From the late 1960s to the late 1970s there was a Southern
sound that was identifiable by its raw energy, regional conscience, and
powerful guitar lineups. Lyrics in Southern rock songs frequently made
reference to the region as in "Blackwater" by the Doobie Brothers:
"Old black water keep on rollin', Mississippi moon won't you keep on shinin'
on me..."
Two bands in particular carried the banner for the
region: the Allman Brothers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Both bands had roots in
blues and rhythm and blues with some country influence as well.
The Allman
Brothers Band (shown above) featured the dual guitars of Duane Allman and Dickie Betts. They
got their start with Capricorn Records, a small label out of Macon, Georgia
releasing a debut LP in 1969. The group rocked hard and was distinguished by
the twin guitar sound and Gregg Allman on organ and vocals. Unfortunately,
the group's success was interrupted by tragedy--Duane died in a motorcycle crash in
1971. The band survived and still tours with guitar whiz Derek Trucks in
place of Duane Allman. In songs such as "Ramblin' Man" the Allman Brothers
sound was married to quintessential Southern rock lyrics:
"My father was a gambler down in Georgia, and he wound up on the wrong
end of a gun. I was born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus, rollin' down
Highway 41."
Lynyrd Skynyrd, out of Florida, inherited the mantel of the Allman
Brothers; their song Freebird was a tribute to Duane Allman. The
band's name was a corruption of the name of an unpopular high school gym
teacher they had had. This group had a very strong Southern identity and
their songs had a working class sensibility about them. Their
most popular song, "Sweet Home Alabama," was a response to Neil
Young's "Southern Man." Skynyrd featured a three guitar lineup and the
vocals of Ronnie Van Zant. Van Zant was the opposite of frontmen like Mick
Jagger or Roger Daltrey. His delivery was simple and straight forward with
no strutting or posturing. The group was electrifying in its live shows,
they could easily rival the energy of groups like the Stones or the Who.
Unfortunately, tragedy cut this band's life short as well. In 1977, Van Sant
and guitarist Steve Gaines were killed in a plane crash.
Other groups that came out of the South included Black Oak Arkansas, The
Kentucky Headhunters, The Dixie Dregs, Confederate Railroad, the Doobie
Brothers, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
