Lynyrd Skynyrd Once Rebelled Against The Rolling Stones While Opening for Them in 1976

The year was 1976, and Lynyrd Skynyrd were opening for The Rolling Stones at Knebworth Festival in England. The Stones were coming off a disappointing tour, and headlining Knebworth was meant to be a marked improvement. However, Lynyrd Skynyrd effectively stole the show when they went against Mick Jagger’s direct orders.

Videos by American Songwriter

The stage was decorated with The Rolling Stones’ iconic red mouth and tongue logo, and Jagger requested that all opening acts perform inside the mouth. Apparently, only Jagger was allowed on the tongue, which stretched out into the crowd.

During the opening bands, the crowd of about 200,000 had significantly mellowed. Lynyrd Skynyrd, at that time still up-and-coming, had secured a spot at the festival between Hot Tuna and 10cc. The audience was effectively asleep when the band took the stage, but they would soon rectify this when they played “Free Bird”.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Went Against Mick Jagger’s Direct Orders During Their Knebworth Performance

When the “Free Bird” solo started, the audience started waking up. Lynyrd Skynyrd were opening for a band that they idolized; in 1965, a teenage Van Zant was in the crowd when The Rolling Stones came through Jacksonville, Florida. Allegedly, that was the moment he knew he wanted to be in a band.

Because of that idolatry and inspiration, Lynyrd Skynyrd was prepared to give this show their all. The crowd responded in kind (a crowd that included Paul and Linda McCartney, among others).

Lynyrd Skynyrd had the crowd’s attention, but they were also making The Rolling Stones nervous. How were they going to follow this? If that wasn’t enough, Van Zant did something next that possibly shook Mick Jagger to his core.

Ronnie Van Zant steered his bandmates onto the tongue as they played the wild and triumphant “Free Bird” solo. The crowd went absolutely insane for this act of defiance. Did Van Zant do this as a direct rebellion against Jagger’s demands, or was it simply out of the desire to put on a good show? That comes down to speculation, but there’s no denying the effect it had.

The Rolling Stones delayed their appearance by about half an hour, much to the crowd’s disappointment. Still, that was who they came to see, and despite the late hour they stayed. However, the audience left that night having witnessed something monumental in Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Later, journalist Ian Fortnam wrote, “Thirty-one years on and I’ve never witnessed a crowd react to support a band in the same way that Knebworth did to Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images