Back when the discipline role in public schools was the added responsibility of the teacher unlucky enough to get stuck with it instead of an armed cop, Robert E Lee High School in Jacksonville, FL dropped the load on Phys Ed teacher Leonard Skinner.  Maintaining order in high school halls has never been easy, but in the rebellious late 1960's it had to really suck - especially when some of the ones you had to keep in line were in rock bands.  Skinner found out the trouble Gary Rossington and the others were causing in school was only a preview of coming distractions when the group they had formed decided to adopt and adapt his name as their band name.  Skinner eventually got circumspect about the dubious honor of being the inspiration for the band's name saying, 'I just went along with the flow. There's not much I could do about it.'  News of his recent death at 77 brought this from Rossington: 'Coach Skinner had such a profound impact on our youth that ultimately led us to naming the band, which you know as Lynyrd Skynyrd, after him. Looking back, I cannot imagine it any other way.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.'
Guardian.co.uk

MORE LYNYRD SKYNYRD INSIGHTS   ALL CURRENT STORIES