I am and always will be a die hard Skynyrd fan. I was 16 in 1976 when I saw Skynyrd at the St.Paul Civic Center. I bought my ticket from a drunk scalper who gave back the wrong change so the ticket was free. Used that money to buy a tee shirt and a hit of trip. Awesome show..awesome memory!
The thing about Ronnie Van Zant was that he was a very laid back guy in social situations, but he could take the stage at any venue and act like he owned it. It's all personality.
@Gerald Dixon Cummings Gary said "Ronnie would be doing an interview and be cool and collect.Without warning drink would kick in,He would snarl at whomever "Just how in the hell you think you getting out this door" .
You gotta understand something the last year of Ronnie Van Zants life he was really getting cleaned up, he was actually going into the hotel rooms after each city instead of going to the bars like some of the other band members..
of the millions of people who have left this earth in the past century, the one I would choose to bring back would be mr. zant. he seemed like such a down to earth, solid, humble, chill, grounded guy. simple, yet highly intelligent and proud of his beliefs. we should have more celebs like Ronnie
Another one I wish we had back is Cliff Burton,Metallica bassist who died in a bus crash,the guy was a musical genius,he was also a laid back down to earth type of person.
@@nimitz1739Bet he managed to have them thinking that if they didn't stick with him, they'd amount to nothing. Control freak. Written all over the stories they've told about him. It's unfortunate that the alcohol had Ronnie by the balls. I'll bet he had some issues that would be quite surprising if anyone knew of them. But...the music...what can one say? The yin/yang of life
Grew up in Jax with most of the band, went to school with Gary and Dean. They played in the school cafeteria all the time, and with the Allman Bros changed my music preferences for life. RIP, you earned it. He doesn't like guns because he's been on the wrong end of them more times than you know.
Not a man alive like Ronnie Van Zandt. I been playing the guitar for 30 years and never heard a singer/songwriter like Ronnie. He wrote his music in his head and sang barefoot. God is lucky to be hanging out with Ronnie...
I actually disagree with Ronnie's view on handguns, but the fact that he was willing to speak his mind about it makes me respect him even more. The greatest fuckin' rock and roll frontman of all time...Rest in peace, Freebird.
Except what's happening today is much worse. You have mentally ill people able to buy a fucking arsenal then going out shooting up schools and movie theaters. Then you have delusional assholes thinking they need a gun to stop these other crazy fuckers. It's a total clusterfuck of gun humping inbred shitbags. Ronnie would be even more against guns.
damnit...just damnit...shed a tear this morning thinking about the tragedy that was the damn plane crash outside Hillsburg, MS in Oct 1977. It's impossible to grasp the scale of Ronnie's musical legacy, which really only spanned about 4 years. What would have been if he'd had another 50?
Every now and again God sends a true brother of the South down from on high to show and teach us all what this life is really about. Don't You Ever Rest Ronnie!!
there will never be a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd .I heard them when I was 15,and saw they were going to play at the Santa Monica civic auditorium around 76.Since my love for the band grew and I became a fan when i was stationed in Fort Bragg N.C.I have not stop buying their music.
The man speaks for himself. No need to wonder what the great RVZ thought about things. Damn straight genius, agitator, rock n roller, cool southern dude.
@@deebo865 I only reserve the title "genius" for fellow humans who display exceptional ability. I guess most folks assign that word to people for their intellectual contributions to society, but also creative contributions. As a bias, I suppose, I tend to give this word "genius" to more artists than deep thinkers. IQ is not a hard and fast rule for me to admire the genius skills of another human. I would include Salk, Sly Stone, Wozniak, Lamar (Hedy), Musk and other historical/contemporary artists in the basket of , "genius". Since you are genuinely curious about my personal thoughts on Ronnie Van Zant, you've probably read this far, so I'll continue. RVS died at the age of 29, a long-haired, bare footed, eye-liner wearing, gun control activist, composer from the deep Southern part of the united states after a half of dozen hit records and the architect of an actual musical "movement". Southern Rock and Roll. Elvis gets RocknRoll (even if he lifted it). BBKing gets the blues (even though there are more prolific players). Cobain gets Grunge (even though he sites other bands as artifacts before him). RVS's music came from the ether. There was nothing like it (or him) before. It's like the story of a 9 year math genius born in a shack in the poorest parts of India. RVS was a unicorn. He spawned countless imitators after that did not come close to his artistic heights. Today's version of Skynyrd is a prime example. Note: Lynyrd Skynyrd was HIS band. No ifs ands buts. Read up, or watch personal testimonial. It was the Ronnie Van Zant band. Apparently, he was very particular about every aspect of the music, therefore we can credit him with everything they created. Even his bandmates speak of passing every artistic choice past him. Plain spoken, poet lyrics, like the words of Hemingway. Hard driving rhythm against dreamy ballads and sometimes razor sharp commentary on current events like an operatic score. He was political, but a genius stays out of politics. He was controversial, but a genius stays out of conflict. He was adored by women (and probably men) but a genius goes fishing instead. I sincerely hope that you asked your question with an open mind, hoping to learn more about why many, many people (like myself) consider RVS a Genius, rather than asking as a contrarian, without hearing his music, or reading his lyrics, or listening to his rare interviews. If you are the later, then I assume you are the same type of person who gives movie reviews based on 2 minute movie trailers and food reviews base on the menu photos instead of taking the time to try everything on the menu. If that's what's going on here and you are simply a contrarian, then I can only offer you this Free Bird -i1ii. Genius gen·ius /ˈjēnyəs/ exceptional intellectual OR creative power or other natural ability. The shoe fits. Ronnie Van Zant was a genius. When you change the world with YOUR music, or your writing, or your film, or your remarkable discovery, I suggest you humbly bow down to the greatness and genius of Ronnie Van Zant. Peace.
@@aaronswanson9761 Well that's a really dumb statement. At what Latitude and Longitude COULD you begin to "throw away all the guns then?" Indiana/Kentucky boarder? WTF does the South have to do with it? You don't think folks in Michigan listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd and shoot guns? You don't think people in North Dakota don't sleep with a loaded gun next the night stand. The South? Wow!!! Ronnie VZ was one just man with his own position on guns and killin'. The South = Guns. That's about as stupid as saying The North = IQ. Regional loyalty is the poison dividing a national. Keep up the good work as a soldier of failure.
