He is buried beside his wife in Jacksonville, Florida. Incredibly, she survived the whole horrific ordealbut she wouldn't survive going back home. Reynolds, who was very close to Collins and Collins father, Larkin, doesnt agree with the conclusions of the police report. That was my purpose. But one thing that sticks out in my mind, is the time I got a call from my tour manager and he said there was some trouble at a place they were staying. I saw the plane smack the ground. Things work out in mysterious ways, he says. Ronnie Van Zant assembled this fatherless regiment, all in need of guidance and direction, and hammered them into a touring and recording machine. The wedding is kind of a light page in the dark book of Collins's life. It included most of the Rossington Collins Band members excepting Krantz and Rossington and released the album Here, There & Back in 1983. In early 1985, I was working with Filthy Phil Price and drummer-singer Carl De Blasio at Macs Mustang Lounge. Unnerved by the sight of a dirty, blood-drenched hippie running towards him, Mote fired a warning shotgun blast. Parked outside a club in San Francisco, a rather large Chicano man wandered onto their tour bus, called the Great White Wonder, demanding to have a look around. One story has it that Ronnie would point his finger at a spot in water and tell his fishing companion to put his pole at exactly the spot and within minutes a fish would be flapping on the hook. The wedding reception was one of the first public performances of "Free Bird" complete with the trademark extended guitar jam at the end. And it didn't have to be this way. The survivors werent aware that the cause of the crash was due to the pilots running out of fuel, so they feared the plane would burst into flame at any moment. 34 (July 19, 1952 - January 23, 1990) was one of the founding members and guitarists of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with late frontman Ronnie Van Zant.He was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Its not just smashing up a room they skinned a cat!. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bquoa_hAqUA/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv4TKVmHuA5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=. Because people just steal them the same day. It doesnt hurt and freak me out like it used to, but its in the back of my mind and hard all that day. Bath In the early days of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Collins used a black Gibson Flying V. This guitar was stolen, along with Gary Rossington's white Gibson SG, when the band's van was broken into after a gig. Its passed on and on.. We then went to the hospital and saw all the other people who were hurt. Skynyrd was always more influenced by second wave British invaders (Eric Clapton, Free, and the tough, garagey thud of the Rolling Stones, Kinks and Yardbirds) than the jazzy, free-falling improvisation of the Allmans. I know I drove a lot of people crazy but I wasnt going to put him in the ground and put dirt on him. The crash, which killed Ronnie VanZant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick and seriously injured the rest of the band and crew, shattered Skynyrd's fast rising star as it cut a 500 foot path through the swamp. They all grew up in the house with Lacy. He was bowled over by Skynyrds professionalism, arrangements, guitar work, and mostly by short and stocky lead singer Van Zant, who showed up in a black T-shirt and droopy jeans. Silver bullets from Gimme Back My Bullets. The smaller building that housed the studio is 1,000 square feet with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a three-car garage. For most of his tenure in Skynyrd, Collins used a Gibson Firebird fitted with a chrome-covered, "dog-eared" P-90 pickup in the bridge position and a Gibson "teaspoon" nickel vibrato arm. Thats where I would have sat, because I didnt know any of the crew, who sat in the back., We hit the trees at what seemed like 100 miles an hour. From the Whos Quadrophenia tour, where Skynyrd hit their big break and made a name for themselves, until the crash heard round the world, Collins remained a steady and indispensable piece of the southern rock legacy. About two-and-a-half hours out of Greenville, South Carolina en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and only three days into Skynyrds Street Survivors tour, the right engine of their chartered 1948 twin-engine Convair suddenly hiccupped and died. Although Allen was blessed with talent and opportunity, the lost rock star and guitar legend suffered along the way with personal devastations that many fans may not be aware of. Following the loss of Ronnie and Steve, Allen and fellow guitarist Gary Rossington joined together to form The Rossington- Collins Band in the 80s. Keith Richards, he said, had shown it to him personally (this was a credible claim since the Stones