Editing Lynyrd Skynyrd (section)

===Early years (1963–1973)===
[[Allen Collins]] received his first guitar in 1963 and was later in a band called The Mods in [[Jacksonville, Florida]]. The Mods membership included J.R. Rice and Larry Steele. In early 1964, [[Ronnie Van Zant]] joined another local band, The Squires, that he soon renamed to Us. That year, at a local 'Battle of the Bands', Us performed against The Mods and won the competition. Van Zant, however, left Us shortly afterward. In the early summer of 1964, bassist [[Larry Junstrom]], drummer [[Bob Burns (drummer)|Bob Burns]], and guitarist [[Gary Rossington]] formed a trio called Me, You, and Him.{{efn|Rossington was the last to join—at Burns' request.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} }}

Later in the summer of 1964, teenagers Van Zant, Rossington, and Burns all became acquainted while playing on rival baseball teams. The trio decided to jam together one afternoon after Burns was injured by a ball hit by Van Zant. They set up their equipment in the carport of Burns' parents' house and played [[The Rolling Stones]]' hit "[[Time Is on My Side]]". Liking what they heard, they immediately decided to form a band. Bassist Larry Junstrom rounded out the lineup. They soon approached guitarist Allen Collins to join the band just two weeks later, and he agreed to join.{{efn|Collins initially fled on his bicycle and hid in a tree at the sight of Van Zant pulling into his driveway. Collins was soon convinced that Van Zant meant him no harm.<ref name="kijak-documentary" />}}<ref name="kijak-documentary">''If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd''; directed by Stephen Kijak; Passion Pictures; (2018)</ref> The band later rehearsed in Junstrom's carport after Burns' parents said the band was too loud. The band settled on the name My Backyard, later changed to Conquer the Worm for a day or two, then The Noble Five,<ref name=Name_Changes/> and finally The One Percent by 1967.<ref name=Name_Changes>{{cite web |url=http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/less2.html |title= History Lessons |publisher= Lynyrd Skynyrd History site (Lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com) |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:RobertELeeHSJacksonvilleFlorida.jpg|thumb|left|[[Leonard Skinner]] was a physical education instructor at [[Robert E. Lee High School (Jacksonville)|Robert E. Lee High School]] (pictured) in Jacksonville, Florida, known for his strict enforcement of the school's regulations on male hair length.]]
In 1968, Van Zant sought a new name after growing tired of taunts from audiences that the band had "one percent talent". At Burns' suggestion,<ref name="kijak-documentary" /> the group settled on ''Leonard Skinnerd'', which was in part a reference to a character named "Leonard Skinner" in [[Allan Sherman]]'s novelty song "[[Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)|Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh]]"<ref>{{Citation |last =Joseph |first =Hudak |title =Lynyrd Skynyrd's New 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow' Doc: 10 Things We Learned |magazine =Rolling Stone |date =30 May 2018 |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/lynyrd-skynyrds-new-if-i-leave-here-tomorrow-doc-10-things-we-learned-630575/ |access-date =18 January 2021}}</ref> and in part a mocking tribute to [[physical education|P.E.]] teacher [[Leonard Skinner]] at [[Robert E. Lee High School (Jacksonville, Florida)|Robert E. Lee High School]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Soergel |first=Matt |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/01/26/met_509196.shtml |title=Honoring a namesake |work=Augusta Chronicle |access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> Skinner was notorious for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair.<ref name=RELee>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080524030503/http://www.dreamsbeginhere.org/lee/history.html Robert E. Lee High School history (archived)]}}. Dreamsbeginhere.org</ref> Rossington dropped out of school, tired of being hassled about his hair.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/less2.html |title=The Official Lynyrd Skynyrd History Website – History Lessons |publisher=Lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com |access-date=November 2, 2011}}</ref> The more distinctive spelling "Lynyrd Skynyrd" was adopted at least as early as 1969.{{efn|Despite their high school acrimony, the band developed a friendlier relationship with Skinner in later years, and invited him to introduce them at a concert in the [[Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lynyrdskynyrddixie.com/2006/06/02/skynyrd-namesake-in-brevard/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080625193759/http://lynyrdskynyrddixie.com/2006/06/02/skynyrd-namesake-in-brevard/|title=Skynyrd Namesake in Brevard |publisher=Lynyrd Skynyrd Dixie|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 25, 2008}}</ref> Skinner also allowed the band to use a photo of his Leonard Skinner Realty sign for the inside of their third album.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leonard Skinner, Rock Band Muse, Dies at 77 |date= September 21, 2010 |access-date= September 22, 2010 |work=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/arts/music/21skinner.html}}</ref><ref>Soergel, Matt; [https://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-09-20/story/leonard-skinner-lynyrd-skynyrd-namesake-dies-77-0 "Tongue-in-cheek inspiration to Lynyrd Skynyrd dies at 77"]; ''The Florida Times-Union''; Jacksonville, Florida; (September 20, 2010)</ref>}}

By 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd had become a top band in Jacksonville, headlining at some local concerts, and opening for several national acts. Pat Armstrong, a Jacksonville native and partner in Macon, Georgia-based Hustlers Inc.; along with [[Phil Walden]]'s younger brother, [[Alan Walden|Alan]], became the band's managers. Armstrong left Hustlers shortly thereafter to start his own agency. Walden stayed with the band until 1974, when management was transferred to Peter Rudge. The band continued to perform throughout the South in the early 1970s, further developing their hard-driving [[blues rock]] sound and image, and experimenting with recording their sound in a studio. Skynyrd crafted this distinctively "southern" sound through a creative blend of country, blues, and a slight British rock influence.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2267092?q=lynyrd+skynyrd&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1| title=Oxford Music Online| website=Oxfordmusiconline.com}}</ref>

During this time, the band experienced some lineup changes for the first time. Junstrom left and was briefly replaced by [[Greg T. Walker]] on bass. At that time, [[Rickey Medlocke]] joined as a second drummer and second vocalist to help fortify Burns' sound on the drums. Medlocke had grown up with the founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and his grandfather, [[Shorty Medlocke]], was an influence in the writing of "[[The Ballad of Curtis Loew]]".{{efn|Some versions of the band's history state Burns briefly left the band during this time,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mVv-M4Sd46kC&q=bob+burns+suddenly+left+the+band&pg=PT52| title=Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering the Free Birds of Southern Rock| first1=Gene| last1=Odom| first2=Frank| last2=Dorman| date=October 8, 2002| publisher=Crown/Archetype| via=Google Books| isbn=9780767910286}}</ref> although other versions state that Burns played with the band continuously through 1974.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/arts/music/robert-burns-jr-first-lynyrd-skynyrd-drummer-dies-at-64.html|title=Robert Burns Jr., First Lynyrd Skynyrd Drummer, Dies at 64|first=Ashley|last=Southall|date=April 4, 2015|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>}}