I listen to this interview on kmet when i was a young kid in southern cal so cool to hear it at 55 years of age yet so sad ronnie had so much more to give.
Ronnie and the rest of the band will be mourned forever. Where they should have been entertaining and evolving into the path they had started. God gave him incredible talent . We've missed you all these years later but you will never fade away.
Ronnie only got rowdy and hard as all get out to deal with when he drank real bad. Ronnie was a genius and he touched my heart and life big time with his music. Just a great storyteller!
Funny how people are quick to say Ronnie was so violent. If you were around in the 1970's , people treated you like dirt if you had long hair and liked the wild life. A good bar fight with a big loud mouth bully was a sport back then. I miss those days when people were real . Ronnie was loved by his friends and if a few rude morons got beat up so be it ! RIP RONNIE
Ronnie's philosophy on gun control was this, he wasn't afraid of an ass whooping. Too many people today are scared of just that. They talk a lot of shit but at the end they can't back it up with their fist and their feet.
I am impressedwith his views. The music industry tried so hard to make them "bad ass southern boys." On the contrary, Ronnie was a gentle man, who would rather go fishing, do taxidermy and spend time with his family. That is a true man. Because of that I like their music more.
@ gail Yeah, all that plus the fact that he was arrested 12 times ( or more not sure ) So Yeah, they all could be 'bad' from time to time. Leon was the pacifist. Billy was the 'hide behind the other's coat tails and Allen and Gary could hold their own in a tight spot. If there was a microphone available Artie would be calling the fight, because you know how he loved the sound of his own voice.
If you don't love Skynyrd's music or Ronnie you should not cut him down if you care to disupute he is the king of southern rock I am here to defend his honor as well as many other fans, so before your blow your mouth being negative go listen to 4-5 of his albums then we shall chat.
+1besieged King of North, East, South, and West rock. Haven't heard a bad song from them, wish they would play more of their stuff on the radio, everyone think all they are is Sweet Home Alabama, Freebird, and Tuesdays Gone. Soo, soo many great songs that don't get airtime for some reason.
+TomRock81 I know! It truly makes even a fan just sick. I refuse to listen to a station that plays only those three. We have one station here that has added Simple Man and Curtis Loew every now and then. As for TODAY'S Skynyrd, they just should've stopped after Ronnie died, but there were two greedy people. I won't mention names, (cough, Judy, Gary) but those greedy people wanting more money gets THE WORST frontman just because he looks like his brother. I love Donnie and .38 Special, but Johnny, just made his career off his brother. I have zero respect for him and that song he wrote for Ronnie before he joined Skynyrd was stupid, but....he wrote it and sang it solo. He should've kept going solo. I would've had more respect for him.
+Tammy Sigmon I cannot judge what the band did after Ronnie died but my favorite all time band is the original Skynyrd band, but they suffered much tragedy & loss so the band did what bands do banded together with a few new people. I know Johnny is not Ronnie but he does put his heart into his songs I listen to 99.5% of the band Ronnie sang in. I have heard pros and cons of the tribute band , I guess it is what it is. I have a few of the newer bands cd's but find the first band much to my tastes till i die. I rarely hear the other songs of the first band either, they were well hidden , so they should make a comeback with those songs. All of the former songs, if it takes a strong vocalist well, Ronnie had a daughter does she have a son or 2 who could fit the bill as well? I know Johnnie does a great job on Ronnie's songs but in time he too will retire or go out singing... Who is next to try to fill Ronnie's shoes. I think a grandson or nephew or ? my thoughts and opinions. any Skynyrd is better than no Skynyrd to me.
I'm pretty sure Skynyrd didn't have a song called "38 Special." Maybe you're confusing "Saturday Night Special" with the band Ronnie's brother Donnie was in called .38 Special.
I guess it is a trade off with positive and negative energy. While we are blessed to have some of the best music ever recorded i feel so cheated that RVZ and others have been taken from us do to tragic events.
I'm a huge Ronnie VanZant fan. I'm a big fan of Skynyrd and of Ronnie's lyrics. In the 1970's, when this was recorded, doing away with handguns may have been quite practical. I remember having been a teenager in the 70's myself that the crime rate was not nearly what it is today. These days, you better own two to protect you and yours.
I believe the crime rate was much worse in the 70s. In the book Freakonomics they talk about this and how crime peaked in the 70s then slowly ebbed all the way through the 2000s. Their theory is it was due to several factors, but mainly Roe v. Wade which curbed the number of fatherless children that ultimately wind up involved in criminal stuff. That all aside, I'm also a huge fan of Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I am interested in what is the time period of your growing up in Nashville. I m curious because of the same general idea with me. Save, I lived outside the city limits of Nashville, in Rutherford county.
That thumbnail is the old original muscle shoals sound studio in Alabama. My buddy sold it so many years back. Very cool place. Cool vibe in there. I spent alot of time there back in 2002 and 2003.
I am from Florence. They were staying at Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge on Florence Blvd. My mother was the assistant manager there. I met most of the band there in 1975. I was 15 years old. I had a crush on Cassie.
@atmdaddy Gimmme Back My Bullets was a metaphor for the Billboard "bullet" which meant your song was climbing the charts...once you lost the bullett that meant your song had lost it's steam as was probably heading down the charts.
Now having lost Jim Ladd both this and part 1 are absolutely legendary. Jim ladd is the only member of the press that Ronnie trusted. And im a former college coach that hates the press and Ronnie disliked them more than i do. I completely understand why. But we have to give Mr Ladd his flowers on these interviews cause of how much he allowed us to get to know Ronnie through these interviews
I found out about Lynyrd Skynyrd as a kid in the 1970’s Ronnie was one my Musical heroes. I place him at the top right along with Merle Haggard, Jim Croce, Keith Whitley, Bon Scott, Daryle Singletary, etc; All these musicians had a profound effect on me and taught me what to seek out when listening to and/or playing music myself. I am forever grateful to all of these musicians.
