Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird - 7/2/1977 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official)
74,943,521
Published 2014-09-24
Recorded Live: 7/2/1977 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium - Oakland, CA
More Lynyrd Skynyrd at Music Vault: www.musicvault.com/
Subscribe to Music Vault on YouTube: 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.
All Comments (21)
-
I'm 95 years old and about to fly free. I Remember this like it was yesterday. Thank you for the memories.
-
I was there!! 20 years old, 67 and still listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd
-
This footage is an historical treasure for the ages
-
A lot of you are alive today because of that concert that night. Don’t forget that.
-
RIP Gary Rossington. Haunting to know all the guys on the front of that stage, hair flowing in the wind, in their prime are now all freebirds. Thanks for all the great music.
-
I was at that concert in '77. Now I'm 67 and it seems like yesterday. Thanks for the memories and fly high Free Birds.
-
The 70's was a magical time.....life was alot simpler.....god bless
-
All bands make music. Some bands make history
-
Every original member of this band has passed away. However, their music, and this performance, will live forever.
-
Rest in Peace, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, Bob Burns, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, Ed King, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines. Gone but not forgotten.
-
I paused the video to look at a group of beautiful young women. They would have been my same age at this show. I think of how each of the turned out and how their lives went. The older I get the more nostalgic I get listening to these great old songs. I was in tears watching and listening to this video thinking back to those days and the summer times that were beyond belief and how I thought they would last forever. I miss being young. I wouldn’t want to be young with todays trash music. We had it great. The best music in history.
-
We’ll never have the privilege to get music like this again. Everyone just having a great time- the way America used to be
-
Yesterday I watched my Mom tell my Dad goodbye by for the last time. They loved music and going to concerts so I asked the medical staff if it was ok to turn on music. They approved so I started 70’s rock station on pandora. This was the first song to play and as soon my mom heard the song she looked up and said this was our song when we first started to date back in the 70’s. They removed life support at that time and my dad passed as the song ended. What a moment to experience. Freebird will be forever etched in my heart 🥺🤘🏽❤️
-
YouTube is so wrong for cutting this song in half for a commercial. They don’t realize what a masterpiece this song is!
-
Despite all of our division, anger, and problems in our country.... let us all agree upon the guitar solo of FREEBIRD ...God bless America
-
Crazy to think that those 70's honeys in the audience are now grandmothers and great grandmothers now. I was 10 year old in August of 1977 myself and I sure do miss that era. Less complicated in many ways....just more laid back man. I may have been a kid but I remember very well what that era was like.
-
That moment, when you realize your grandparents were cooler than you will ever be. 😂❤❤❤
-
The human race will never be this cool again for all of eternity. Nothing could even come close to this.
-
I'm 68 and I still enjoy listening to Skynyrd
-
I'm 81. Just watched it again! DAMN! SUCH AN INCREDIBLE TIME!❤❤❤ Fly FREE!💥
