Allen Collins is the
rock legend you've never heard of.
Allen Larkin Collins was born in Jacksonville, Florida on 7/19/52. He began to teach himself to play guitar at the age of eleven; soon after, he formed his first band, The Mods.
Collins, at only thirteen years old, then co-founded one of the greatest bands in rock history: My Backyard.
Of course, you don't know them as My Backyard, because they (they = Gary Rossington, Bob Burns, Larry Junstrum, and Ronnie VanZant) changed their name to Noble Five, then to The Leonard Skinner Band, and finally to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Collin's jaw-dropping solos and unbelievable skill were showcased in Lynyrd Skynyrd's hits Sweet Home Alabama and Saturday Night Special, as well as my personal favorite song of all time, Free Bird. I mean, how can you not love him for that song? It makes my fingers bleed just listening to it.
After the 1977 airplane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie VanZant and guitarist Steve Gaines (among others connected to the band), Lynyrd Skynyrd broke up.
It's all downhill from here.
Crash survivors Collins and Rossington teamed up later on to form--you guessed it--The Rossington-Collins Band. Eventually Rossington left, and in a burst of creativity, Collins renamed the band The Collins Band.
Unfortunately, in 1986, Collins killed his girlfriend and paralyzed himself below the waist by driving drunk.
He never played guitar again, and spent the rest of his life speaking against drunk driving. He died in 1990 of pneumonia caused by his paralyzation.
There are those who would say that Collins was nothing but a slacking, hard-drinking, lazy, long-haired, dropout, hick, stoner, redneck from the swamps of Florida. And they would be right. But beyond the Confederate flags and bottles of Jim-Beam was one hell of a musician.
, , , , , , ,,,, ,,,,, ,ww, , , , , ,,,, ,
, , , , 00000www,0N0N00ww,,00w , ,,,,, , , , , ,, ,, ,
,, ,, ,, , , , , ,,,,,00N0000w00ww,,wwwwwww, wmXXN0w w,w0NmNw , ,,,,,,, ,,,,
, , ,,,,,, ,,, ,,,wwww0MHHMm0w,ww,, ,,,w000w, ,,m00kH0 ,,wNkXKBm ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,, ,, , ,, , , ,, ,,,,, ,,00 ,w00w, ,mMMNw,000,0PKPXMMkkMkN,MHNmBXN00NMMMMmmkBBN ,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,, ,, ,,, ,,, ,, , ,0mNw,0N00ww 0NNN0,, ,w , mmMkNmBBX0,0w ,mXEEPPKX ,,,,,,,,,
