Leon Wilkeson
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Leon Wilkeson | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Leon Russell Wilkeson |
Born | Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. | April 2, 1952
Died | July 27, 2001 Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, U.S. | (aged 49)
Genres | Southern rock |
Occupation(s) | Bassist |
Years active | 1966–2001 |
Formerly of | Lynyrd Skynyrd |
Leon Russell Wilkeson[1] (April 2, 1952 – July 27, 2001) was an American musician. He was the bassist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2001.
Early life
Born on April 2, 1952, in
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd signed with
With its outlaw image, tough Southern rock, and solid touring, Skynyrd quickly became one of the top bands of the 1970s, scoring such hit albums as 1974's
Wilkeson acquired a "Fenderbird" bass from John Entwistle. The Fenderbird bass mated a custom made Gibson Thunderbird body to a Fender Precision Bass neck. Wilkeson can be seen playing this bass in a 1975 Lynyrd Skynyrd performance on the British TV series The Old Grey Whistle Test.
1977 plane crash
Post-plane crash
After the crash, Wilkeson and the other survivors mostly stayed out of the spotlight for the remainder of the 1970s, as they attempted to put their lives back together. Wilkeson managed to record bass parts for the 1979 album Contraband by Jacksonville band "Alias". The 1980s appeared to bring great promise for most of the surviving band members, as a new group, the
After Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Rossington-Collins Band got off to a good start, as their 1980 debut, '"Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere," became a modest hit. But shortly after the release of their second album, 1982's This Is the Way, the band split up. Wilkeson opted to remain with Collins in a new venture, The Allen Collins Band, issuing one album in 1983, Here, There and Back. After the Allen Collins Band fizzled, little was heard from Wilkeson during the mid-1980s, except for a short-lived membership with Rocco Marshall's Christian-rock band Vision, which also included Billy Powell. But in 1987, Wilkeson and Powell signed on with a reunited version of Skynyrd, with Ronnie Van Zant's youngest brother, Johnny, performing lead vocals. The group embarked on a successful, sold-out tour. The new Skynyrd continued to tour and release albums on a regular basis.
Death
Wilkeson died in his sleep on July 27, 2001, at age 49 at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.[1] He was pronounced dead by St Johns County Fire Rescue Paramedic, Charlie Galambos. Galambos reports that leaving the scene moments after pronouncing Wilkeson dead, news had already leaked to the media, as he listened to the report on local FM radio. Wilkeson was in town to address charges of driving under the influence, for which he had been cited earlier that year. A medical examiner reported that Wilkeson was suffering from chronic liver and lung disease and died of natural causes.[2] Wilkeson's death put the group in a difficult position since an agreement with Ronnie Van Zant's widow, Judy Jenness, mandated that at least three of Skynyrd's longtime members would have to appear in order for the band to use the name Lynyrd Skynyrd. Jenness waived this proviso, and the group continued with replacement bassist Ean Evans.
Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated the song "Mad Hatter" from their 2003 album Vicious Cycle to Wilkeson's memory.