He stood on stage WITH THE MOXIE OF FANS GET READY FOR THE BEST SOUTHERN ROCK YOUVE EVER HEARD AND DEAL WITH IT!!!!!! BEST NAND EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ronnie was a genius, amazing to hear his voice , amazing to see his performances , amazing to re-visit his legacy ... so missed , I am a huge fan , I very often in my head I say “ bless you Ronnie ,and thank you for all your legacy sure all your music did touch my soul on a such level I couldn’t even imagine my life without Lynyrd Skynyrd and all those blessed gifted genius guitar/bass/piano/drums music and wise full of wisdom melodic lyrics ...” Lynyrd Skynyrd to me is untouchable.... absolutely immaculate to the most extremely level on top of the world right there with all the letters in gold and diamonds. R.I.P Ronnie till my judgement day I will have you in my heart and soul like my own family because you are so dear !! Australia 🇦🇺
Ronnie had an incredible CAREER ahead of him. He could write; he knew what music to fit it to , he would have gotten sober and gotten so hippie intellect smart; dang it Ronnie , Lord have mercy -😂....may you be in God's heaven 🌹
ronnie was awesome so sad all the original members have passed on i really wish we got more of ronnie but in a way we never saw him decline it’s bittersweet
'I've been shot myself'.. LOL He didn't give any details because it was Donnie who shot Ronnie in the foot or leg( can't remember which ) with a BB gun Ronnie took the blame because he didn't want Donnie to get into trouble.. Donnie was just a kid at the time.Kudos to Ronnie, always taking care of his brothers
We used to have bb gun wars! I've been shot with a bb gun several times, I quit the day Mike chason had got a gas powered semi auto for Christmas and was tearing bark off the tree I was hiding behind ! I threw my gun down and surrendered
JIm Ladd was one of the best interviewer of the time. As Ronnie said he was talking about things going on in Jax Fla. at the time of this interview. I guess you had to live there to really understand it. It was pretty crazy time in the early 70's. People getting robbed , murdered everyday. Ronnie & Charlie both played the concert to raise money for Ga. Govenor Jimmy Carter to be able to stay in the Presidental Race & Win the office. Im glad Jim Ladd took the time to record this & others for us.
@ Southernborn Well I did live in Jax ( on the Westside ) and still do. Sorry Bud, but your description of violence in the city in the 70s is just plain wrong. At that time, you could still walk down the street at night and not fear for your life. The crack epidemic had not yet heated up. Murder ? Every day ? That's an outright lie. You could still let your kids walk to school and play outside on a summer night without fear of them being killed, kidnapped or sexually assaulted. I'd give anything for things to be like they were in the 70s in Jacksonville
Everytime we have another school shooting I think of Ronnie and this interview. You are right Ronnie. Rip KY highschool kids who will never be the same. 01/23/2018 😡😭
LYNARD SKYNYRD..MAN YOU GUYS ARE STILL...LOVED AND MISSED..🎶😁 LOOK AT ALL OF THIS COOL, BEAUTIFUL, PEOPLE SAYING GREAT THINGS ABOUT Y'ALL..ROCK ON EVERYONE..🎶💕💕💕😁
It seems like everyone here is trying to put everyone else into a box. Ronnie was a true Southerner. He was the international ambassador for southern rock and Southern culture. And he didn't think we should all have easy access to handguns. He talked about all the homicides that caused. You can be from a red state, a Southerner, and even a Republican, and still have your own opinions. Ronnie was very clear about his opinion on this issue. And he was a proud Southerner. It's not complicated.
Who Ever the Person or People That were in charge of Chartering That , Old, Worn Out, Ready For The Scrapyard plane, That Aerosmith was going to use, and Turned it down due to it being A Piece Of Shit, when they KNEW That It Had Engine Problems. If these people responsible for getting the Plane are still alive , they should be Taken Back to the Skynyrd Crash Site, And be Hung on A Tall Tree With A Short Rope.. R.I.P., to all that Perished.Cousin Figel
+Cousin Figel I received a copy of the FAA crash report if you read this carefully the truth is there as well as the company who leased Skynyrd's band the plane, as well as inexperienced pilots who disobeyed the FAA tower's instructions to LAND prior to crash, the pilots were negligent as they failed to check the gas tank with a dipstick as required. There is more to this but I am only telling you this part I found/read. Also, I believe Ronnie & the others who died should not have died young, the blame does lay on the shoddy scrap metal junk airplane and pilots. my thoughts and opinions.
+1besieged Actually a lot of it is Ronnie's fault. He was a bully and very demanding and persuasive. That plane had been acting up for a long time before the night of the crash. It was acting up bad before the takeoff, and a bunch of them did not want to get on the plane. Ronnie bullied them into getting on. And on top of that, the pilots weren't exactly the best either. But if Ronnie had common sense, and he knew about the planes problems, he would not have bullied his band to getting on that plane when it was clear, they were scared because the plane had been acting up bad, backfiring, shooting flames out the engine, etc.
Look I'm a die hard Skynyrd fan and I was a friend of Ronnies growing up in Mississippi and a groupie for them in 73, it's safe to assume that the piece of shit plane caused the trouble in the first place but there are multiple reports that a majority of the people on the plain didn't want to fly in it when it broke down the first time but Ronnie "insisted" that they all did, well if you knew Ronnie like I did you know when Ronnie insisted on doing something it usually meant him in your face with his finger on your chest. Is he to blame on the wreck? Absolutely not, but there probably wouldn't have been that many people on board when it did go down if it wasn't for him God rest his soul
I got into an argument at work with a guy who assumed Skynyrd were gun loving hicks just cuz they were from the south. Boy did I let them know haha. Even though I'm a gun lovin hick haha. Skynyrd forever baby!!!!
to answer your question yes I was there and am still here having dealt with it. the ones that can't cope and l use the word effectively are the ones who can either proceed at a different rate or create a void that is quiet difficult to regain composure in
I saw them with Ronnie in July 5th 1976/ we took in A gallon of George Dickel 8/ ginger ale/ The Hells Angel,s and Marines, broke out into a fight! And Ronnie said,y'all better quit that shit,or we,ll stop playing,and come down there, and kick ya,lls ass! Winston-Salem NC, Clay Flinchum
A lyrical genius I can only imagine how far they would’ve gone with all of them living. Not that Johnny , Rickey and Hughie did a bad job carrying on the music. Even after Gary’s recent passing they all agreed to keep the music alive
Listen carefully at clip 00:13-00:18. "Are you into gun control?" Ronnie: "I think they ought to throw them all away." "Really?" Ronnie "Yes." "Just like the song says?" Ronnie "Yes I do." The interviewer asked about gun-control, not hand guns. The song is specifically about saturday night specials which was at the point of controversy at the time. But this interview was about Ronnie's opinion on guns in general. Ronnie portrayed a false persona of hard southerner while being anti-gun.
