Today’s Blimp Time-Hop: Remembering Ronnie on His Birthday

He was born in Jacksonville, Florida on January 15,1948. Growing up, he dreamed of being a boxer, a baseball player, and a stock car racer before falling in love with music and becoming a rock legend.  If he were still with us, Ronald Wayne Van Zant the legendary lead singer and songwriter for Lynyrd Skynyrd would’ve turned 71 today.

Portland, Maine was lucky to get at least one show led by Ronnie with the classic grouping of Skynyrd in the summer of '77. This historic concert was at the Civic Center before the tragic plane crash in October of that year. The legendary band also played Lewiston in 1976 and Bangor in 1974.

This is the absolute BEST live performance we've seen out there of Skynyrd's signature song! It recorded just a few weeks after the Portland appearance. "Playin' it pretty for Oakland."