Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band that was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band rose to prominence in the 1970s and became one of the most popular Southern rock groups of that decade. Lynyrd Skynyrd is best known for iconic hits like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” In 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd embarked on a major tour to support their fifth studio album Gimme Back My Bullets. This tour saw Lynyrd Skynyrd perform across the United States with various supporting bands. Determining exactly who toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1976 requires looking back at the band’s history and tour schedules during that year.
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Formation and Early Years
Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed in 1964 by Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom, and Bob Burns. The band went through some early names and lineup changes before settling on Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969, a mocking tribute to their high school gym teacher Leonard Skinner. The band got their start playing local shows in Jacksonville, slowly gaining a following with their gritty blues rock sound. They released their debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd in 1973. While not a major commercial success, the album laid the groundwork for the band’s mixture of blues, country, and hard rock influences. Their sophomore album Second Helping, released in 1974, featured the band’s biggest hit “Sweet Home Alabama” and brought them to national prominence.
The 1976 Tour
By 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd had released five studio albums and was enjoying substantial mainstream success. To capitalize on this, the band planned an intensive tour schedule across the United States in 1976 to support their latest album Gimme Back My Bullets. While Lynyrd Skynyrd headlined most of the shows, they also opened for bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Fleetwood Mac at various tour stops. Additionally, they invited supporting acts to open for them at their own headlining shows. Determining who these supporting bands were requires looking back at Lynyrd Skynyrd’s tour dates and venues during that year.
April 1976 Tour Dates
Lynyrd Skynyrd kicked off their 1976 tour in early April with a string of dates across the Southern United States:
April 5 | Memorial Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL |
April 7 | Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN |
April 9 | Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN |
April 10 | Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, GA |
At these Southern shows, Lynyrd Skynyrd tapped Mother’s Finest, a funk rock band from Atlanta, to open the concerts. Mother’s Finest helped liven up the crowds with their high energy rhythms and soulful vocals. This made for an excellent pairing to get the audiences revved up for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s headlining sets.
May 1976 Tour Dates
In May 1976, Lynyrd Skynyrd headed up the East Coast for shows in North Carolina, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey:
May 2 | Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC |
May 4 | Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VA |
May 6 | Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY |
May 7 | Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ |
For most of these shows, the opening act was J.J. Cale, the Oklahoma musician best known for writing “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” later covered by Eric Clapton. Cale’s laidback, bluesy guitar style nicely complemented Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern rock. And his well-known songs gave audiences tunes they could sing along to before Lynyrd Skynyrd took the stage.
June 1976 Tour Dates
In June, Lynyrd Skynyrd continued touring the Midwest:
June 15 | Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI |
June 16 | Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH |
June 20 | The Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT |
June 23 | Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX |
Joining the tour for these dates was American blues rock guitarist Dickey Betts. Though not yet an official member of the band, Betts would sometimes make guest appearances with Lynyrd Skynyrd in the mid-1970s before becoming their lead guitarist in 1977. Betts would open these shows solo before bringing his bluesy, melodic leads to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s headlining set. This gave fans an early glimpse of how Betts would soon complete the band’s signature guitar triple threat alongside Gary Rossington and Allen Collins.
July 1976 Tour Dates
In July, Lynyrd Skynyrd spent much of the month opening for larger touring acts:
July 2 | The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (opening for Fleetwood Mac) |
July 10 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (opening for The Rolling Stones) |
July 12 | Texas Stadium, Dallas, TX (opening for The Rolling Stones) |
July 20 | Cow Palace, Daly City, CA (opening for Peter Frampton) |
While Lynyrd Skynyrd didn’t utilize opening bands for these stadium shows where they were the support act, the chance to play before tens of thousands of fans exposed the band to bigger audiences outside their Southern rock strongholds.
August 1976 Tour Dates
Lynyrd Skynyrd closed out their 1976 tour with more Southern dates in August:
August 2 | Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL |
August 4 | Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL |
August 6 | Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC |
August 16 | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, LA |
Rejoining them as openers for these homecoming shows was Mother’s Finest, reprising their role from the April Southern dates. The band’s joyous, funky energy remained a perfect warm-up for Skynyrd fans eager to hear “Free Bird” and other classics.
Conclusion
In total, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s intensive 1976 tour saw them play over 60 shows across the United States. While they headlined most of their own arena and stadium concerts, they also opened for some of the biggest touring acts of the era like Fleetwood Mac and The Rolling Stones. Supporting Lynyrd Skynyrd on their own headlining dates were mainly Mother’s Finest and JJ Cale, whose music nicely complemented the headliner’s Southern rock style. Dickey Betts also made appearances that foreshadowed his eventual status as a core member of the group. Touring relentlessly in 1976 helped grow Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fanbase nationwide and cement their reputation as one of the most popular rock bands in America during the 1970s.