,,, ,,,,, ,,, ,,, ,, ,0NMkHM,,, MPHPPkNw MPkMmkkkPEEKKEEEw N, ,0mNN0wNKKEEPk, ,,,,,,,,,
, ,, ,, , ,w0MMPm , ,0MKBBBXw ,,0NmMkmkXHm ,mkPPkm0XPPPXkMkm0,MHHHEPHkm0 ,,, ,, ,
, , , ,, , ,,,, 0NN0NNmHkmm0w,MEBPkm0 ,mMkM,wwHBBKKBBBBBPHPk,,KKPHKBk Mk,mBEEPPEHMN ,,,,,,
, ,, , , ,, , ,,N,0, XPPkMN,Nmmmw,wMXPBKkm0 NBBXNwNmMPEEPMN, 0BBB 0m ,MXkKEKHXHXEPk ,,,,
, , ,, , ,,,,,,wwww,NMmmkHPEKPPBBk,,,0mPBBm 0PBM0N 0B NEKBBBKPPPPPPkPEBEw ,,
, , , ,,, ,wNNNNN,mXPPPEBKKm kEKKk, NPEm0BBN , ,,, ,, ,, HBKKKEEEPPEPHPHEkMBKmw ,,
, , ,,,,,,,,,N000w 0kXmkKBPPKEKBBX0 XH0 0kBB0 ,, ,,, ,, ,,,, 0BKEEPHHPPPPPKPmMHkEKPH , ,
, , ,,,, w w0, ,NMkkmNHmmPPEEEKKk PBHw 0MPBBN , , , , ,, kBEPEEPHPHHEPHmm kEPkMP ,
, ,,,,,w0wmM0 mNmNw ,,mEBKEEPPPkHPKK0mPKBBBH , ,, ,,, ,,,, MBKKHHPEEEHEHPwNkMHPkMBM
,, ,w, w,,km,0kN, N0wNPBKMmEPPPEEKKKEKBBBX , ,,,, ,,,,, , ,, MEPPPPEPKBk 0HNEHPHHNmN,, ,
, ,,, ww wHXXk0 NmkkMHKPmw,mKEPPPPEPPEKBKk ,, ,, ,, ,, , , MBBEPBPHEm0,BKEHEPEPPN ,w,
, , ,,,,,,,0mXHPPkHPkMXXEEXNwmPBKPEEEKEEEEPXM0mKBP0 , ,, , , , wEBEKNMPKKkPEPkHkHPKB ,
, ,,,, , wkHXEPXKBBm, mHPPEPEEPPPPPPPKBBKBBBBBBM, mEPmNEEEPPPPPPPHkXPB0 N
, ,,ww000XHPPPPHPEXN kEKPKKHHEEEEEEKKEKKX0wkKKBKKBBPm00,, ,0NmkmkkkXHKKEKKPPPPPPHPPKEMMPM 0,
,ww, , wNNmMXPEPEEEHmMPBKEBPN XPEEKEEKEKBKPBBBHMBBBBB0 , MEBBBBBBBBBBBEKKKPPPPPPPPPEPEPPPHHkN,,
,,, , ,mHHHHHXPPEKEEKk mPPPKKEPKBBBBKPw,,, mKKX, BBKEKEEKKPBBPXHEEPPPPPPPPPPPEPPKm0NwNw
ww ,wwmMkKEPPPEEPEPPHKBBKEKEHPKKX0 NNN0 ,, , BBBBBBBBPm0XBKKEKEEKKEEEPPEPEPPEkMk0k0
,0mkkkHXMmmNNmkHPPPPPPPEEEEPPEKKHPEKm, ,,,,,,, ,MKBHw NXKBKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPHEPXHXkmPX
kKKEEEPPPEEPEPPPPPPPKE,w, ,,,,,,,, ,, NEBBBHPKBEEEPPEEEPEEPEPEHPPMPH kHPP,
,,w wkmkXPBBBBBEPPPPPEPEEEPEPEEEPBHw, ,,, ,,,, ,,, ,,,w0 ,0mkPEBKHPEKEPEEPPEEEPXHXw0EPXMXHH
,00XBBBKXNN wEPEPPPPPHPPPEPPPKEm , , , ,,,w , XM,w, PBBPKEEkXPPEPEPkPKPEKKHXH,
,,0Xm mN ,kPEKHPHPPPEPPPEEPEEKEm ,,,,,,,, 0EH mk ,, , 0BPPHMKMHmEKEPHPKPEEEEPPMwX0
, NPPEKBBBBBBBKPEPEEEPPEEPEPEKEKEH0 , ,,, , MBBBBEKBBBKM0,ww, 0BE X,kKmKXPKEEPEHPPEPPPHHXmw
,0mkmkPkmmMPPkkkEBBKEEPEEPEEEEPKPm,, , ,, BBBBBB ,, ,w,w 0PBBEPP EEkBEEEEPEKEEPPPHKKHM0
, ,MXPKPEPXHPEKEk, kPEEKEPKKKEPKHMw w m0 , ,ww,,wNKBEKEKBPBEEEPPEEPPHXPKEKPEPMMk
wHMNNMXkkXXPKEPPPNMN,HEPPPPEPPEEKHHM ,mMEBBBBBBKk, MKKKPEEEEPPKPPHEEPPEEXHPHMkPHXkN
