JANUARY 23, 1990 – Guitarist ALLEN COLLINS died at age 37

JANUARY 23, 1990 – Guitarist ALLEN COLLINS (b. July 19, 1952 in Jacksonville, Florida as Larkin Allen Collins Jr.) died at age 37 from chronic pneumonia, a complication of his paralysis from a 1986 auto accident that killed his girlfriend Debra Lizama Watts and left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was buried at Riverside Memorial Park beside his wife in Jacksonville, Florida.Best known for his work with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Rossington-Collins Band, Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote many of the biggest Skynyrd hits, including “Free Bird”, “Gimme Three Steps”, and “That Smell”. Collins survived the infamous 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that claimed the lives of singer Ronnie Van Zandt, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie Gaines.Collins began playing guitar at age 12, and had joined Skynyrd just two weeks after Van Zant and guitarist Gary Rossington, along with Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom formed the Southern Rock group in the summer of 1964. The band received national success beginning in 1973 while opening for The Who on their Quadrophenia tour, but on October 20, 1977, the Skynyrd plane crashed into a forested area and suffering two broken vertebrae in his neck and severe damage to his right arm. While amputation was recommended, Collins’ father refused and Allen eventually recovered.During the early 1980s, Collins continued to perform on stage in The Rossington-Collins Band which enjoyed modest success, releasing two albums (Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, and This Is the Way), and charting a few singles (notably “Don’t Misunderstand Me”). Tragedy struck Allen’s life again just as the Rossington Collins Band started. In 1980, during the first days of the debut concert tour, Allen’s wife Kathy suddenly died of a hemorrhage. It forced the tour’s cancellation. With the lingering effects of losing his friends in the plane crash, Kathy’s death devastated Allen. The Rossington-Collins Band disbanded in 1982. Allen continued to pursue music, starting the Allen Collins Band, which released one album, Here, There & Back in 1983. The six band members were Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell and bassist Leon Wilkeson, along with lead singer Jimmy Dougherty, drummer Derek Hess, and guitarists Barry Lee Harwood and Randall Hall. In 1984, Collins reorganized The Allen Collins Band by hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings, and bassist Andy Ward King. After being dropped from MCA Records in the summer of 1984, Collins decided to reform Lynyrd Skynyrd and began recruiting former Lynyrd Skynyrd band members to reform as Lynyrd Skynyrd II. Free, Bad Company and The Firm lead vocalist Paul Rodgers was asked to be the lead vocalist but had to decline due to three years left under contract with The Firm. Ronnie Van Zant’s youngest brother Johnny was recruited to fulfill the position, and remains the frontman of Lynyrd Skynyrd.In 1986, Collins was involved in a car accident, claiming the life of his girlfriend. He was was badly injured, and suffered from severe damage to his right arm and two broken spinal column discs. An amputation was recommended for him but his father disapproved. The injuries left the guitarist paralyzed from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. Collins pled no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. He would never play guitar on-stage again.Collins’ last performance with Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the band’s very first reunion (after the plane crash) at the 1979 Volunteer Jam V in Nashville, Tennessee. All remaining members of Skynyrd reunited officially in 1987, but due to his injury, Collins only served as musical director. As part of his plea bargain for the 1986 accident, Collins addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert with an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as drugs and alcohol. Also because of Collins’ accident, the band donated a sizable amount of concert proceeds from the 1987-88 tour to the Miami Project, which is involved in treatment of paralysis. 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 injury and other physical challenges.