18 Facts About Allen Collins

Allen Collins co-wrote many of the band's songs with frontman and original lead singer Ronnie Van Zant.

Allen Collins started playing guitar at 12 years of age, with a few lessons from his stepmother, Leila Collins, a country-and-western guitarist, and received his first guitar and amplifier from his mother.

Allen Collins was fond of cars, and had an extensive car collection, one of his favorites being a 1932 Plymouth coupe nicknamed "Dixie Blue".

Allen Collins joined Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Florida, just two weeks after its formation by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, along with Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom.

Van Zant and Burns both had a reputation for trouble, and Allen Collins fled on his bicycle and hid up a tree when he saw them pull up in his driveway.

Allen Collins was seriously injured in the crash, suffering two broken vertebrae in his neck and severe damage to his right arm.

Amputation was recommended but Allen Collins' father refused, and he eventually recovered.

In 1984, Allen Collins tried to resurrect the band, hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings and bassist Andy Ward King.

On January 29,1986, Allen Collins was driving a new black Ford Thunderbird in Jacksonville on Plummer Grant Road when he lost control of the car just south of Old St Augustine Road and crashed.

Allen Collins pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol.

All remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited officially in 1987, but Allen Collins served only as musical director, due to his paralysis.

Allen Collins founded Roll For Rock Wheelchair Events and Benefit Concerts in 1988 to raise awareness and to provide opportunities for those living with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities.

Allen Collins died on January 23,1990, from chronic pneumonia, a complication of the paralysis.

Allen Collins is buried beside his wife in Jacksonville, Florida.

For most of his tenure in Skynyrd, Allen Collins used a Gibson Firebird fitted with a chrome-covered, "dog-eared" P-90 pickup in the bridge position and a Gibson "teaspoon" nickel vibrato arm.

In late 1977 Allen Collins began occasionally playing a Gibson Les Paul Special, with a double cutaway, P-90s, a sunburst finish, and modded with a Lyre Tremolo.

Allen Collins continued to use this guitar in the Rossington Collins Band as well.

Allen Collins was filmed playing an all-black Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard, white pickups and white control knobs.