Comments

IKS says:

There could not have been a better time to be alive than this I am sure of it

Margie T says:

Up there! Out there! Amazing! At the top of their game

Margie T says:

Everyone's favorite for good reason!

The Duke of Deland says:

Back when California was normal and not the crap hole it is today.

Dcw7777 says:

We all remember you all and God took you all home too soon.

Matthew Chapman says:

That Red headed Guy… with the explorer…perfect.

Big Zar says:

I was 22 the first time I heard this song. It was 99 and I was working next to guy named Keith from Greenbrier Tennessee, he said ‘YOU NEVER HEARD OF LYNRD SKYNRD!’ He let me borrow a cd the next day and my love of southern rock was born that day

Tessa Wells says:

08-04-2023 I remember where I was in 1977….my children love Lynyrd Skynyrd, now I am teaching my grandson.

Fuc Youu says:

Playing in Oakland fuckin California with a big ass rebel flag flying. Fuckin love it.

Fuc Youu says:

This is peak. Absolute peak.

Doug Evans says:

You've got to be kidding putting a commercial in the middle of this! That's worse than the old 8-track changing channels in the middle of a song BITD.

P St says:

But he aint skynyrd. Look at that pot belly

Josh Smith says:

Hillary Clinton the only one in the stadium not having a good time. 6:59–7:00

Antien says:

Billy, your the best we miss you…We miss all of you, especially now

Braylon18 says:

Love to see that flag flown proudly 🥹

G says:

I want the as my final goodbye spread my remains to styx “Come sail away “ and as my loved ones sail back to the shore Free Bird will play on loud speakers and everyone smoking a fatty candle in air and singing along with a glass of Jager Meister on the rocks with soda✌🏽⚱️⛵️🪽🫶🏽🪅🥃🌬️👐🏽don’t steal my last wishes idea cuz im authentic and copycats suck🖕🏽😆