The hard-rocking, hard-drinking and hard-loving story of music legends Lynyrd Skynyrd by insider Gene Odom.Lynyrd Skynyrd blasted into public consciousness in 1973 with their hit 'Free Bird', a rock 'n' roll anthem that is still the most requested song on rock radio in the States. The band was founded by Ronnie Van Zant, a barefoot boxer from the swamps of Florida who, like the rest of Lynyrd Skynyrd, left school at sixteen to form the band. With their funky blues/rock boogie they soared over the airways for the next four years, penning such songs as 'Sweet Home Alabama', 'Saturday Night Special' and 'What's Your Name?'. Always on the road, their concerts and self-destructive lifestyle became the stuff of legend: they fought ceaselessly and drank constantly. And just as they were reaching for the skies, their plane fell to earth killing seven people including Van Zant and two other band members.Written by Gene Odom, Van Zant's best friend and mentor who was in the plane when it crashed, Free Birds tells the real story. Lawsuits, two deaths from drunken driving, sexual misconduct and a coke bust are part of it - but it is also a tribute to a group of young men whose dream was to make great music, and whose legacy lives on.