While associated with Southern rock, the band was heavily influenced by British Invasion acts like The Rolling Stones , Free , and Eric Clapton , as well as blues artists like Slim Harpo. The 1977 Plane Crash
The most defining moment in the band's history was the catastrophic crash of their chartered Convair CV-300 on . skynyrd
The name "Lynyrd Skynyrd" was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Leonard Skinner , a high school gym teacher known for strictly enforcing rules against long hair. While associated with Southern rock, the band was