and Skynyrd at one point shared a manager, Peter Rudge). He could use his arms and hands limitedly. Born In: Jacksonville, Florida, United States, place of death: Jacksonville, Florida, United States, See the events in life of Allen Collins in Chronological Order. On Monday we get called to a rehearsal at Collins house on Plummer Grant Road. Later members included guitarist-vocalist Michael Ray FitzGerald and bassist "Filthy Phil" Price. His second daughter is Allison who was born in 1973 or 1974. And then Judy [Van Zant, Ronnies widow] told me, Just quit. Tragedy struck again just as the Rossington Collins Band was getting off the ground. Kathy had a fatal haemorrhage during miscarriage of the couples third child in 1980. On this day, just 26 years ago we lost Lynyrd Skynyrd member and talented guitarist Allen Collins to an unfortunate case of pneumonia in 1990. I had to find out who was where and we had to get to the funeral home to identify the body. Shortly after dissolution of Rossington Collins Band in 1982, Collins started Allen Collins Band in 1983. In Koopers eyes, Lynyrd Skynyrd were his Allman Brothers the jewel in the southern rock crown. Everyone was sort of wary, though. I think they would have stuck in there. He was not supposed to be driving. There are others who swear its his head hes carrying, Judy Van Zant recalled a dream she had, shortly after she had buried her husband. But before that, he went up to Honkette Jo Jo Billingsley, and did something that unnerved her. By autumn of 1979, the two guitarists felt confident enough to talk to the press about a new venture, explaining, Weve just been getting together and messing around doing a little playing and a little thinking, but were not worried about making any big rocknroll moves. They hired singer Dale Krantz (who later married Rossington, after a rather torrid romance with Collins) and were eventually joined by Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell, and bassist Leon Wilkeson. Other Works Reynolds says Larkin told him both Collins and Watts were ejected out the passenger side and that Collins went out the windowbeforeWatts. Or why not treat yourself? All rights reserved - 2018. The Gibson Firebird was Allen Collins guitar of choice from the late 1960s until he switched to a Gibson Explorer purchased from Eric Clapton in 1976. He was always the first one to reach into his pocket.. The bedroom of the second home was one a music studio. He was a composer, known for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Straw Dogs (2011) and Speed Racer (2008). He told me, Daddy, that pilot can fly through the eye of a hurricane and land in a corn field. It turns out that he was wrong., The funeral wasnt held for Ronnie Van Zant until almost a week later, mostly because his wife Judy was falling apart. I said something Collins didnt likecant recall whatand he retorts, Fuck you, you Jimmy Dougherty-lookin motherfucker, and hurls a half-full Heineken bottle at my head, which goes whizzing by my ear (Jimmy Dougherty was the previous lead singer for the Allen Collins Band). Pianist Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd poses backstage at a music festival in October 1976 in California. That wound wasn't just a "few stitches and call it done" kind of wound. We dont hear a thing that night or the next day from either of them. The tale boasts all the elements of a southern gothic soap opera. Earlier in 1979, he performed at Volunteer Jam V at Skynyrds first stage performance since the plane crash. Accusations of sexual and spousal abuse It seems that some terrible curse was determined to lay its claim on the surviving members. Both Collins and Rossington had serious car accidents over 1976's Labor Day weekend, which slowed the recording of their album. When the tragedy happened, I was the one who flew out with Lacy to identify the bodies, says Barnes. In late 1977 Collins began occasionally playing a Gibson Les Paul Special, with a double cutaway, P-90s, a sunburst finish, and modded with a Lyre Tremolo. By dawn almost 3,000 people had come to the crash zone and the carcass of the plane had been picked clean. Collins was driving his new Ford Thunderbird home down Plummer Grant Road with his fiance, Debra Jean Watts, in the passenger seat. ago inthesinbin 1 yr. ago She is the younger half-sister of Simon Collins and Joely Collins, who are Phil Collins 's children with his first wife, Andrea Collins; and older half-sister of Nicholas and Matthew, Phil's children with his third wife. All of his bandmates were in his wedding party, but Kathy worried that the band's long haired appearance would disturb her parents. The plane was mired in almost three feet of swamp muck in the middle of a hardwood forest; the sun going down so rescue helicopters couldnt land. He grew up in Shantytown [the rough and tumble West Side of Jacksonville]. Wendy Hughes at Keller Williams