Ronnie Van Zant and Skynyrd once campaigned for Jimmy Carter. He also wanted to drop the use of the Confederate flag in their live shows but MCA insisted they continue to use it. Ronnie Van Zant was a "white Southern liberal".
I've lived on the Westside of Jacksonville for most of my life. In the 70s you could walk down the street and not fear for your life. I'm sure there were random homicides, but compared to today, no way.It's a different city, a different world. Had Ronnie lived long enough, I'm sure he would have changed his mind. Self preservation has to come into play at some point.
@ Jackson Troy Self preservation is the oldest, most basic of human instincts. So how would you protect your family if need be, or would you just say ' Here we are shoot my wife and kids first please " Numbnuts
@ james crowe Forrest High... sorry about what they did to your school in the name of what ? Prejudice, racism,? This entire world has gone nuts.. Now they've targeted Ronnie and the boy's school Robert E lEE. I wondered how long it would take to change that name...
the whole point to taking ALL guns away is so you wont have to use one..IF and yes i said IF,if they were all gone everyone could fight like a man if they have to..and the country boys i grew up around never used a gun to fight..you be a real man and duke it out
Ronnie Van zant was a wonderful musician he knew music and he said he got shot he don't want to get into that when people get shot guess that's hard for them to think about
Ronnie Van Zant is a genius and the world is a far less musical place without him.
Agreed
There'll never be another like him. He was one of a kind...
Says u
A voice of unrivaled authenticity.
He never wrote anything down on paper, according to some band mates. He remembered all lyrics to all the songs he wrote.
I am and always will be a die hard Skynyrd fan. I was 16 in 1976 when I saw Skynyrd at the St.Paul Civic Center. I bought my ticket from a drunk scalper who gave back the wrong change so the ticket was free. Used that money to buy a tee shirt and a hit of trip. Awesome show..awesome memory!
he'll yea friend wish I could have been there I would have tripped like a free bird with ya
Bart Hogan Me too....but I never got to see em.😳✌
Hey, I'm that drunk scalper. You owe me $4.50 dammit. Plus interest.
That's awesome man
@@a.mnmemories4289 plus inflation
The thing about Ronnie Van Zant was that he was a very laid back guy in social situations, but he could take the stage at any venue and act like he owned it. It's all personality.
@Gerald Dixon Cummings Gary said "Ronnie would be doing an interview and be cool and collect.Without warning drink would kick in,He would snarl at whomever "Just how in the hell you think you getting out this door" .
I think this interview just proves that Ronnie was a kind soul, as all good souls are. There was violence in his body but not much in his heart.
Unless drunk....bandmates painted a different picture
@M Fisher He was apparently quite a scrapper and used a razor for "backup", Rossington said he would not hesitate to use it if needed...
You gotta understand something the last year of Ronnie Van Zants life he was really getting cleaned up, he was actually going into the hotel rooms after each city instead of going to the bars like some of the other band members..
I see people saying he didn’t like guns cuz he could not he could not hurt someone with a gun, he wants violent tho he just had a drinking problem
@@chucky2569 that's when my friend was dating him, and she said he wanted to cash out, move to hawaii, and just chill.
of the millions of people who have left this earth in the past century, the one I would choose to bring back would be mr. zant. he seemed like such a down to earth, solid, humble, chill, grounded guy. simple, yet highly intelligent and proud of his beliefs. we should have more celebs like Ronnie
I agree with everything but the chill part. He was a hell raiser, beating the crap out of his own bandmates. Busting out their teeth
He was a bully and ahole
Another one I wish we had back is Cliff Burton,Metallica bassist who died in a bus crash,the guy was a musical genius,he was also a laid back down to earth type of person.
@@nimitz1739Bet he managed to have them thinking that if they didn't stick with him, they'd amount to nothing. Control freak. Written all over the stories they've told about him. It's unfortunate that the alcohol had Ronnie by the balls. I'll bet he had some issues that would be quite surprising if anyone knew of them. But...the music...what can one say? The yin/yang of life
Grew up in Jax with most of the band, went to school with Gary and Dean.
They played in the school cafeteria all the time, and with the Allman Bros changed my music preferences for life. RIP, you earned it.
He doesn't like guns because he's been on the wrong end of them more times than you know.
As young as Ronnie was when he passed away, all the songs he wrote , he had been around the the world,and had lived many years😝
Ronnie Van Zant was an outspoken individual who stood up for what he believed in. May he R.I.P.
Not a man alive like Ronnie Van Zandt. I been playing the guitar for 30 years and never heard a singer/songwriter like Ronnie. He wrote his music in his head and sang barefoot. God is lucky to be hanging out with Ronnie...
RIP Ronnie. We miss your musical talents tremendously brother you are one of GOD's greatest gifts to Southern rock!!!😎🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Rock period
@@gregorylensegrav208 yea you are right but he was most def a Southern Rocker!🤘
We will agree he was very special we're both big fans and he is sorley missed damn he was awesome@@jayjohnson9668
A multi faceted man but what a songwriter. He was something else.
Rest in peace Ronnie
G.O.A.T.Greatest of all time there will never be anything to compare
Never
One of kind , often imitated but never duplicated :)
KNEW HIM BACK IN THE DAY, TUFF MAN, GREAT PERFORMER, FANTASTIC WRITER, , JUST ANOTHER JAX AND ORANGE PARK BOY
@ scott nasta
RVZ was never an Orange Park boy until he bought a house on Brickyard Rd as a man.
These old school FM radio events were so cool to hear...just a different time. I miss these old radio events. All we had back then...
I actually disagree with Ronnie's view on handguns, but the fact that he was willing to speak his mind about it makes me respect him even more.
The greatest fuckin' rock and roll frontman of all time...Rest in peace, Freebird.
