Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Heart and Soul – Ronnie Van Zant & Allen Collins

Got an email from a fellow who bought my first book off the internet. He asked what was the meaning behind the poems in the book. While in the hospital after the plane crash, my neurologist checked me for head injuries. He came to the conclusion that I did have some brain damage. Most likely it was in the area that controls memory. My motor skills and reactions and everything else was fine. Boy, that was 29 years ago and now my motor and reactions have lost a lot of horsepower. But he said I would have problems with my memory. I have probably have lost some and some may come back. I probably will have short term memory problems in the future. This doctor could see into the future because he was 100% right. So, while recuperating from the crash injuries I started writing things down. When I could remember old stuff or things I did not want to lose or forget I would just write it down.

It was hard sleeping. I was having nightmares, flashbacks of the crash and all kinds of other things. The doctor said it may take years to deal with the aftermath of the crash. After years of writing things down, stories, poems, and things about our lives together I had stacks of papers, not a book yet. About 5 or 6 years after the crash, the boys decided to try the Rossington Collins Band. That didn’t work and Allen and Gary decided to part ways. Gary formed his own band the Gary Rossington Band and Allen formed the Allen Collins Band. Allen asked me if I wanted to do his merchandising for him. Sure, I had a little insurance money left over from the plane crash, which was only 68,000 dollars. THAT’S ANOTHER GOOD STORY I WILL TELL SOON !!!

Allen also said finish your book, print some copies and you can sell them too. I found an independent printer and printed 10,000 copies. I had 2,500 Allen Collins Band T-Shirts printed. I can’t remember how much money I had invested, all I had I know that. Allen was having a hard time dealing with his wife’s death, which caused him great pain. I will get back to that later.

I wrote poems as I would remember, things that would come to me about our lives. When I put the book together which I published myself. I started and ended the book with a poem. The preface kind of explains it best I guess. Not wanting to forget or lose the memories of the life we shared together, this book was inspired by my emotions for my lost friend.

Ronnie and I were closer than brothers or even a father and son could be. We were friends. If you have ever been blessed with one true friend, you have been blessed with eternal wealth. This wealth can not be compared to money or fortune only to the emotions of true friends. This preface starts a story of life and emotions put into words.

Gone, but will never be forgotten
A true southern gentleman, I’m sure you’ll agree
That’s what Ronnie Van Zant was to me.
A singer, a writer, a friend of mine
Who I will remember till my end of time.
My dreams and memories will always represent
The joyous times that Ronnie and I spent.
He and Jesus were both common men;
They both died working for what they believed in.
God you could not have asked for and received
A finer man I do believe.
He sang of a bird that was free;
That bird to me is a great man named Ronnie.
If there is a Heaven and I hope there to be,
I’m sure he is there so deservingly free.
We were raised and grew up together day by day.
As I travel through this life I pray
That we may meet again and be together some day.

Your life long friend-
Gene Odom
December 23, 1977

As you read this poem you can see how words transform emotions and life. Others can’t feel the same emotions but they can see the words and have their own emotions from the feelings they have from reading about others lives. I guess its hard to explain. If we read each others minds then we wouldn’t have to read other’s writings.

This is the story of two boys in particular and a group of boys who grew up to be close friends. The book starts out in these words. This is my story. I did not have a person tell me what to say or how to say it. If you could hear me talk, then you could hear me write. I tell a short story about where we grew up and how we grew up on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida.

After about 10 pages into the book I start to talk about fishing. Ronnie had little time for fishing after he started getting his music going full time. But every time he could get away he would call me up. Lets go fishing I got a couple of days off. He loved to go large mouth bass fishing. We started fishing for black bass which is the other name for large mouth bass. I guess we started fishing together in the late 1950′s until his death. I was with him when he caught his 12 lb bass a couple months before he died. One of the greatest days of my life and I know it was one of his best days of his life. He would call me up, “Lets go to Delancy in the morning, I’ll call you about 4 or just come by and pick you up”. This poem will tell you just how I feel about him not being here to go fishing.