Atlantic Partners Southside is listing the property. [7] Also because of Collins' accident, the band donated a sizable amount of concert proceeds from the 198788 tour to the Miami Project, which is involved in treatment of paralysis. He died 87 days before that pivotal date. I had to hold it up for him and fasten his strap (see photo). They went through our suitcases. Collins was driven further into devastation and substance abuse. Allen was paralyzed as the result of a 1986 car accident. #1 Gary Nauga Gort! Although Allen was blessed with talent and opportunity, the lost rock star and guitar legend suffered along the way with personal devastations that many fans may not be aware of. Collins has also been filmed playing an all-black Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard, white pickups and white control knobs. I just couldnt help but try to imagine the horror of the scene. We are there to win.. Looters reached the site, pilfering the pockets of the dead and the living alike. Found it strange that the family didnt want people knowing where he was buried. I taught him if you really wanted to hurt a man youd hit him across the face. You know how they always say, Who died and made you boss? Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossingtons soft Florida drawl is made even softer by 3000 miles of phone line. There is a huge dent in the trunks lid. The property has a 1200-square-foot second home with two bedrooms and two baths. Are you the guy thats trying to sound like me?. But there was a lot of confidence with the pilot, Walter. I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought Id write a morbid song.. While amputation was recommended, Collins' father refused and he eventually recovered. He was very, very intelligent, but he had a high temper. The almost 2.5-acre property at 4734 Julington Creek Road is listed at $895,000. Owners Sam and Catherine Swingle are marketing the Julington Creek home of the late Allen Collins, founding member and guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was between her writing desk and her dressing table that our mother taught us perhaps the greatest lesson of all: A woman has every right to define her own life, with her own vision and in her . In his own circle, it was common knowledge that Van Zant didnt expect to live much longer. They are buried side by side in Jacksonville, Florida. Leon Wilkeson suffered a broken jaw, a crushed chest and internal bleeding and was declared dead not once, but three times, waking up only to say he had been sitting on a cloud-shaped log with Ronnie and Duane Allman. Rated #1038 in the best albums of 1981. It didnt then. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/allen-collins-45959.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. I was touring with them quite a bit in Europe and I felt this was a band that could have gone all the way. Here we are, doing 50 miles per hour through a 7-11 parking lot. They go to the motel, get their stuff, and head back to Jacksonville, a two-hour drive. Collins then joined hands with Rossington to form Rossington Collins Band in 1979. There is something unnerving about the Northern Florida swamps at night. They were immediately affected by the presence of The Who, remembered Bill Curbishley, Rudges management partner and current manager of The Who. It felt like we were being hit with baseball bats in a tin coffee can with the lid on, says Billy Powell, his voice still breathless in the telling. Allen wrote the music to Lynyrd Skynyrd's rock anthem "Freebird". Collins, daughter of Joseph Collins, a showbusiness manager, and his wife Elsa, and raised in a basement flat on London's Marylebone Road, followed her older sister in acting as a teenager . Collins sat down with my and my wife, and as we were leaving he offhandedly asked if I knew where he could buy a junk car for about a hundred bucks. Collins's family grew with the birth of his daughter Amie, followed quickly by Allison. Explore a escala global da Getty Images, os insights baseados em dados e uma rede de mais de 340.000 criadores para criar contedo exclusivo para a sua marca. I told him that it was the strongest thing I had seen a man do., Lacy Van Zant always insisted he warned his son not to get on that plane. Ben hawkins . Judy Van Zant was there, as was Billy Powells ex-wife Stella. According to her Instagram, she says that someone named Les Collins is her father, "NOT Allen Collins." Her youngest daughter really resembles Allen. He got his first Silvertone guitar and amplifier from his mother and started playing the guitar at age 12. He said, Jo what in the world is it? A few days later my friends and I ate the acid. All rights reserved. Acesse o melhor da Getty Images com o nosso plano de assinatura. Behind them, the rhythm section of Powell, bassist Leon Wilkeson and drummer Bob Burns played with military precision. This