Amen to that. Seems like guns and Skynyrd go hand in hand to me.
Ronnie was shot. Thats why he thought people were not smart enough to have them. Thats what the song says too.
+Thelonesniper101 Ronnies view on handguns was based on what was happening in the world back at that time. Not the present times.
Except what's happening today is much worse. You have mentally ill people able to buy a fucking arsenal then going out shooting up schools and movie theaters. Then you have delusional assholes thinking they need a gun to stop these other crazy fuckers. It's a total clusterfuck of gun humping inbred shitbags. Ronnie would be even more against guns.
The majority of gun crimes are committed by people who have no diagnosis of mental illness.
His voice 😍
Oh those songs those times THAT WAS MAGIC THERE AIN'T NO MUSIC TODAY THAT COMPARES
I like the "sir" part. That's shows respect. And respect goes a long way. Thank you.
damnit...just damnit...shed a tear this morning thinking about the tragedy that was the damn plane crash outside Hillsburg, MS in Oct 1977. It's impossible to grasp the scale of Ronnie's musical legacy, which really only spanned about 4 years. What would have been if he'd had another 50?
Every now and again God sends a true brother of the South down from on high to show and teach us all what this life is really about. Don't You Ever Rest Ronnie!!
Sho right
I would have liked to gone fishin w/ Ronnie!
Hi
He could've been my fishing teacher. I bet it would be peaceful fishing with him
Anybody that wants to fish with Ronnie is a friend of mine! Ronnie was the real macoy! People like him really do grow on trees!
Him and Duane Allman ✌️🍑🎶
Happy 73rd Birthday Ronnie! We all miss you!
there will never be a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd .I heard them when I was 15,and saw they were going to play at the Santa Monica civic auditorium around 76.Since my love for the band grew and I became a fan when i was stationed in Fort Bragg N.C.I have not stop buying their music.
no matter his politics, Ronnie was the greatest, fly on free bird, we still love you....
My favorite band 🎸
Dudes an American southern legend. Has a mystique that’s been immortalized.
The man speaks for himself. No need to wonder what the great RVZ thought about things. Damn straight genius, agitator, rock n roller, cool southern dude.
how is he a genius im genuinely curious
@@deebo865 I only reserve the title "genius" for fellow humans who display exceptional ability. I guess most folks assign that word to people for their intellectual contributions to society, but also creative contributions. As a bias, I suppose, I tend to give this word "genius" to more artists than deep thinkers. IQ is not a hard and fast rule for me to admire the genius skills of another human. I would include Salk, Sly Stone, Wozniak, Lamar (Hedy), Musk and other historical/contemporary artists in the basket of , "genius". Since you are genuinely curious about my personal thoughts on Ronnie Van Zant, you've probably read this far, so I'll continue. RVS died at the age of 29, a long-haired, bare footed, eye-liner wearing, gun control activist, composer from the deep Southern part of the united states after a half of dozen hit records and the architect of an actual musical "movement". Southern Rock and Roll. Elvis gets RocknRoll (even if he lifted it). BBKing gets the blues (even though there are more prolific players). Cobain gets Grunge (even though he sites other bands as artifacts before him). RVS's music came from the ether. There was nothing like it (or him) before. It's like the story of a 9 year math genius born in a shack in the poorest parts of India. RVS was a unicorn. He spawned countless imitators after that did not come close to his artistic heights. Today's version of Skynyrd is a prime example. Note: Lynyrd Skynyrd was HIS band. No ifs ands buts. Read up, or watch personal testimonial. It was the Ronnie Van Zant band. Apparently, he was very particular about every aspect of the music, therefore we can credit him with everything they created. Even his bandmates speak of passing every artistic choice past him. Plain spoken, poet lyrics, like the words of Hemingway. Hard driving rhythm against dreamy ballads and sometimes razor sharp commentary on current events like an operatic score. He was political, but a genius stays out of politics. He was controversial, but a genius stays out of conflict. He was adored by women (and probably men) but a genius goes fishing instead. I sincerely hope that you asked your question with an open mind, hoping to learn more about why many, many people (like myself) consider RVS a Genius, rather than asking as a contrarian, without hearing his music, or reading his lyrics, or listening to his rare interviews. If you are the later, then I assume you are the same type of person who gives movie reviews based on 2 minute movie trailers and food reviews base on the menu photos instead of taking the time to try everything on the menu. If that's what's going on here and you are simply a contrarian, then I can only offer you this Free Bird -i1ii. Genius
gen·ius
/ˈjēnyəs/
exceptional intellectual OR creative power or other natural ability.
The shoe fits. Ronnie Van Zant was a genius. When you change the world with YOUR music, or your writing, or your film, or your remarkable discovery, I suggest you humbly bow down to the greatness and genius of Ronnie Van Zant. Peace.
You can't be Southern and Suggest that we throw away all our guns.
@@aaronswanson9761 Well that's a really dumb statement. At what Latitude and Longitude COULD you begin to "throw away all the guns then?" Indiana/Kentucky boarder? WTF does the South have to do with it? You don't think folks in Michigan listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd and shoot guns? You don't think people in North Dakota don't sleep with a loaded gun next the night stand. The South? Wow!!! Ronnie VZ was one just man with his own position on guns and killin'. The South = Guns. That's about as stupid as saying The North = IQ. Regional loyalty is the poison dividing a national. Keep up the good work as a soldier of failure.
@@deebo865 if you are to much of a dull wit to figure it out..
. 😂
Going back in the past. WoW. Its good to hear him. Again. After all this year's. R.I.P. Brother. See ya, all in Rock -n- Roll Heaven.
I listen to this interview on kmet when i was a young kid in southern cal so cool to hear it at 55 years of age yet so sad ronnie had so much more to give.
I wish Ronnie Van Zant was alive. He would know what to do about what is going on in America
Are you on medication?
Him and ted ted Nugent as President and vice President would be AWESOME
Prophetic Ronnie even in 1975! Listen People 🕊😪
It’s all about their music!!What an era to be alive!!!🤠🤠🤠🤠
Ronnie and the rest of the band will be mourned forever. Where they should have been entertaining and evolving into the path they had started. God gave him incredible talent . We've missed you all these years later but you will never fade away.