0mMHKKKBKKKPXHPKEKKEBBKKXPKKBBBBKB0 ,ww 0kPBBBBBBBBKXwww,w,w0kKKKKKKKEEEKKKEEKKPEEKHXNMKM N
,NmMPPPEHXMmkXHHHPEEPPHEkPKXXk0,kBw ,,,,,, mkPBBBBBBBBkN,0XKEPKEEPPEKEKEPPKEPHPEEPHX0NMN,,Nk0
0XPEKPPPEKBBBKPEEEEPKEEKPHEKPEKBBBBw ,,,,,, wHXMHEKKEKKEEKEEKHKPHkPPPHPEEPKBNwkM0kmPN
NPBEPXXPHPPPPKEPEPPPEEPPEPPPPEBB0 , ,,,NXBBBBBEKKKHMkkNPKKEEKKPPEEEEEKEKPEXHHPHPKEEEPHEPX,mKBM
MNNkXHPPBPmHHXHXkXPPKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEBBw ,, 0kEBBHXk0,mHKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEKEEKEKEKKEKEEPXKBEMkkPBk
MMkmw 0kPkPBBKKKEBBBBKPKKEEEPPEEEPPEBBP mEKKEPEEEEEEEEKEEKEEPEKPEEPPEEEEEXHPPXPBBm
Em , w0mMkKBBk0 ,XEEEEEEEEPHPPEBBk ,PBBBBKEKEEEEEEEEKEPKEEEKBKKEPEPPPEKHkk0 MKBm
,XEKKPKEKKEKBBBXkmmmPBBBBKEKKEEKEPPEEPPKBBBBBPPPPPkmMXBBBBKEKKEEEEEEKEEKKEEKEEKBEkBKPEKEKEKKBXXkmmm
PPHPEKKEKEN kkw mmKEPEKBEEPPPEEEEEEEEPPPPPEBBBBBKBBBBBBKEEEEKKKEEEEEEEKBkkKKEEBK ,KKPPPEEPXkPXPM
HPKPPPPKKBBPkPKkXEBk0 BBEEEEEEEEEPPPEEEEEPHPEPEKKKEKEKEEKBKEEEEEEEEEBB0 PBEEEK0 mKEKEkEEXkXPEEEM w
XHXEHXPHkHBKkX, ,EHEHkNBBEEEEEKKEEEEEEPPEEKKEEPPEEKKKPPEEBBEPKEEEEEEKKm BBEPHHBBKPBEPKHEEEPEPXPBP0,
MXXKEKXPKPM 0HBKH mBBEEPEPEEEEEPPPEPPPPPEEEPPEPEEKKBBXBKBBKEKEEEHHEBEEKEEEPPPKKKPPEEEEEPMPKPN
0kHMmmPM w0,KBBH, , PBKEPPHPPPPPPEPPEEEPPPPEEKEPPKBBBEw 0KKPEPPEBKPPEEEKKPKPKPXPEEEEEPEEkEH00
XK, mmm XEKKBK 00, , EKHHEHEEPPEEEPEEEEEEEPEEEEKBBB0 mBKKKEEEBKKKEKKEPEEXXPPPKEPEEEKmEHwN ,
M mBX,mMPBKPXM w0 MmwNmXkHPEKBBBEEEEPPKKKBBBB, , BKPEEEEPPPPEKKEEEEKEEKKKEEPPPEXkk m ,
0,HP XKHBPNmHBHXmwMEEKXN, mN0wmXHkNww,w0mNmMkHHPBH BBEKEEKKEEPXkEEPPPEBBEMkPKKPPEHXKm mw ,
XMEX,mNKX kEkP mBBkw ,N0w, 0000N, ,,,ww m0 0N0, BBKKEkEEEPEEKEHPKKKEPmkEKKEEHXPHKHNkP,
PmXPXHPH 0Hm MH ,w, Nmw,, ,w,,www0w,,ww0 NmmmHBBm 00kkkBKPPEPEKHHBBKkPEEEPEPPPPEkHN0MN
N ,kXHEkMkwmmXBBk , , , , ,0w w,, ,,,,,w,,,ww, 00,wNMMkEM ,EmPKPPEPPKPNw0kPKKKKEEKKEEKkXN0w, ,,
XKPXXHP0HNkKKPPEM , ,, ww , ,,,,,,,, ww ,,,, kX0 ,wBPKPEPPKPPEBBKKEEKEPEPPEKPHHEM ,0,
mkMMkXmXPkHPHkPEM ,, , ,w,,,,,,,,, ,,,, ,, , w,,XE BBPPEKPPKEBEEKEPEEPPPPHXXHPPBBK0,0
NmMNMMPNmHXPMHKK , , ,, ,w,, ,,,,,0, , ,,,,, ,, , ,w HBEPPPPPPPPEEEEEPPEPEPPKEPHKHMHXw0ww
,HMw,w0w,0HmX0NXKm ,, , , w,, , ,,,,, ,,,, ,, , BEEXPPPPEPPEPHHHPPPPPHHEXkmPk,wkEBBB
N, ,wN0N0Nwwm 0w , w , ,, , , , MKkXXPXHXHHXHHPPHPPPPHPHPEPXM0kkkm
ASCII art generated by AscGen.
Biographical source: allmusic.com's biography (by Charlotte Dillon)