was late summer in 1985. Theresa [Gaines] decided she wanted Steve and Cassie there too., She wasnt the only one who had trouble keeping it together. Behind him, a wall of guitars wailed. They all looked at Lacy through stitches and swelling and he told me not to say anything about Ronnie. This man had just been to the funeral home and seen his son dead and decided to keep that to himself for these guys to heal. The band, however, carried on with the help of several replacements taking the place of dying membersguitarist Gary Rossington is the only remaining founderand has been touring regularly since. And if you believe in such things, hes watching over them still. "At first he annoyed me, because he was a mic stand twirler," says Kooper from his home in Boston. Maybe they got into a tussle doing 80 miles per hour. Here is Allen's wife, who he had his two daughters Amie & Allison with, Kathy in yearbook of Robert Lee HS. He drilled his band mercilessly, driving out to Green Cove Springs, Florida to a little tin shack on 90 acres north of Jacksonville. On January 29, 1986,[5] Collins was driving a new black Ford Thunderbird when he was involved in a car accident that claimed the life of his girlfriend, Debra Jean Watts, and paralyzed the guitarist from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. I said, Bullshit man. But he said, No, no, I want to go out with my boots on.. Collins' daughters started sixth grade at Francisco Middle School on Aug. 15, 2016 and almost immediately, Theel felt Collins was out to get her. Hess said the first album had nine songs and was too long to fit a normally pressed vinyl album. In 1984, Collins tried to resurrect the band, hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings and bassist Andy Ward King. No one could mess with Allen. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! She was a sweet lady with lots of friends & a southern accent. Murder. Allen was a valued member of Lynyrd Skynyrd and will remain that way until the end of time, we love and miss you Allen. Im on the bandstand; Collins comes rushing toward me with a key-lime pie; I duck; he misses me and flings key-lime goo into my Echoplex. I always knew something bad would happen to them after I left, the guitarist recalled. Burns, whod been playing poorly and suffering Van Zants wrath regularly, freaked and tossed the hotels beloved resident cat out his fourth floor window, making for a grisly kitty cat splat outside the establishments front door. The band received national success beginning in 1973 while opening for the Who on their Quadrophenia tour. Collins' last performance with Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the band's first reunion after the plane crash at the 1979 Volunteer Jam V in Nashville, Tennessee. Hed just had a falling out with a band member whod disparaged his wife. Ronnie used to say, youre in charge of the crew and whatever you say goes. Or when Ronnie caught Wilkeson drinking wine during Free Bird. She didnt move in, Catherine Swingle said in an email interview. It was the closest they had come to any sense of normality after the crash. Allen Collins, Kathy and daughter. With their tales of beautiful losers, thwarted romance and dashed ambition, Skynyrd were a more menacing bunch. And, that would be a correct assumption. While nothing outwardly marks that the house was owned by Collins, Catherine Swingle said fans find the address on the Internet and come by to take photos. It also included Skynyrd members Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson, in addition to female lead vocalist, Dale Krantz. His wife Kathy, who had been his high school sweetheart, died suddenly following a miscarriage in 1980, when she was 27. Allen pled no contest to vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence and spent the rest of his life preaching of the dangers of drinking and driving. Billy Powell, the band's keyboardist, received extensive facial lacerations and a broken right knee. Not long later, I met Marion Sister Van Zant up the street at Dunkin Donuts, where she worked as a waitress. He was 37 years old. It also gave them a hunger and a drive and a motivation. The pilot radioed to the Houston [Texas] Air Route Traffic Control Center, telling the staff they were low on fuel, and requested vectors for a tiny airstrip in McComb, Mississippi. Collins used four different 1964 Firebirds over this period - his first Firebird I the most extensively modified and two Firebird III's acquired circa 1974/1975. Bassist Larry Junstrom also joined in. Staff Location: Toronto That's really cool!!!! Horrifyingly, it wasnt only help that came. Peter Rudge, whom I worked for, was a tough guy too. I visited the cemetery where he is buried today. [6] As part of his plea bargain for the 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as drugs and alcohol. The first of course was to take care