Editing Allen Collins (section)

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===
Collins was born in [[Jacksonville, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0000005735 |title=Allen Collins Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> He 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. Inspired by the Beatles on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' in 1964, he formed his first group, The Mods, with friends Larry Steele (bass), Donnie Ulsh (guitar), and James Rice (drums).<ref>{{cite book |page=48 |title=Guitar Greats of Jacksonville |first=Michael Ray |last=FitzGerald |date=2023 |chapter=The Biggest Thing Since the Ventures |publisher=The History Press|location=Charleston, SC| isbn=978-1467153416}}</ref> Collins attended [[Nathan B. Forrest High School (Jacksonville, Florida)|Nathan B. Forrest High School]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History Lessons |url=http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/less2.html |website=The Official Lynyrd Skynyrd History Website |publisher=Judy VanZant Jenness |access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref>

In 1970, Collins married Kathy Johns.<!--She took the surname Collins after her marriage, thus, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Biography#People_with_the_same_surname, is referred to by name as "Kathy" to distinguish her from "Allen".--> All of his bandmates were in his wedding party, but Kathy worried that the band's long haired appearance would disturb her parents. To solve this problem, she required all the band members to keep their hair under wigs at the wedding ceremony. The wedding reception was one of the first public performances of "[[Free Bird]]" complete with the trademark extended guitar jam at the end. Collins's family grew with the birth of his daughter Amie, followed quickly by Allison. Collins was fond of cars, and had an extensive car collection, one of his favorites being a 1932 [[Plymouth (automobile)|Plymouth]] coupe nicknamed "Dixie Blue".

=== Career with Lynyrd Skynyrd ===
Collins joined Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Florida, just two weeks after its formation by [[Ronnie Van Zant]] and [[Gary Rossington]], along with [[Bob Burns (drummer)|Bob Burns]] and [[Larry Junstrom]]. Knowing that Collins played guitar and owned his own equipment, the band decided to approach him about joining them. Van Zant and Burns both had a reputation for trouble, and Collins fled on his bicycle and hid up a tree when he saw them pull up in his driveway. They soon convinced him that they were not there to beat him up and he agreed to join the band, then known as "The One Percent".<ref>''If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd'', Passion Pictures, Directed by Stephen Kijak, 2018</ref>

Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote many of the biggest Skynyrd hits, including "Free Bird", "[[Gimme Three Steps]]", and "[[That Smell]]". The band received national success beginning in 1973 while opening for [[the Who]] on their ''[[Quadrophenia]]'' tour.

[[File:Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977).jpg|thumb|left|Collins with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977 (from left to right): [[Leon Wilkeson]], Allen Collins, [[Ronnie Van Zant]], [[Gary Rossington]], [[Steve Gaines]], [[Artimus Pyle]] and [[Billy Powell]]]]

On October 20, 1977, an airplane carrying the band [[Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash|crashed into a forest in Mississippi]], killing three band members, including Van Zant. Collins was seriously injured in the crash, suffering two broken vertebrae in his neck and severe damage to his left arm. Amputation was recommended but Collins' father refused, and he eventually recovered.

=== Later life and death ===

During the early 1980s Collins continued to perform onstage 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").

In 1980, during the first days of the band's debut concert tour, Kathy died suddenly of a [[hemorrhage]] during the miscarriage of their third child. This forced the tour's cancellation. The Rossington Collins Band disbanded in 1982. Collins continued to pursue music, starting the [[Allen Collins Band]], which released one album, ''Here, There & Back'' in 1983. The six members included two Skynyrd bandmates – 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 tried to resurrect the band, hiring Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings and bassist Andy Ward King. Later members included guitarist-vocalist Michael Ray FitzGerald and bassist "Filthy Phil" Price.

On January 29, 1986,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/60be797135c45eefa4c334ecc2679ca7|title=Woman Killed, Rock Musician Injured In One-Car Accident|publisher=Associated Press|date=January 30, 1986|access-date=October 14, 2015}}</ref> Collins was driving a new black [[Ford Thunderbird (ninth generation)|Ford Thunderbird]] in Jacksonville on Plummer Grant Road when he lost control of the car just south of Old St. Augustine Road and crashed. The crash claimed the life of his girlfriend, Debra Jean Watts, and paralyzed the guitarist from the waist down, with limited use of his arms and hands. Collins pleaded [[Nolo contendere|no contest]] to [[vehicular manslaughter]] as well as driving under the influence of alcohol. Due to his injuries, he would never play guitar on stage again.

Collins' last performance with Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the band's first reunion after [[Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash|the plane crash]] at the 1979 Volunteer Jam V in Nashville, Tennessee. All remaining members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited officially in 1987, but Collins served only as musical director, due to his [[paralysis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBwqtmdxqzI|title=Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird (1987)|date=January 23, 2013 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>  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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Rob |date=September 20, 2018 |title=Rock 'n' Roll tragedies, from "Layla" to "Free Bird," and beyond. |url=https://blog.timesunion.com/hoffmanfiles/rock-n-roll-tragedies-from-layla-to-free-bird-and-beyond/44836/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920123504/https://blog.timesunion.com/hoffmanfiles/rock-n-roll-tragedies-from-layla-to-free-bird-and-beyond/44836/ |archive-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref> Also, because of Collins' crash, the band donated a sizable amount of concert proceeds from the 1987–88 tour to the [[Miami Project to Cure Paralysis|Miami Project]], which is involved in treatment of paralysis.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} 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.

Collins died on January 23, 1990, from chronic [[pneumonia]], a complication of the paralysis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/25/obituaries/allen-collins-37-played-rock-guitar-for-lynyrd-skynyrd.html#:~:text=Allen%20Collins%2C%20one%20of%20the,spokeswoman%20for%20Memorial%20Medical%20Center.|title=Allen Collins, 37; Played Rock Guitar For Lynyrd Skynyrd|newspaper=New York Times|date=January 25, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-25-mn-644-story.html|title=Allen Collins, Guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dies at 37|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 25, 1990}}</ref> He is buried beside his wife in Jacksonville, Florida.