PHONE CALL

The bird still flys around my home,
the fish hangs on the wall.
That old truck still runs the same
And I’m just waiting on your call.
Those four-thirty calls we used to make
To wake each other up,
Are not forgotten to this day
And probably never will be.
The poles are now gathered with dust,
The boat sits idle and free.
Fishing trips I take these days
Are not what they used to be.
I lay and stare at the phone
And wait for it to ring.
All of a sudden I remember
I?m only in a dream.

I can lay back and remember the times we were fishing. Thanks to parts of this ole wore out brain, I can bring up pictures of us fishing. Our brain is a wonderful camera. I can see him dancing and jumping around in the boat, when I threw that big ole bass in the boat. We hugged and he said let’s go weigh it right now. I wished the whole world could see that picture in my mind. Hey. I’m the only person in this world with that image. I never thought of it like that! Oh yeah, he was a real good fisherman. On into the book, about 40 pages, the poem Ronnie’s Song is found. This poem came to me after a dream, one of many I have had about him.

RONNIE’S SONG

FIRST VERSE: I was asleep in my bed
In the middle of the night
When I awoke in a cold sweat.
I was dreaming of a happening,
A time in the past,
When I saw some friends of mine
In a distant place.

CHORUS: Was this a dream I was dreaming?
Was this a vision that I’d seen?
He told me to tell the boys to keep on playing
Cause there’s more to this song than I’m saying.

SECOND VERSE I saw a barefoot shadow
Walking toward me wearing a black hat
And a black shirt.
He spoke to me, I was in a daze.
Listen to me friend,
I’ve got something to say.
We talked for a while
Then he said I’ll be seeing you.
Take care of my boys friend,
You know what to do.

CHORUS

THIRD VERSE: He turned and walked
Right out of my sight,
Like a shadow would do
In the dark of night.
I said come back
I want to see, feel, and be near you.
A voice I’ve never heard before said
You have seen, you can feel
And he will always be near you.

CHORUS

FOURTH VERSE Tell everybody I love them, especially my family
Tell them I’ll always be around
Cause I’m part of that old southern town.
Pray for me, think of me, let my name be a household sound.
I’m not far away, just in another town.
Thunder and lightning began to roar,
Drums and guitars began to soar.
A voice I’ve always known and loved
Cried out from the heavens above.
Keep on playing, one day we’ll all be free.

There is a couple of lines in this poem, at the time of the dream, I didn’t know what they really meant. Years later, I could see that Ronnie knew how things would turn out, even after he was gone but not forgotten. About a year or so after the crash, Allen and Gary were bummed out about what to do since Ronnie and Steve were gone. This was a huge loss; the singer and one of the best guitar players in the world dead. Allen and Gary, along with the alcohol and drugs messing with their minds, they just could not motivate themselves. I had written this poem about what had happened to the band. After the deaths of Ronnie and Steve, this comes along about 112 pages in the book.

SOUTHBOUND #1

Well, the train it got derailed
One day while steaming fast.
Now as it lays all broken,
I wonder how long she will last.
The engineer and conductor
Were lost at the wheel.
They were tangled in the mass
Of that great pile of steel.
No smoke now arises
From her stack,
But she lies only inches
From the track.
Cars that were left standing
Are now filled with dust.
Wheels that used to turn so fast
Are now full of rust.
The whistle and bell are silent now,
Will they be heard no more?
I’ll walk down to her boiler one day
And try to open the door.
Will she ever be turned up right,
Will she ever roll?
Her track still runs across the land
Under bridges that have no toll.