of Melody [the couples daughter]; the second was not to worry about Allen and Gary, that they could take care of themselves. I remember once Ronnie stuck a wooden coat hanger down his pants at a bar to fight to defend the honour of one of the girl singers. Organize, controle, distribua e mea todo o seu contedo digital. Allen Collins was born on July 19, 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Rescuers had to cross a 20-foot creek in order to get to the crash site. She is the daughter of Phil Collins and his second wife Jill Tavelman. Worried that the long hair of Collins's bandmates would scare her friends and relatives, Kathy John had them wear wigs so they'd seem more presentable to the normal folk. I read somewhere that Amie is living in South Carolina, but no one seems. The accident unfortunately led to an abrupt end to the 1970s era of Skynyrd. Anyone actually listening would know that wasnt true. So devastating was Skynyrds assault that the other acts showcased at Sounds Of The South, Mose Jones and Elijah, were forgotten. The bottle sails butt-first through the drywall, landing with its neck sticking out. "When I heard that there had been a plane crash, I just knew Ronnie was one of the ones that didnt make it, Judy Van Zant Jenness recalls. I was afraid stopping would draw more attention to the situation. The wedding also, according to Lynyrd Skynyrd History, featured one of the first performances of the iconic song "Free Bird.". Collins was also fond of cars, and had a fairly extensive car collection, one of his favorites being a 1932 Plymouth coupe nicknamed "Dixie Blue". Collins studied at the Nathan B. Forrest High School. Fortunately, there was a band down the street with an excellent drummer who also sang very well and owned a decent sound system. She posted pictures of someone she says is her mother and sisters. Larkin Allen Collins Jr. was an American musician and songwriter known for his association with southern-rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rossington Collins Band, and The Allen Collins Band. He was a founding member and guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He co-wrote many of its hit songs like 'Gimme Three Steps' and 'Free Bird with its late frontman, Ronnie Van Zant. People are looking at each other wondering what to think. On that last day, he was standing right on this step, said the elder Van Zant, who pointed to a spot about 10 feet from where we sat, and I begged him not to get on the charter plane. Collins and Reynolds drove up from Jacksonville to see us on a Saturday. Aumente o reconhecimento da sua marca de forma autntica compartilhando seu contedo com os criadores da internet. Collins developed chronic pneumonia and died in January 1990. Chris Charlesworth was due to travel with the band on that ill-starred night of October 20, 1977. Collins continued to pursue music, starting the Allen Collins Band, which released one album, Here, There & Back in 1983. Hed as soon smack you in the face as sit down and discuss something at great length. She invited me to the Van Zant house and introduced to sons Donnie and Johnny. However, Collins did not appear to be one of them. He would never play guitar on stage again as a result of his injuries. Larkin Allen Collins Jr. (July 19, 1952 - January 23, 1990) was one of the founding members and guitarists of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with late frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Lot Essay. He was older than both Allen and Gary. He was abusive, a nasty, mean little man with the personality of a thumb.. Collins taught me how to play the riff to the The Last Time the correct way. Liked it? They had other accomplishments as well, like convincing millions that they longed for their homeland of Alabama, whether or not they'd ever been to the state. Why don t I just meet you there? And he said, Good, bring all your stuff. I went back to sleep at my moms, and that night I had the most vivid dream. Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote many of the biggest Skynyrd hits, including "Free Bird", "Gimme Three Steps", and "That Smell". He said that he had three things to tell me. In the Lynyrd Skynyrd biographyWhiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd, author Mark Ribowsky illustrates that Collins suffered from terrible survivor's guilt and PTSD that lead to severe nightmares. But he was straightforward with everything he did. Lacy was in denial on the plane and hoped that there was a mistake and that his son was not dead. Ive been researching Allens family and theres something fishy about Allison Collins from the Allison Collins Band. They hadnt even finished receiving their directions when the left engine also went and the small plane began its death glide into the Mississippi swamp. Collins lost control of the car, drove the vehicle off the road, and flipped