WBLM Remembers Ronnie Van Zant On His Birthday

Ronald Wayne Van Zant the legendary lead singer and songwriter for Lynyrd Skynyrd would’ve been 73 today.

Ronnie was born in Jacksonville, Florida on January 15,1948. If our memory serves us correctly we recall he dreamed of being a boxer, a baseball player, and a stock car racer while growing up. Then of course we all know that he fell in love with music, eventually becoming a rock legend with the heart of a poet.

Portland, Maine was lucky to get at least one show led by Ronnie with the classic grouping of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the summer of 1977. This historic concert was at the Civic Center three months before the tragic plane crash in October of that year.

The iconic southern band also wowed Maine audiences playing Lewiston in 1976 and Bangor in 1974.

This is the absolute BEST live performance we've seen out there of Skynyrd's signature song, Freebird. It recorded just a few weeks after the Portland appearance in California.

"Playin' it pretty for Oakland."