The original Lynyrd Synyrd Band paid its toll. A mighty high price. This poem kinda puts into words the airplane crash and how it left the band members. Ronnie Van Zant was the engineer and Steve Gaines was the conductor. Allen Collins was also a conductor but when Steve Gaines came on board, Allen moved on up to the front of the train. When I went to visit Allen, Gary happened to be there. I’ll never forget what they were doing, sitting on Allen’s couch just plain bummed. I said “Got a little something for you”. I blurted out this poem. Allen said, after I finished, “I don’t ever want to hear that again”. I said, “Well then, get up and start playing; it’s the only thing you can do. You wouldn’t know which end of a shovel to grab”. And that was the start of the action that resulted in the Rossington Collins Band. THAT’S ANOTHER STORY.

I ended the book with a poem and a great photo of Ronnie. This photo was really Ronnie, his hat, his black shirt, and that RVZ smile. One fine human being, you really had to know him to know how good he really was.

Gone, but will never be forgotten
The willows are weeping, the sky is clear
There will always be one good ole southern
Boy’s name spoken here.
Sitting and thinking of times that we’ve had,
Leaves me knowing I can never be sad.
Thinking or fishing or things that we’d do,
Life will never be the same friend, not without you.
Your passing sends chills through my spine,
But just to have known you has been so divine.
My nights are filled with sleepless hours,
Lying and thinking of times that were ours.
Our friendship was a wonderful thing;
A friendship like that could not be
Bought with the gold of kings.
I know where you’re at now; the music is beautiful.
I hope your life throughout eternity will be
The most pleasant and peaceful.

Your eternal friend-
Gene Odom
November 11,1977

This poem ends the book but not my memories. I still can see that ole willow tree in his yard, as boys we used to climb all over it, thinking of fishing or things that we’d do. Life will never be the same, friend, not without you. I find this to be forever true.

The printer told me it would be appropriate to put something on the back of the book.

Gene Odom was Ronnie Van Zant’s personal bodyguard, security for the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, and his life long friend. He never did any writing until after the airplane crash while he was recovering in the hospital. This book is about a natural life, pictured, and put into words. It took the death of his friend to bring out these feelings expressed in this book. Death to him is just another life.

DEATH

Death is eternal sleep
Where you never wake up
And the mountains you climb
Are never too steep.
Where your soul roams
In silent splendor
In a life where the living
Can only dream for.
Death is the end of one life
But the beginning of another
Where all men who dwell
Are known simply as brother.

Gene Odom
November 10, 1982
In memory of my brother

After viewing my old book and these poems, I sit here remembering the years and bringing back pictures of the past. Funny and sad what a simple mind can do. I got to take a break and clear my eyes, got some crying to do. I hate to cry. It makes my nose run faster than I can eat it.

Well back to the reason I put this book together. The Allen Collins Band. Allen put together a great band, but like I said, his wife’s death haunted him. Along with the alcohol and drugs tearing at his head. They made an album. The album was called ‘Allen Collins Band Here, There, and Back’. I heard MCA on the phone at his father’s office, saying this was the best album since ‘Street Survivors’. The booking agent was worried about Allen’s stability and staying on the road to push the album. Terry, from the agency, called me at home and asked could Allen make the tour that they were putting together. I told Terry, Allen gave me his word he could do it.

So, with 10,000 books and 2500 shirts, I set out. We did a couple of shows in Florida and moved up the east coast. I can’t remember all the places but there weren’t many. We did Norfolk, Virginia then up to New York. The books and shirts were selling great. I was thinking I would have to order shirts real soon. I believe we got to Poughkeepsie, New York, Allen’s dad said MCA shipped 250,000 copies to the east coast and they were selling real well. MCA was happy. While the band was playing, I was out selling books and shirts doing real good.

