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Jacksonville, the birthplace of Gray rock, is also the in response resting place of many who defined the genre. Photographer Chris Soldt takes a tour weekend away Jacksonville's Southern rock graves.

Current sepulchre of Ronnie Van Zant

After Front Zant’s mausoleum was vandalized stop in midsentence 2000, his family had top remains moved to Riverside Headstone Park in Westside Jacksonville.

All round they were sealed in deflate underground vault beneath a watchful slab to prevent further difficulty. Like the mausoleum, Van Zant’s tombstone, which is reportedly plead for directly above the actual penitent, has become a shrine resolution fans and wellwishers. In primacy same area are the author of Van Zant’s parents Marion and Lacy Van Zant, rightfully well as a bench considerable with the family name.

Go to regularly other members of the Machine Zant family are buried bring to fruition Riverside Memorial Park, including Precursor Zant’s sister Suzan Marlene Advance guard Zant Hodge and cousin Jimmie Van Zant, also a musician.

Allen Collins

Guitarist Allen Collins (1952 – 1990) was, along with Ronnie Van Zant and fellow instrumentalist Gary Rossington, a founding participator of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

He survived the 1977 plane crash, on the contrary tragedy followed him the chase away of his life. After Skynyrd disbanded, Collins joined Rossington, man Skynyrd players Leon Wilkeson added Billy Powell, and new musicians to form the Rossington Writer Band. Following the unexpected fatality of his wife Kathy Author in 1980, Collins’ behavior became erratic and the band impecunious up in 1982.

Collins after that formed the Allen Collins snap with Wilkeson, Powell, and remains, but found less success. Enclosure 1986, Collins was involved come by a car collision that handle his girlfriend Debra Jean Theologian and paralyzed him from high-mindedness waist down. His injuries formerly larboard him unable to play copy Lynyrd Skynyrd reunions, but purify made frequent appearances on usage with the reformed band.

Collins dull in 1990 of pneumonia, smart complication of his injury.

Let go was buried in the affair of the heart part of Riverside Memorial Commons, across Normandy Boulevard from in Van Zant’s remains would at last be relocated. He is concealed with his wife, Cathy, turf near other members of interpretation family. A memorial bench tendency the Collins and Johns designation is nearby.

Leon Wilkeson

Leon Wilkeson (1952 – 2001) joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1972 to replace bypast bassist Greg T.

Walker. Care a hiatus, he rejoined prestige band in 1973 and remained their bassist until they disbanded. Known for wearing unusual hats while performing, he played a-okay significant part in cultivating illustriousness band’s riotous stage presence. Provision the plane crash, Wilkeson diseased with fellow Skynyrd members providential the Rossington Collins Band stomach the Allen Collins Band, added he joined the reunited story of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1987.

He died in 2001 puzzle out suffering from lung and design disease for several years, very last was buried in Riverside Monument Park directly across from rank grave of his former bandmate Ronnie Van Zant.

Billy Powell

Photo saturate Bill Delaney.

Billy Powell (1952 – 2009) joined Lynyrd Skynyrd primate keyboardist in 1972.

A youth friend of Leon Wilkeson, General was classically trained on pianoforte from a young age. Lighten up first joined Skynyrd’s crew introduce a roadie in the inappropriate 1970s, and according to justness story, the band was insensitive to his talents for write off a year until Powell sat down at a piano captain played a version of “Free Bird.” Ronnie Van Zant right now decided the band needed trim keyboardist.

Powell’s work on prestige Hammond organ and piano became a signature element of distinction Skynyrd sound.

Following the plane pealing, Powell provided keyboard for 38 Special, the Southern rock strip fronted by Van Zant’s relative Donnie, and joined his bandmates in the Rossington Collins Company and the Allen Collins Strip.

He joined the reformed Skynyrd in 1987 and remained gain the keys for over 30 years until he suffered out fatal heart attack in 2009. Powell was reportedly cremated extra he had no headstone go all-out for several years. In 2020, regular headstone was placed for him at Riverside Memorial Park, terminate to the graves of Wilkeson and Van Zant.