It amazes me that after all these years I still remember the words to all these great songs ! RiP Ron
Ronnie only got rowdy and hard as all get out to deal with when he drank real bad. Ronnie was a genius and he touched my heart and life big time with his music. Just a great storyteller!
INDEED HE DID! Especially mine!❤️❤️❤️
Funny how people are quick to say Ronnie was so violent. If you were around in the 1970's , people treated you like dirt if you had long hair and liked the wild life. A good bar fight with a big loud mouth bully was a sport back then. I miss those days when people were real . Ronnie was loved by his friends and if a few rude morons got beat up so be it ! RIP RONNIE
This song is great...Artimus' father died the day he recorded this...he really channeled that pain and energy into his playing on this one!
Yes!!
1/18/75 and it was a Saturday
i wish the music wasnt played through the whole interview and we could actually hear the interview!
Yeah pretty much made it on watchable for me
i love how Gary and Allen are sitting right next to each other... :) xoxoxo love these guys
ronnie .... one of the best ever
I just heard sweet home Alabama on the radio;i kept thinking...this is...a perfect.song. AMAZED LYRNRD SKYNRD FOREVER THEY WERE SUPERB
What're you gonna do fire us? Lmao Ronnie was the man.
Ronnie's philosophy on gun control was this, he wasn't afraid of an ass whooping. Too many people today are scared of just that. They talk a lot of shit but at the end they can't back it up with their fist and their feet.
I am impressedwith his views. The music industry tried so hard to make them "bad ass southern boys." On the contrary, Ronnie was a gentle man, who would rather go fishing, do taxidermy and spend time with his family. That is a true man. Because of that I like their music more.
@ gail
Yeah, all that plus the fact that he was arrested 12 times ( or more not sure ) So Yeah, they all could be 'bad' from time to time. Leon was the pacifist. Billy was the 'hide behind the other's coat tails and Allen and Gary could hold their own in a tight spot. If there was a microphone available Artie would be calling the fight, because you know how he loved the sound of his own voice.
@ Gail
Too bad you can't ask Billy Powell how 'gentle' Ronnie was when he (Ronnie ) punched out Billy's four front teeth.
If you don't love Skynyrd's music or Ronnie you should not cut him down if you care to disupute he is the king of southern rock I am here to defend his honor as well as many other fans, so before your blow your mouth being negative go listen to 4-5 of his albums then we shall chat.
+1besieged King of North, East, South, and West rock. Haven't heard a bad song from them, wish they would play more of their stuff on the radio, everyone think all they are is Sweet Home Alabama, Freebird, and Tuesdays Gone. Soo, soo many great songs that don't get airtime for some reason.
+TomRock81 I know! It truly makes even a fan just sick. I refuse to listen to a station that plays only those three. We have one station here that has added Simple Man and Curtis Loew every now and then. As for TODAY'S Skynyrd, they just should've stopped after Ronnie died, but there were two greedy people. I won't mention names, (cough, Judy, Gary) but those greedy people wanting more money gets THE WORST frontman just because he looks like his brother. I love Donnie and .38 Special, but Johnny, just made his career off his brother. I have zero respect for him and that song he wrote for Ronnie before he joined Skynyrd was stupid, but....he wrote it and sang it solo. He should've kept going solo. I would've had more respect for him.
+Tammy Sigmon
I cannot judge what the band did after Ronnie died but my favorite all time band is the original Skynyrd band, but they suffered much tragedy & loss so the band did what bands do banded together with a few new people. I know Johnny is not Ronnie but he does put his heart into his songs I listen to 99.5% of the band Ronnie sang in.
I have heard pros and cons of the tribute band , I guess it is what it is. I have a few of the newer bands cd's but find the first band much to my tastes till i die. I rarely hear the other songs of the first band either, they were well hidden , so they should make a comeback with those songs. All of the former songs, if it takes a strong vocalist well, Ronnie had a daughter does she have a son or 2 who could fit the bill as well? I know Johnnie does a great job on Ronnie's songs but in time he too will retire or go out singing... Who is next to try to fill Ronnie's shoes. I think a grandson or nephew or ?
my thoughts and opinions. any Skynyrd is better than no Skynyrd to me.
+1besieged amen brotha
I'm pretty sure Skynyrd didn't have a song called "38 Special." Maybe you're confusing "Saturday Night Special" with the band Ronnie's brother Donnie was in called .38 Special.
LOL, RVZ SEZ "What are you gonna do, FIRE US ?", BWAH HA HA.....There is a Man that knows the score and calls it !
I guess it is a trade off with positive and negative energy. While we are blessed to have some of the best music ever recorded i feel so cheated that RVZ and others have been taken from us do to tragic events.
I'm a huge Ronnie VanZant fan. I'm a big fan of Skynyrd and of Ronnie's lyrics. In the 1970's, when this was recorded, doing away with handguns may have been quite practical. I remember having been a teenager in the 70's myself that the crime rate was not nearly what it is today. These days, you better own two to protect you and yours.
I believe the crime rate was much worse in the 70s. In the book Freakonomics they talk about this and how crime peaked in the 70s then slowly ebbed all the way through the 2000s. Their theory is it was due to several factors, but mainly Roe v. Wade which curbed the number of fatherless children that ultimately wind up involved in criminal stuff. That all aside, I'm also a huge fan of Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Just not the same band today and has not been since Ronnie died.
I am interested in what is the time period of your growing up in Nashville. I m curious because of the same general idea with me. Save, I lived outside the city limits of Nashville, in Rutherford county.
I agree that the band is not the same without Ronnie, he was the heart and soul of the band.
Jessica Thomson I agree but I still respect the guys trying to carry it on.
Just a tribute band without Ronnie and Allan..seriously
No Shit Sherlock thanks Mr Obviously
That thumbnail is the old original muscle shoals sound studio in Alabama. My buddy sold it so many years back. Very cool place. Cool vibe in there. I spent alot of time there back in 2002 and 2003.
I am from Florence. They were staying at Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge on Florence Blvd. My mother was the assistant manager there. I met most of the band there in 1975. I was 15 years old. I had a crush on Cassie.
Boy I miss these guys...
