Ronnie Van Zant
Ronnie Van Zant was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States on January 15th, 1948 and is the Rock Singer. At the age of 29, Ronnie Van Zant biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 29 years old, Ronnie Van Zant physical status not available right now. We will update Ronnie Van Zant's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.
Ronald Wayne Van Zant (January 15, 1948-77), an American singer, principal lyricist, and founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
He was the younger brother of two other rock singers: current Lynyrd lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant and Donnie Van Zant, the founder and vocalist of 38 Special, was the older brother of two others.
He was the father of Tammy Van Zant and Melody Van Zant.
Early life
He was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, to Lacy Austin (1915-2004) and Marion Virginia (Hicks) Van Zant (1929–2000). Ronnie aspired to be many things before discovering his passion for music. Muhammad Ali, a boxer, wanted to work in the ring, and when playing American Legion baseball, he envisioned winning Minor League medals.
Personal life
Van Zant married Nadine Inscoe on January 2, 1967. Van Zant worked at his brother-in-law's auto parts store in Jacksonville, around this time. Van Zant was described as a virtual catalog of automotive parts and had a near photographic memory for them. Tammy, the couple's daughter, existed before divorcing in 1969; Tammy would become a singer. He married Judy Seymour in 1972 after being introduced at The Comic Book Club by Gary Rossington in 1969. (The club closed in 1975 and is now a parking garage.) Melody, the couple's one daughter, was born in 1976 and died in 1977. Freebird Live, a music venue based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, was founded by Judy Van Zant-Jenness in 1999. It was co-owned by Melody Van Zant and featured Lynyrd Skynyrd memorabilia. Judy Jenness married Jim Jenness and founded and operated The Freebird Foundation until its dissolution in 2001.
Van Zant was a voracious fisherman. He loved baseball and was a fan of the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. In a 1975 interview, he played American Legion baseball and aspired to play professional baseball.
Van Zant had several run-ins with the legislation, most notably in 1975, when he was arrested for hurling a table out of a second-story hotel room window.
Career
Van Zant formed a band called My Backyard late in the summer of 1964 with friends and schoolmates Allen Collins (guitar), Gary Rossington (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums). The quintet went through several names before deciding on Lynyrd Skynyrd, as a mock tribute to their high school gym teacher Leonard Skinner at Robert E. Lee High School, which all band members had except Collins. Skinner's strict enforcement against long hair inspired the members to name their band after him.
The band rise to prominence began in 1973 with the release of their debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), which had a string of hits that included "I Ain't the One", "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", and what became their signature, "Free Bird", later dedicated to the late Duane Allman of The Allman Brothers Band.
The band also gained exposure when they were selected as the opening act for the US portion of The Who's Quadrophenia tour.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's biggest hit single was "Sweet Home Alabama" from their follow-up album Second Helping (1974), an answer to Neil Young's songs "Alabama" and "Southern Man". Young's song "Powderfinger" on the 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps was reportedly written for Skynyrd, and Van Zant is pictured on the cover of Street Survivors wearing a T-shirt of Young's Tonight's the Night and in the 2 July 1977 Oakland Coliseum concert (excerpted in Freebird... The Movie).