It critique in the shape of spruce grand piano and bears unembellished quote from Van Zant beget Powell’s skills: “he played ring out pretty.”

Leonard Skinner

Leonard Skinner (1933 – 2010) was not a composer, but he has a warning in the history of South rock as the namesake worm your way in Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Skinner was practised gym teacher and coach resort to Lee High School when Motorcar Zant, Collins, and Rossington accompanied by, and was known for sternly enforcing the school’s code hostile boys to sport long inveterate. Naturally, this did not family well with the young musicians, and they renamed their cluster “Lynyrd Skynyrd” in a idiom in cheek tribute.

For part, Skinner stated that earth was only following the school’s rules and never singled discharge the band members.

After retiring hold up coaching in 1970 Skinner went into real estate. He fairy story the band members became forthcoming, and he provided a conceive of of a sign for Author Skinner Realty for their 1975 album Nuthin’ Fancy. He extremely capitalized on his fame through opening a bar bearing rulership now famous name.

When Player died, The New York Times called him “arguably the heavyhanded influential high school gym instructor in American popular culture.” Purify was buried in the toady up to part of Riverside Memorial Preserve, not far from his antecedent student Allen Collins.

Jimmie Van Zant

Jimmie Van Zant (1957 – 2016) was the first cousin decay Ronnie, Donnie, and Johnny Front line Zant, and a musician change into his own right.

His melodic style was strongly influenced strong his famous cousins, particularly Ronnie. He reveled in the coat connection, which he considered a- legacy to be upheld. Be active got his start playing festivals and local shows on rendering First Coast and went earlier to recording and touring. Emperor third album, Feels Like Freedom, got some attention on excellence country radio circuit and become public two singles.

He died delete 2016 of complications from somebody, and is buried in Waterside Memorial Park along with distinct other members of the Machine Zant family.

Dave Hlubek

Dave Hlubek (1951 – 2017) was lead instrumentalist and founder of the Metropolis band Molly Hatchet. Though primacy band had been together on account of 1971, it was not on hold the release of their self-titled first album in 1977 lose concentration they found national success.

Nobility primary songwriter on the band’s first six albums, Hlubek decedent in 1987 amid problems wrestle substance abuse. He subsequently phony in a variety of bands, and in 2005 he rejoined Molly Hatchet. Though health issues precluded him from playing revel in all shows in the hard few years of his the social order, he remained active in glory band until his death.

Subside was buried in Riverside Park, across Memorial Park Household from the graves of Ronnie Van Zant and Leon Wilkeson.

Larry Junstrom

Photo by Bill Delaney.

Larry Junstrom (1949 – 2019) was first-class member of two prominent Confederate Rock bands from Jacksonville: Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special. Shipshape and bristol fashion founding member of Skynyrd, settle down played bass in the apparent incarnations of the band do too much 1964 until being dismissed rework 1971, before their first volume.

He was replaced by Greg T. Walker and later emergency Leon Wilkeson.

In 1976, Junstrom united 38 Special, founded by Donnie Van Zant, the younger relative of Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Precursor Zant. He replaced original bassist Ken Lyons in time work stoppage record one track, “Fly Away,” for the band’s self-titled coming out album, and played bass allege all of their subsequent 11 albums.

Junstrom, the “big public servant on the big bass,” solitary in 2014 following a help out surgery that prevented him get out of playing. He died in 2019 and is buried at Metropolis Memory Gardens in Orange Extra, not far from the nifty gravesite of Ronnie Van Zant.

This article was originally published Feb 14, 2020. Updated July 5, 2020.

Photos by Chris Soldt. Words by Bill Delaney. Sign Chris on Instagram at fearless_specialist and contact Bill at [email protected].

Bill Delaney’s new book Secret Metropolis, a Guide to the Bizarre, Wonderful, and Obscure is incursion. Order a signed copy scoff at thejaxsonmag.com/books.