Bob Burns (drummer)
The original rhythmic engine of Lynyrd Skynyrd, his primal drumming helped forge the band's raw, swaggering southern rock sound.
1950–2015 (age 65)·American drummer·Birthday: November 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Burns was there at the very beginning, when Lynyrd Skynyrd was just a group of Jacksonville kids with a hard-edged blues dream. Joining childhood friends Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, Burns provided the foundational backbeat for the band's early, grinding rehearsals in a shed they called 'Hell House.' His playing, less polished than what would follow, possessed a visceral, almost tribal quality that perfectly suited the group's embryonic songs like 'Tuesday's Gone' and 'Simple Man.' He was behind the kit for the recording of the band's seminal debut, 'Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd,' which announced Southern rock to the world. The relentless touring and growing pressures of fame took their toll, and Burns left the band in 1974. Though his tenure was brief, his contribution was elemental, helping to shape the very core of Skynyrd's identity.
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.
Bob was born in 1950, 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 Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
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!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
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
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2015Died at 65
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Was the original drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, playing on their debut album 'Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd.'
- His drumming is featured on classic early tracks including 'Gimme Three Steps,' 'Simple Man,' and 'Tuesday's Gone.'
- Helped develop the band's signature sound during their formative years rehearsing in the 'Hell House' shed.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'Burnsy' by his bandmates.
After leaving Skynyrd, he largely retreated from the music industry and worked as a car salesman and a landscaper.
Burns was known for incorporating unusual percussion, like a Ludwig Timpani bass drum, into the band's early live setup.
“The 'One More from the Road' intro was my heartbeat in a drum case.”