Big Lou walked up to me and said, look at the stage. I looked up and said, “What’s the matter?”. He laughed and said, “Where’s Allen?” I looked back up and sure enough no Allen Collins. Lou said that he had walked offstage. I knew the dressing room was across the stage and up some stairs. I ran up to the stage, walked across the stage, ran up the stairs and opened the door. There he was sitting on a couch. Allen said, “It’s over”. Man, before I could catch myself, I spun into a roundhouse kick. In the air, I changed my mind and kicked the refrigerator next to him. Scared him to death. I can still see the look on his face. I screamed, “I should kill you. Everything I have is in those shirts and books. What’s left of my crash money”. God, I was mad. I said, “You gave everyone your word; don’t that mean anything to you?” When he got to talk, he said, “Sit down and let me talk to you. Do you remember the other night when Jimmy pulled that Ronnie Van Zant look alike onstage to sing Sweet Home Alabama?” I said yeah. Allen said Jimmy walked to the back of the stage and passed out cold. Allen said, “Gene, Jimmy can drink 1 beer and pass out cold no matter where he’s at”. I said, “What?” Allen said, “Yeah, he can’t drink nothing. I can’t let him ruin my music like that”. Allen said, “Look at him, he’s not going to make it through the next song”. I said, “Man, you have put me in a bad way. I’m broke now and your word ain’t worth a damn”. Allen said, “My word is my music. Send your driver back home with the stuff and you ride with me. We’ll talk on the way back. This clown has to find another circus”. I’ll never forget what he said. Jimmy was a good singer but no drinker. On the ride home, Allen said, “Give me some time to get another singer and I’ll be back. Sit on the merchandise. I’ll be back and you’ll sell it all plus a lot more”. I knew Allen Collins. I trusted him. I knew his soul was good.

It wasn’t long after that, he was paralyzed in a car wreck. Gene Odom luck. There went the only way I could recoup my loss. Well, I could still walk and work. I could not hold a grudge cause I knew Allen.

I did go back to welding and ironworking. I knew which end of a shovel to grab. Nothing new to me. I worked until September 11, 1990 when I fell at the brewery in Jacksonville, Florida doing an add on. I got busted up again. This time I did not fall 10,000 feet, only 45 feet onto a pipe bridge. After a 30 minute rescue, back to the hospital. After the x rays, the doctor said, “What happened to your neck?” The old plane crash appears. The doctor said, “Well, your working days are over”. They were right. Workers comp put me on disability. Thank God for social security. It ain’t a lot of money but it’s better than a poke in the eye.

For being a good ole boy sure has cost me a lot. And that is ANOTHER REAL GOOD STORY!!!

But getting back to Allen Collins Band or Allen, like I said about Ronnie, you really have to know him. The band, his wife, the only 2 things that he was comfortable with were gone. Some things really do affect the brain and soul. My heart ached for him, not the drunk or drugged out Allen, but the Allen I really knew. After he was paralyzed in the car wreck, in the hospital, he did not let no one but his family see him. I would go up there every other day, only to be turned away. All I heard was he was so depressed and did not want to live. After a couple of months, I made my mind up it was time to see him. No one else knew what was in my mind. I walked up the hall right past Allen’s sister. She screamed, “No, you can’t go in there”. Allen’s mother was standing by his bed. I said, “Get up, boy. Let’s go fishing!” Allen’s mother said, “Gene, Allen’s paralyzed”. I said, “I know he’s paralyzed. I want to use him for crab bait, he won’t feel a thing. Hang him over the boat, let the crabs hang on and shake them into the boat”. I said this fast. Allen started laughing. I mean laughing hard and loud. The nurse and doctor came running in. Now, this is the first time you have laughed. Allen said, “Come here, only Gene Odom could do this. That was funny”. He said, Crab bait, that’s all I’m good for from the waist down. That brought another laugh. He told his mother and sister I could go and come as I pleased. He was mentally better after that. While he was in the hospital, after he came home, that was tough on him. This ended the Allen Collins as a musician. His spirit was paralyzed too. I don’t believe he would have lived as long as he did after his accident if not for his dad. Larkin Allen Collins Sr. Allen Collins the man, the band, the spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd, AKA 1%.

Gene Odom 2006

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DOCUMENTARY