the vehicle in a violent crash. From an early age he taught his eldest son Ronnie named after his favourite movie star Ronald Reagan not only knew how to fight but how to hurt. Please donate or become a Patron here. As stupid as it sounds, it just felt like he was there. The almost 2.5-acre property at 4734 Julington Creek Road is listed at $895,000. Gary doesnt have the same authority Ronnie had. This sweltering shed, which quickly earned the nickname Hell House, became the boot camp where Van Zant moulded his raw recruits into musical men. Is Allison Collins from The Allison Collins Band Allen Collins daughter? As one of the bands guitarists, Allens greatest contribution to the band, as it is still known, is his Free Bird solo that could never be touched. as required for Public Notices per section 50.011 (1)(e), F.S. Suffering from two broken vertebrae and a mutilatedarm, Collins managed to escape the grip of the burning plane but the physical toil that took over Collins life almost resulted in an amputation of his severed arm. The crowd roars. Violence was just part of the culture there. Os painis so os melhores locais para salvar imagens e vdeos. Collins married Kathy Evelyn Johns on October 10, 1970 with whom he had two daughters, Amy and Allison. Collins pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. All gone. I was wise to his pranks and could see them coming, but she wasnt ready for that.. Kooper had just persuaded MCA records to bankroll his Sounds Of The South label in an effort to compete with Phil Waldens Capricorn Records (home of the Allman Brothers). He dove into a bottle and never came out.. She told me that the Collins family didnt want the local given out to Allen Collins grave. You know, prior to starting the Survivor tour, Ronnie gave my brother EC his best black hat and a beautiful ring that he used to wear. Just two years after the bands rekindling, Allen andhis girlfriend at the time, Debra Jean Watts,got into a horrific car accident that left Collins paralyzed from the waist down, while taking her life. Gregg Allman said, on meeting Ronnie Van Zant in 1972. Since we were just starting to get off on the acid, my friends and I hauled ass out of there. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Before 10 minutes had passed, Gary Rossington had joined Van Zant at the bottom of a bloody heap and the singer suffered facial injuries that required he wear sunglasses onstage. To the effect that he started with very little and he was getting somewhere and although he still had a bit to go, he still thought Well if I continue to do it my way Ill do okay. There he is, passed out in a La-Z-Boy with a bottle of Jack beside him. He was partying all of the time, Hess said of Collinss work habits during the Rossington Collins days. We were in Tokyo at some bar and we were drinking lots of sake. Since reforming in 1987 with Ronnies younger brother Johnny on lead vocals, Rossington has held the reins of Lynyrd Skynyrd, putting him in a position that he never imagined nor wanted. Gary and Allen werent ready.. Suicide. In 1970, Collins married Kathy Johns. A wooded area leads to a small dock on Julington Creek. After a few weeks Di Blasio disappeared, perhaps because he was resentful about not being included in the new Collins project. The main home has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a screened pool and a two-car garage. The band combined a signature rock sound with a country twang and produced singles that have inspired numerous covers. The trauma led to drugs. Long time Skynyrd fan here. It would take them two more years to launch Rossington-Collins. Boogie Woogie. In the end, Lynyrd Skynyrd was a southern rock legend that bridged a gap between genres. I know this was late February, because Collins threw a pie at me on my birthdaySkynyrd had a tradition that anyone having a birthday got a pie in the face. Ronnie was the only one of my children who had second sight, recalled his late father Lacy Van Zant in 1995. The solo on the songwhich was played by Allen Collins and Gary Rossingtoncomes it at Number 3 on Guitar World's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time. Later we had this special memorial service just for Allen and Gary and we moved Ronnie to his permanent place. His passion for cars, particularly race cars developed in his childhood and lasted all through his life. I am speculatingthis is an educated guess, taken from experiencethat she probably yelled at him to slow down, pull over, stop acting so stupid. Collins finally pled no contest, claiming he had no memory of the incident. He was one of the founding members and guitarists of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. "For us, the arts were as much a part of life as climbing trees," Phylicia Rashad says of the childhood in . What set him off? affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network, and