@atmdaddy Gimmme Back My Bullets was a metaphor for the Billboard "bullet" which meant your song was climbing the charts...once you lost the bullett that meant your song had lost it's steam as was probably heading down the charts.
Thanks man good to see some people still have a working brain.
Definately the King
Now having lost Jim Ladd both this and part 1 are absolutely legendary. Jim ladd is the only member of the press that Ronnie trusted. And im a former college coach that hates the press and Ronnie disliked them more than i do. I completely understand why. But we have to give Mr Ladd his flowers on these interviews cause of how much he allowed us to get to know Ronnie through these interviews
It be nice if people kept their honor their morals and their beliefs like he did and spoke truth to power. He was just real.
I found out about Lynyrd Skynyrd as a kid in the 1970’s Ronnie was one my Musical heroes. I place him at the top right along with Merle Haggard, Jim Croce, Keith Whitley, Bon Scott, Daryle Singletary, etc; All these musicians had a profound effect on me and taught me what to seek out when listening to and/or playing music myself. I am forever grateful to all of these musicians.
He stood on stage WITH THE MOXIE OF FANS GET READY FOR THE BEST SOUTHERN ROCK YOUVE EVER HEARD AND DEAL WITH IT!!!!!! BEST NAND EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ronnie was a genius, amazing to hear his voice , amazing to see his performances , amazing to re-visit his legacy ... so missed , I am a huge fan , I very often in my head I say “ bless you Ronnie ,and thank you for all your legacy sure all your music did touch my soul on a such level I couldn’t even imagine my life without Lynyrd Skynyrd and all those blessed gifted genius guitar/bass/piano/drums music and wise full of wisdom melodic lyrics ...”
Lynyrd Skynyrd to me is untouchable.... absolutely immaculate to the most extremely level on top of the world right there with all the letters in gold and diamonds.
R.I.P Ronnie till my judgement day I will have you in my heart and soul like my own family because you are so dear !!
Australia 🇦🇺
Ronnie had an incredible CAREER ahead of him. He could write; he knew what music to fit it to , he would have gotten sober and gotten so hippie intellect smart; dang it Ronnie , Lord have mercy -😂....may you be in God's heaven 🌹
Great interview with ronnie and he wrote some great lyrics and to think he was only in his 20,s then
Yes he did :-)
ronnie was awesome so sad all the original members have passed on i really wish we got more of ronnie but in a way we never saw him decline it’s bittersweet
'I've been shot myself'.. LOL He didn't give any details because it was Donnie who shot Ronnie in the foot or leg( can't remember which ) with a BB gun Ronnie took the blame because he didn't want Donnie to get into trouble.. Donnie was just a kid at the time.Kudos to Ronnie, always taking care of his brothers
We used to have bb gun wars! I've been shot with a bb gun several times, I quit the day Mike chason had got a gas powered semi auto for Christmas and was tearing bark off the tree I was hiding behind ! I threw my gun down and surrendered
This is true. It was Donnie, he was about 11 or 12 and Ronnie was 16. And it was the leg. In the calf i believe.
such kickass songs
In several interviews I've read with Ronnie Van Zant over the years. All easily accessible via the web.
I love you Ronnie. ......
JIm Ladd was one of the best interviewer of the time. As Ronnie said he was talking about things going on in Jax Fla. at the time of this interview. I guess you had to live there to really understand it. It was pretty crazy time in the early 70's. People getting robbed , murdered everyday. Ronnie & Charlie both played the concert to raise money for Ga. Govenor Jimmy Carter to be able to stay in the Presidental Race & Win the office. Im glad Jim Ladd took the time to record this & others for us.
@ Southernborn
Well I did live in Jax ( on the Westside ) and still do. Sorry Bud, but your description of violence in the city in the 70s is just plain wrong. At that time, you could still walk down the street at night and not fear for your life. The crack epidemic had not yet heated up. Murder ? Every day ? That's an outright lie. You could still let your kids walk to school and play outside on a summer night without fear of them being killed, kidnapped or sexually assaulted. I'd give anything for things to be like they were in the 70s in Jacksonville
Ronnie was a fisherman! Why ya'll want to keep talk'in guns?Now if wanna talk a fishing I guess that'll be ok man!
Because SNS was about guns
Do t ask me no questions!
I think you sir have a underrated comment
Everytime we have another school shooting I think of Ronnie and this interview. You are right Ronnie. Rip KY highschool kids who will never be the same. 01/23/2018 😡😭
@ Amanda
School shootings are rarely, if ever committed by handguns.
@@TheFruitloop186No way you missed her point,though. Or Ronnie's. Salute no bullets to the head,I say.
LYNARD SKYNYRD..MAN YOU GUYS ARE STILL...LOVED AND MISSED..🎶😁 LOOK AT ALL OF THIS COOL, BEAUTIFUL, PEOPLE SAYING GREAT THINGS ABOUT Y'ALL..ROCK ON EVERYONE..🎶💕💕💕😁
It seems like everyone here is trying to put everyone else into a box.
Ronnie was a true Southerner. He was the international ambassador for southern rock and Southern culture. And he didn't think we should all have easy access to handguns. He talked about all the homicides that caused.
You can be from a red state, a Southerner, and even a Republican, and still have your own opinions. Ronnie was very clear about his opinion on this issue. And he was a proud Southerner. It's not complicated.
Who Ever the Person or People That were in charge of Chartering That , Old, Worn Out, Ready For The Scrapyard plane, That Aerosmith was going to use, and Turned it down due to it being A Piece Of Shit, when they KNEW That It Had Engine Problems. If these people responsible for getting the Plane are still alive , they should be Taken Back to the Skynyrd Crash Site, And be Hung on A Tall Tree With A Short Rope.. R.I.P., to all that Perished.Cousin Figel
+Cousin Figel
I received a copy of the FAA crash report if you read this carefully the truth is there as well as the company who leased Skynyrd's band the plane, as well as inexperienced pilots who disobeyed the FAA tower's instructions to LAND prior to crash, the pilots were negligent as they failed to check the gas tank with a dipstick as required. There is more to this but I am only telling you this part I found/read.
Also, I believe Ronnie & the others who died should not have died young, the blame does lay on the shoddy scrap metal junk airplane and pilots.
my thoughts and opinions.
