“We said, ‘We’re calling the band Leonard Skinner!’ And everybody laughed and clapped and thought it was cool. So we kept it”: The early days of Lynyrd Skynyrd recalled by legendary guitarist Gary Rossington

Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Lynyrd Skynyrd are one of the great American rock ’n’ roll bands and the epitome of Southern rock, but as guitarist and founding member Gary Rossington stated in 2012, many of the band’s biggest influences came from the other side of the Atlantic.

In an interview with Classic Rock for the release of Skynyrd’s album Last Of A Dyin’ Breed, Rossington talked about the band’s early years in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida – and how they were mainly inspired by British music.