Biography
Rossington Collins Band arose directly from one of rock's most infamous disasters. In October 1979, two years after the crash that claimed Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant along with guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, surviving members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins on guitars, bassist Leon Wilkeson, and keyboardist Bill Powell chose to regroup. They recruited singer Dale Krantz to front the new project. Although the musicians sought to avoid becoming a mere Lynyrd Skynyrd replica, their prior work had already defined their core style, so the distance from that foundation remained modest. Krantz herself had previously supported Donnie Van Zant, Ronnie's brother, in .38 Special, another outfit steeped in the same Southern-rock idiom. Guitarist Barry Harwood and drummer Derek Hess completed the lineup, enabling a swift coalescence of their sound. MCA Records stood ready, still harvesting gold and platinum sales from Lynyrd Skynyrd archival releases and compilations, and recognized the commercial potential of any credible act that could reach that same audience.
Rossington Collins Band proved more substantial than a simple commercial vehicle. Powered by three incisive guitarists, a rhythm section widely admired across rock, Krantz's commanding vocals, and songwriting contributions from several members, the group delivered muscular hard rock laced with soul. Audiences responded strongly in the latter half of 1980 with the arrival of their debut album, Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, which climbed into the Top 20, earned gold certification, and drew momentum from the single "Don't Misunderstand Me." Further progress stalled, however, when personal tragedy struck Allen Collins late that year. The death of his wife Katy initiated a cascade of misfortunes that eventually curtailed his career and life; as a result, he withdrew from most creative duties, appearing only minimally as a writer on the follow-up, This Is the Way, an album dedicated to her memory. Despite the surrounding turmoil, the record performed respectably, reaching the Top 30.
The band dissolved in the opening months of 1982. Rossington and Krantz, now married, launched the Rossington Band in the mid-'80s with Hess remaining on drums. That venture proved equally brief. It was soon overshadowed by successive Lynyrd Skynyrd reunions that surfaced by the late '80s and featured both Wilkeson and Rossington, with Krantz serving as backing vocalist. Although Rossington Collins Band's abbreviated run prevented them from fully realizing their promise, their two albums later surfaced on CD in the late '80s, followed by a combined reissue in England in 2000. Gary Rossington died on March 5, 2023, at the age of 71.
Rossington Collins Band proved more substantial than a simple commercial vehicle. Powered by three incisive guitarists, a rhythm section widely admired across rock, Krantz's commanding vocals, and songwriting contributions from several members, the group delivered muscular hard rock laced with soul. Audiences responded strongly in the latter half of 1980 with the arrival of their debut album, Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, which climbed into the Top 20, earned gold certification, and drew momentum from the single "Don't Misunderstand Me." Further progress stalled, however, when personal tragedy struck Allen Collins late that year. The death of his wife Katy initiated a cascade of misfortunes that eventually curtailed his career and life; as a result, he withdrew from most creative duties, appearing only minimally as a writer on the follow-up, This Is the Way, an album dedicated to her memory. Despite the surrounding turmoil, the record performed respectably, reaching the Top 30.
The band dissolved in the opening months of 1982. Rossington and Krantz, now married, launched the Rossington Band in the mid-'80s with Hess remaining on drums. That venture proved equally brief. It was soon overshadowed by successive Lynyrd Skynyrd reunions that surfaced by the late '80s and featured both Wilkeson and Rossington, with Krantz serving as backing vocalist. Although Rossington Collins Band's abbreviated run prevented them from fully realizing their promise, their two albums later surfaced on CD in the late '80s, followed by a combined reissue in England in 2000. Gary Rossington died on March 5, 2023, at the age of 71.
Albums
