Allen Collins Guitarist from the band "Lynyrd Skynyrd" Date of Birth: 19.07.1952 Country: USA

1. Biography of Allen Collins
2. Joining Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. Success and Tragedy
4. Post-Lynyrd Skynyrd Career
5. Allen Collins Band and Tragic Accident

Biography of Allen Collins

Allen Collins, whose full name is Larkin Allen Collins Jr., was born in 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. In his childhood, Allen's first passion was cars, specifically racing cars. Interestingly, as he gained popularity and stability, Allen would later collect cars as a hobby.

Joining Lynyrd Skynyrd

As a teenager, Allen joined the band Lynyrd Skynyrd just two weeks after Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington. Together with Allen, Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom also joined the band, completing the formation of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the summer of 1964. The band's musical style is often described as Southern rock, which is a lively fusion of rock and roll, blues, boogie, and country.

Success and Tragedy

Allen Collins, alongside Ronnie Van Zant, became the author of many popular compositions and played a key role in the band. Their first modest success came in the early 1970s, but Lynyrd Skynyrd truly made their mark on the world in 1977 with the release of their acclaimed album, "Street Survivors." However, tragedy struck just three days after the album's release when the plane carrying the band members crashed, claiming the lives of many, including Ronnie. Allen, fortunately, survived the crash but suffered severe injuries, including a broken spine. Doctors recommended amputating his right hand, but Allen chose not to proceed with the amputation, and as time would show, his hand eventually healed. Unfortunately, the band disbanded following the fatal crash.

Post-Lynyrd Skynyrd Career

In the 1980s, Collins played in The Rossington-Collins Band and released two albums, "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" and "This Is The Way." In 1970, at the age of 18, Allen married Kathy Johns, with whom he had two daughters, Amie and Allison. However, tragedy struck again in 1980 when Kathy died suddenly from blood loss after a miscarriage. This time, Allen succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse to cope with his grief. His destructive lifestyle affected the band's music, causing conflicts and concert cancellations, leading to the breakup of The Rossington-Collins Band in 1982.

Allen Collins Band and Tragic Accident

Collins formed the Allen Collins Band as his next musical project, which released only one album in 1983 titled "Here, There & Back." In a cruel twist of fate, in 1986, Allen was involved in a car accident that took the life of his girlfriend, Debra Lizama Watts, and left him paralyzed from the waist down. This accident ended his career as a guitarist, as he could no longer play. However, in 1987, he was invited to join the revived Lynyrd Skynyrd as the musical director for their 10th anniversary after the plane crash. After serious consideration, Allen ultimately declined the offer.

Allen Collins passed away on January 23, 1990, due to pneumonia caused by his paralysis. He was laid to rest in Jacksonville.