+1besieged Actually a lot of it is Ronnie's fault. He was a bully and very demanding and persuasive. That plane had been acting up for a long time before the night of the crash. It was acting up bad before the takeoff, and a bunch of them did not want to get on the plane. Ronnie bullied them into getting on. And on top of that, the pilots weren't exactly the best either. But if Ronnie had common sense, and he knew about the planes problems, he would not have bullied his band to getting on that plane when it was clear, they were scared because the plane had been acting up bad, backfiring, shooting flames out the engine, etc.
bully what kinda pussy term is that wtf
Look I'm a die hard Skynyrd fan and I was a friend of Ronnies growing up in Mississippi and a groupie for them in 73, it's safe to assume that the piece of shit plane caused the trouble in the first place but there are multiple reports that a majority of the people on the plain didn't want to fly in it when it broke down the first time but Ronnie "insisted" that they all did, well if you knew Ronnie like I did you know when Ronnie insisted on doing something it usually meant him in your face with his finger on your chest. Is he to blame on the wreck? Absolutely not, but there probably wouldn't have been that many people on board when it did go down if it wasn't for him God rest his soul
James Clark Ronnie didn't grow up in Mississippi Jacksonville Florida is where he roamed
I am still in love with Ronnie Van Zant
Me too.
Magic!!
I got into an argument at work with a guy who assumed Skynyrd were gun loving hicks just cuz they were from the south. Boy did I let them know haha. Even though I'm a gun lovin hick haha. Skynyrd forever baby!!!!
Ronnie Van zant had guns
Good story....thanks for sharing🇺🇸
They all had guns
@@Sam-fc8ik he clearly says he has an 1874 flintlock.. do you have actual proof he owned others after this interview? Specifically hand guns
@@jaredfullmer5104 th-cam.com/video/IAMpInBcWDQ/w-d-xo.html there ya go
to answer your question yes I was there and am still here having dealt with it. the ones that can't cope and l use the word effectively are the ones who can either proceed at a different rate or create a void that is quiet difficult to regain composure in
I saw them with Ronnie in July 5th 1976/ we took in A gallon of George Dickel 8/ ginger ale/ The Hells Angel,s and Marines, broke out into a fight! And Ronnie said,y'all better quit that shit,or we,ll stop playing,and come down there, and kick ya,lls ass! Winston-Salem NC, Clay Flinchum
Wow I would have been shaking like a leaf on a tree
r.i.p Ronnie💯
Now in paradise. RIP
A lyrical genius
I can only imagine how far they would’ve gone with all of them living. Not that Johnny , Rickey and Hughie did a bad job carrying on the music. Even after Gary’s recent passing they all agreed to keep the music alive
My hero!
“I really don’t like ‘em.”
If only he could’ve seen what we’re able to get ahold of today…
People under ruthless dictators sing give me back my bullet cause the lost there freedom..No freebirds there.Just chains
Damn. Well said.
Listen carefully at clip 00:13-00:18. "Are you into gun control?" Ronnie: "I think they ought to throw them all away." "Really?" Ronnie "Yes." "Just like the song says?" Ronnie "Yes I do." The interviewer asked about gun-control, not hand guns. The song is specifically about saturday night specials which was at the point of controversy at the time. But this interview was about Ronnie's opinion on guns in general. Ronnie portrayed a false persona of hard southerner while being anti-gun.
No he just was anti-gun.
@@panosanest7625There was zero false persona with Ronnie Van Zant!
Hey Dan, dont talk smack about Ronnies little brother. Why? Because I'm still alive, on our planet. Eugene Weaver
Ronnie Van Zant and Skynyrd once campaigned for Jimmy Carter. He also wanted to drop the use of the Confederate flag in their live shows but MCA insisted they continue to use it. Ronnie Van Zant was a "white Southern liberal".
False. No proof of your flag statement.
@ Beetlebump
I guess that's why he wore a variety of Tshirts with the Confederate flag emblem off stage too, right ?
@Matt Beeman yeah I think you are correct. I think the members had different politics
I've never heard that before It could be true but in these time I dont think he would be much of a liberal but I can't speak for the man
@@jakeshaw6827 They played for several democrats fundraising shows. They were liberal.
eski502
Would you possibly mean 'waist band' ? Where can we find this photo, I've never seen it. Sure it wasn't a prop ?
4:39 Ronnie was a DAC fan
Ronnie was entitled to his opinion and no one has the right to question that
Never would have guessed Ronnie was for gun control.
Don't specter he was cause on cheatin woman he says gonna get that pistol gal gonna shoot you and all your pals lol
I've lived on the Westside of Jacksonville for most of my life. In the 70s you could walk down the street and not fear for your life. I'm sure there were random homicides, but compared to today, no way.It's a different city, a different world. Had Ronnie lived long enough, I'm sure he would have changed his mind. Self preservation has to come into play at some point.
bullshit
I totally agree. I agree with everything he stood for minus gun control.
@ Jackson Troy
Self preservation is the oldest, most basic of human instincts. So how would you protect your family if need be, or would you just say ' Here we are shoot my wife and kids first please " Numbnuts
@ james crowe
Forrest High... sorry about what they did to your school in the name of what ? Prejudice, racism,? This entire world has gone nuts.. Now they've targeted Ronnie and the boy's school Robert E lEE. I wondered how long it would take to change that name...
@ james crow
My daughter graduated from Ed White
the whole point to taking ALL guns away is so you wont have to use one..IF and yes i said IF,if they were all gone everyone could fight like a man if they have to..and the country boys i grew up around never used a gun to fight..you be a real man and duke it out
I believe that might be Kevin Elson who ran sound and helped in the studio on "STREET SURVIVORS"...
agreed 100%
Anyone know what RVZ's t-shirt says ? "Get thy ?"
50 plus years later and America has become the gun capital of the world. And we have the highest prison population in the world also.
I'm from Texas and I'm all for protecting yourself but the gun culture in this country really is just too much and unnecessary
Big Jim Crack that guitar riff.Gary Ronnie Ed King put this song together Longest Yard movie back in the day 😊
Ronnie Van zant was a wonderful musician he knew music and he said he got shot he don't want to get into that when people get shot guess that's hard for them to think about