Leonard Skinner, Namesake of Rock Band, Dies

[SecularMotion]

Leonard Skinner, arguably the most influential high school gym teacher in American popular culture, whose enforcement of a draconian classroom policy against long hair inspired some of his students to name their Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died, The Florida Times-Union reported.

Mr. Skinner was 77 and living in a nursing home in Riverside, Fla. A cause of death was not immediately provided but his son, also named Leonard Skinner, told The Times-Union that his father had Alzheimer’s disease.

The elder Mr. Skinner, born Forby Leonard Skinner, was a gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville in the 1960s, whose students included Ronnie Van Zant, a founder and lead vocalist of a band known variously as the Noble Five and My Backyard. Seeking a new name the group recalled Mr. Skinner, who was said to have sent Mr. Van Zant and his bandmates to the principal’s office for wearing their hair too long in his class. In a mocking tribute the fledgling band changed its name to Leonard Skinnerd and then, more memorably, to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/leonard-skinner-namesake-of-rock-band-dies/?hp

[madinmaryland]

1. Error: You can't recommend threads from this forum

:kick:

[Parche]

2. i despise sweet home alabama

redneckville....:hi:

[jobycom]

5. Oh come on, that opening guitar piece is one of the gratest evah!

And I'm redneck enough to appreciate the defense of the South when the attacks went beyond race issues. As it says, "we all did what we could do."

[Iggo]

7. 'Turn it up...'

[taterguy]

10. That's kind of the whole point of the song

Van Zandt & Company were actually quite progressive.

They were sick of being thought of as neanderthals just because they happened to live in a certain geographic location.

Try listening to one of their early albums.

Beats the hell out of all that sterilized Genesis crap.

:toast:

[jobycom]

11. That

is why you are THE taterguy. :toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. One more piece of pop culture drifts off into the great beyond

It's too bad that this thing called "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 2010 is what it is...one original member and a bunch of other guys (and women) trying to be Lynyrd Skynyrd.

[jobycom]

4. I love the band (the real one, not the Clingon band that uses its name now)...

But really have no feelings about the gym teacher. Hope he lived a great life and I hope his family and friends find comfort.

[The Midway Rebel]

6. In the South, I grew up with lots of crew-cut wearing, mean ass, snarly, he-man types.

When I first heard the story of how the band got the name, I always felt like I knew Leonard Skinner personally. He'd been my baseball coach, scout leader, substitute teacher and sometimes, a relative.

So long you mean ol' shit!

[jobycom]

12. You make me laugh in spite of my better judgement!

:rofl: Yeah, I always pictured my scout leader, too.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. 77 is still kind of young...may he RIP and Rock On.

even I could handle a Free Bird right now.

[Common Sense Party]

9. FREEBIRD!!!

:headbang: