Skynyrd Namesake in Brevard

Lynyrd Skynyrd "Remembering The Free Birds Of Southern Rock" - Coach Leonard Skinner, Larry Shankle, Wendell Bristol

by Billy Cox
FLORIDA TODAY June 2, 2006

Leonard Skinner can’t remember exactly which young rebel he sent to the assistant principal’s office for dress-code violations at Robert E. Lee High School in the late 1960s. Maybe Gary Rossington, maybe Bob Burns, he can’t be sure.

Either way, next thing he knew, the Jacksonville gym coach was driving down the road one day when he heard the radio announcer say, “Now here’s a song by Lynyrd Skynyrd.” And Skinner’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, for obvious reasons.

On Saturday, the 73-year-old namesake for one of Southern rock’s seminal bands will appear at Space Coast Harley’s Rock-N-Rumble festivities in Palm Bay for a day-long fundraising party. The 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. gig will feature raffles, live Southern rock performances by Red and Ghost Riders, and culminates with an XL883 Sportster giveaway. Proceeds will benefit the Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Skinner will be joined by Gene Odom, the Skynyrd security chief and author who survived the band’s tragic 1977 plane crash that killed six members of the entourage in Mississippi, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant. Both will sign autographs from 10 a.m. until noon.

Formerly known as One Percent, Lynyrd Skynyrd assumed its legendary name as a sarcastic jab at Skinner, who had drummer Burns and guitarist Rossington in his gym class. Decades later, the Army veteran insists he was just following orders.

“We had this new school superintendent who invoked a dress code,” recalls Skinner, who also coached baseball, hoops and football. “For instance, you had to have at least two fingers worth of space between your hair and your eyebrows, your hair couldn’t touch your collar, and no sideburns were allowed below the ears.

“Girls had to wear dresses that didn’t go more than two fingers above their knees, everybody had to wear socks, if you had pants with loops, you had to wear a belt. It was this huge deal.”

Skinner says his job was to be on the lookout for scofflaws, and he ordered a longhaired One Percenter to the assistant principal’s office. The kid was under suspension until he complied with the rules.

“Well, he came back the next day with his daddy,” Skinner recollects, “and his daddy said, ‘My son helps support the family by playing in the band, and you need long hair to play in a band these days.’ The assistant principal just says, ‘Buy a wig.’ ”

It wasn’t until Lynyrd Skynyrd hit it big that the band began to warm up to Skinner, who still lives in Jacksonville. “We kinda tolerated each other for awhile,” he says. “But then it got to the point where they even invited me to introduce them to the crowd at the (Jacksonville) Coliseum. I’ll never forget it. They paid me $100.”

Saturday’s “Rock-N-Rumble Day” will mark a milestone for Skinner, when he and his wife Rosemary observe their 50th wedding anniversary.

Contact Cox at 242-3774 or bcox@flatoday.net

Coach Leonard Skinner, Susan Hughey, and Gene Odom

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s namesake “Coach” Leonard Skinner photos

Lynyrd Skynyrd's namesake "Coach" Leonard Skinner, Susan Hughey, and Gene Odom www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com	Lynyrd Skynyrd "Remembering The Free Birds Of Southern Rock" Race Truck Billy Webb, Leonard Skinner, Wendell Bristol, Gene Odom, and Larry Shankle www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Remembering The Free Birds Of Southern Rock" www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com	Larry Shankle & Leonard Skinner www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com
Leonard Skinner Realty www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com	"Coach" Leonard Skinner the Original Westside Warrior www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com
"Coach" Leonard Skinner and Circle Track Editor Larry Jewett www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com	Leonard Skinner autographs hood of Lynyrd Skynyrd "Remembering The Free Birds Of Southern Rock" Race Truck www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com
"Coach" Leonard Skinner www.LynyrdSkynyrdDixie.com

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DOCUMENTARY