Allen Collins
His searing, melodic guitar lines defined the sound of Southern rock, providing the fiery soundtrack to an era of rebellion and freedom.
1952–1990 (age 38)·American guitarist·Birthday: July 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Allen Collins was the six-string engine of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a guitarist whose playing was equal parts bluesy sorrow and unchecked fury. Alongside Ronnie Van Zant, he was a principal architect of the band's identity, co-writing anthems like 'Free Bird' and 'That Smell' that blended hard rock muscle with poetic Southern storytelling. His iconic dual-guitar harmonies with Gary Rossington created a rich, layered sound that became the band's trademark. Collins's life was marked by both triumph and profound tragedy, surviving the 1977 plane crash that killed Van Zant and others, only to face later personal struggles. His legacy is etched into the DNA of rock guitar, a player whose emotive solos continue to scream with a raw, unforgettable voice.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Allen was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Allen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Allen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Died at 38
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature anthem, 'Free Bird,' one of the most famous rock songs of all time.
- Formed the Rossington-Collins Band in the aftermath of the 1977 plane crash, releasing the album 'Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere.'
- His guitar work on 'Sweet Home Alabama' helped turn a regional anthem into a global rock standard.
- Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2006.
Did You Know?
He was known for playing a Gibson Firebird guitar, often with a cigarette tucked under the strings near the headstock.
The famous descending guitar riff in 'Free Bird' was his creation.
He named his daughter Amie, after the song 'Amie' by Pure Prairie League.
Following the plane crash, he suffered from paralysis on one side of his body.
“You don't write a song like 'Free Bird' thinking it's gonna be played at every rock show for fifty years.”
