Allen Collins ✝

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. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida.\n', ' Collins started playing guitar at 12 years of age, with a few lessons from his stepmother, Leila Collins, a country-and-western guitarist, teaching him a few notes, and receiving his first guitar and amplifier from his father after a falling-out between the two. Collins attended Nathan B. Forrest High School.\n', 'In 1970, Collins married Kathy Johns. All of his bandmates were in his wedding party, but Kathy worried that the band\'s long haired appearance would disturb her parents. To solve this problem, she required all the band members to keep their hair under wigs at the wedding ceremony. The wedding reception was one of the first public performances of "Free Bird" complete with the trademark extended guitar jam at the end. Collins\'s family grew with the birth of his daughter Amie, followed quickly by Allison.\n', ' Allen Collins joined Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Florida, just two weeks after its formation by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, along with Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom. Knowing that Collins played guitar and owned his own equipment, the band decided to approach him about joining them. Van Zant and Burns both had a reputation for trouble, and Collins fled on his bicycle and hid up a tree when he he saw them pull up in his driveway. They soon convinced him that they were not there to beat him up and he agreed to join the band, then known as The One Percent.\n', '