Celebrity Graveland

April 2, 1952 – July 27, 2001

Known by all those who worked with him as the “Mad Hatter,” Leon Wilkeson was the longest-tenured bass player for the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was briefly part of an early Skynyrd prototype led by fellow classmate and lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, but was not part of the actual founding of the group. He officially joined in 1972 after original bassist Larry Junstrom left, but got spooked by the prospect of fame that was dancing on the band’s doorstep. His absence was brief, though, and he rejoined when it was decided that bassist Ed King better served the band as one of the 3 guitarists. Skynyrd had its crazy-hat-wearing bass player back and the fame that Wilkeson wasn’t so sure about…found them.

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July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990

There is something to be said about having one of the more tragic tales amongst the members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, considering the overall story arc of the ill-fated southern rock band. But guitarist Allen Collins – despite surviving the fatal 1977 plane crash – certainly could lay claim to it.

As a youngster in high school, Larkin Allen Collins Jr. was approached by classmates, singer Ronnie Van Zant and drummer Bob Burns, about joining their band, The One Percent. Collins had his own equipment and loved to play, so he joined. The One Percent would soon become Lynyrd Skynyrd and Collins, along with Van Zant, would co-write many of the band’s biggest hits including “Gimme Three Steps” and “Free Bird.”

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