Leon Wilkeson

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Leon Russell Wilkeson (born April 2, 1952 in Newport , Rhode Island , † July 27, 2001 in Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida ) was an American bass player who was best known for the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd .

Life

Wilkeson met the later Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant at the age of 14 when he was looking for a bassist for his former formation The Collegiates . Due to dwindling school performance, however, he had to leave the group at the instigation of his parents. Wilkeson continued to improve his skills in local bands, so that he made a name for himself in Jacksonville in the early 1970s . When Van Zant's current formation Lynyrd Skynyrd needed a bass player, Wilkeson joined the band. On behalf of the MCA , recordings for the debut album Pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd should take place in the spring of 1973 . Since Wilkeson felt too young for the band life on tour, he left Lynyrd Skynyrd to take a job in an ice cream factory. After completing the recording, however, he changed his mind and was able to return to the group. Wilkeson stayed with the formation until their plane crash in October 1977, in which he too sustained serious physical injuries. His left arm in particular could not be completely restored.

Wilkeson took in 1979 at the recording of Contraband of the rock group alias part before then end of the year, the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd formed the Rossington-Collins band. It came to the two studio albums Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere and This is the Way before the group continued as Allen Collins Band and in 1983 released Here, there and back . Wilkeson was then briefly part of the band Vision, before he was back on bass in the Lynyrd Sknynyrds Reformation in 1987. He was a permanent member of the group and took part in numerous record releases and tours until his death in 2001. On July 27, 2001, he was found dead in his hotel room in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Despite chronic liver and lung problems, natural circumstances have been believed to be the cause of death.

On the 2003 released album by Lynyrd Skynyrd Vicious Cycle , the song Mad Hatter is included as an honor. Wilkeson was in the habit of wearing brightly colored hats at concerts. Wilkeson was married for a fourth time.

Discography

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Rossington Collins Band

  • Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, 1980
  • This is the Way, 1982

Allen Collins Band

  • Here, there and back, 1983

Alias

  • Contraband , 1979

vision

  • Mountain in the Sky . 1984

The Bobaloos

  • The Bobaloos , 2000

Individual evidence

  1. Leon Wilkeson at discogs.com
  2. Biography at downsouthjukin.com ( Memento of the original from September 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.downsouthjukin.com
  3. Leon Wilkeson; Played Bass Guitar for Rock Band Lynyrd Skynyrd at articles.latimes.com
  4. Biography at allmusic.com
  5. Skynyrd's Leon Wilkeson Dies at billboard.com
  6. Biography at puresouthernrock.com
  7. ^ Wilkeson at imdb.com
  8. Contraband at discogs.com
  9. Mountain in the Sky at discogs.com
  10. The Bobaloos at discogs.com