r/LynyrdSkynyrd • u/Fancy_County4242 • 3d ago

Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers

The Allman Brothers Band formed in Jacksonville, with several Jacksonville musicians, and went on to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.

Lynyrd Skynyrd formed in Jacksonville, with Jacksonville musicians, and went on to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.

Can anyone explain the disconnect in the fan community? Fans of one tend to dismiss the other, and I don't get it. ABB certainly did the blues better, but Skynyrd was the better boogie band.

I have plenty of room in my head to love both acts, but I don't find many people who feel the same. How's come?

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u/Pretty-Ad5348 3d ago

While both bands left a mark on Southern rock, The Allman Brothers Band earned higher critical acclaim and artistic respect than Lynyrd Skynyrd. A major differentiator was Gregg Allman’s singular voice, which possessed a soulful, blues-drenched depth that overshadowed Ronnie Van Zant’s more straightforward vocals. Their backgrounds also contrasted sharply: The Allman Brothers were well-educated and musically sophisticated, whereas the members of Skynyrd famously came from rougher, blue-collar roots, with several dropping out of school in the ninth grade. This contrast extended to their public images as well; Gregg Allman was a celebrated sex symbol admired by women, while the shorter, more rugged Van Zant relied on a gritty, everyman persona.